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Emma Wood
Jean Coco
ENGL 1001
22 November 2016
Audience: People who may not be living a healthy lifestyle who want to see how that may affect
their health and want to know what they can do to change it.
Preface:
This is my final draft of the inquiry project. I have worked very hard to optimize the use
of information and incorporate my own personal anecdotes. I started the paper not very sure how
it would turn out because I was not sure in what direction I wanted to write about. I decided that
I would take out the part about genetics and focus solely on diet and lifestyle choices. I felt like
adding in the genetic side would have been too much information, and my paper would have
become cluttered and overwhelming. I have gone through multiple reviews to get my paper to
the point that it is now. I am happy with the way it turned out, and I am proud of my work.
However, a paper is never finished, and I know there are places where I could explain more or
add more detail, but the sheer volume of heart disease information is overwhelming. I thought
keeping it a little more concise would be easier for the audience to understand their own risks
without being bombarded by scientific information that they would not understand.
If I had two more weeks to work on this research paper, I would explain more on the
parts that pertain to the experiments. I felt like I was rushed and pressured to keep all the
information within a six-page limit; it was really difficult because there is so much to learn about
the heart and how it works. I fell like if I had more time, I could have woven the researched
information better into my writing. From writing this form of research paper, I have learned the
importance of finding a balance between incorporating factual information and my own opinions
into the writing. I think this tool will help me immensely in my future endeavors because I will
have gained the ability to use not only facts, but also present those facts in a way the reader can
understand those facts and compare them to their own lives.
Dont Go Breaking Your Heart
The human heart is such a fascinating organ. Being the most active and hard working
muscle in the human body, the heart is responsible for the circulation and delivery of oxidized
blood to the rest of the organs in your body in efforts to allow them to continue daily function.
Your heart is what keeps you alive and walking; is it not amazing that one muscle has the ability
to keep you alive? However, the heart does not always work in the proficient way it should, and

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there can be complications that arise based on dietary and lifestyle choices. It is important to
know the risk factors and variables that constitute a cardiovascular disease (CVD) development
since it is one of the leading causes of death in men and women. So, my curiosity branches out to
find the connection between healthy and unhealthy lifestyle choices and how they affect an
otherwise healthy heart.
A heart can start out healthy, but it can be corrupted and worn from poor choices made in
childhood that become challenging to break once adulthood is entered (Shrestha 2). A child
usually follows what his parents eat, or his parents are lenient on his diet so he can eat tons of
junk food and unhealthy premade meals full of saturated fats and sugars (Shrestha 2). The over
eating of unhealthy foods can cause a cholesterol build up in the arteries of the heart which can
lead to a heart attack or other heart problems, causing the heart to become less efficient. Growing
up, I was the child of a health-nut mom who did not buy junk foodOreos, cookies, cupcakes,
etc.from the grocery store except on special occasions like Halloween, Christmas, Easter,
birthdays, and sleepovers. I am thankful that she showed me how to eat right and taught me
healthy eating habitsportion control, baked vs. fried food, protein and vegetable consumption
so that I would be able to have a responsible outlook on diet when I left for college. Some
people do not get this direction, and they are allowed to eat whatever food they want whether it
be chocolate or French fries every day. While these treats are very delicious, they contain
unhealthy saturated fats and sugars that can build up in the heart and affect their lives in a very
big way.
This hosepipe scenario I crafted allows for a better understanding of the hearts
processed; in this instance, the hosepipe symbolize the hearts arteries, the heart is the plants, and
the water is the blood. When you buy a hosepipe from the store, it is nice, clean, and brand new.

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Well, what happens after a few years of leaving the hosepipe out in the yard, and it is not taken
care of or looked after? When you go to use that old, dirty hosepipe, the water has a hard time
flowing out of the hose because of dirt and dust build up, and the plant cannot get the water it
needs to live. What if you took that same hosepipe, but instead of leaving it in the yard, you put it
away in the garage after every use and you made sure it was well taken care of? When you go to
water the flowers, the water will flow through the pipe easily, and the plant will have gotten all
the nutrients it needs to live and grow. The same thing happens in our hearts arteries; we must
take care of them so the blood can easily flow and circulate and not be constricted.
Heart disease does not only affect the person with the bad heart, but it also affects their
families, and how he approaches everyday life. A persons diet is a part of his life that is not only
chosen, but something that can be taught through the lineage of a family based on their place of
living and lifestyle (Shrestha 2). In my personal case, my family lives in the South where the
love for fried foods and sweets is endless. Having all these delicious, cholesterol enriched foods
around makes it hard to make conscious healthy eating choices at meal time, but it is possible
through the proper teaching of which foods are good for the heart and which ones are not. That is
what my mother taught my siblings and me; she taught us that we need a balance of healthy fats
and oils in correlation with carbohydrates in moderation, which can include vegetables and
fruits. A study confirmed this type of diet is helpful in the reduction of cardiovascular disease
risk stating that dietary patterns that include frequent consumption of high quality fats and
carbohydrates are associated with large reductions in CVD risk (Keyserling 2). Every now and
then it is okay to delve into those sweets and fried foods; they just cannot take over a persons
entire diet, or it will lead to the deterioration of his heart health.

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In a study conducted by Dr. Michael Copenhaver and Roman Shrestha, they noticed that
most children who hoarded bad habits into adulthood were not taught the proper ways to eat
healthy or exercise when they were younger, creating large problems when they grew up, and
discovered that childhood influences may contribute to the risk of CVDs later in life (Shrestha
2). They believe that if a child is taught to exercise regularly and eat well balanced meals
components include a protein source, omega-3 fats, and monounsaturated fats the child should
carry those lessons with them into adulthood and lower their risk factors of acquiring a CVD
(Shrestha 2; Choose Healthy Fats). If we take the time to take proper care of our bodies and
feed it the healthy nutrients it needs, there is no reason for us not to live long and healthy lives;
scientists have come to the conclusion over the past forty years that death rates have declined,
and people are living longer (Shrestha 1). In that case, the first step towards prevention is
knowing the risk factors, and how they play a role in a persons life.
Diet, believe it or not, is one of the most important components to a healthy lifestyle
(Shrestha 2). Yes, even though exercising helps keep the body in shape, it does not make the
unhealthy food eaten suddenly healthy for the bodys daily processes, such as the heart pumping
blood. A healthy diet combined with physical activity is the optimal way to ensure a healthy
heart status (Shrestha 2). Feeding the body macro- and micro- nutrients in moderation will give
the heart its power that it needs to function properly, but if it is given too much the heart will
begin to slow down and problems will arise (Shrestha 2). Some fats can be healthy in
moderation; for example, avocados have healthy fats and oils, but if too much is eaten those
healthy fats can build up in the arteries and cause blockage in your heart (Choose Healthy
Fats). It has been discovered that a Mediterranean diet supplies those healthy fats and nutrients
your heart needs to be productive and following this type of diet can in turn lower the risk of

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cardiovascular disease (Tong 1). So, if you put in healthy fats and nutrients that will not block
your arteries, your heart can do its job to keep your body moving and growing.
A Nurses Health Study (NHS) that has been in progress for forty years was released by
peer reviewers Dr. Yu and several others, and in this study, the doctors studied dietary habits and
how they relate to a persons risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, more specifically a
coronary heart disease (Yu 1616). In previous studies, it was proven that aspirin treatment
reduced risk of subsequent cardiovascular events by about 25 [percent]; this information
correlates with the findings of Tong and her colleagues that says aspirin use can lower the risk,
but if the patient takes more than fifteen per week then the risk will increase (Shirato 284; Yu
1619). Each patient was monitored for one diet component; for example, in their Table 1, it
shows that in 1999 those who had a diet of whole grains were at a modestly lower risk for a
cardiovascular disease (Yu 1617). To my surprise, a diet of red meat can increase your
probability of developing a CVD, based on the study conducted by the NHS (Yu 1617). Another
one of their interesting finds, eggs presented a higher risk of CVD in those who had diabetes and
a lower risk in those who did not (Yu 1617). I found this bit of information vital because even
though I do not have diabetes, I have a family member who does, and this evidence will help him
to be sure that he can lower his CVD risk just from lowering his egg intake or not eating them at
all.
Although diet is an important factor in health, physical activity is almost as important
because exerciselike brisk walkskeeps the blood flowing through the veins and puts you at a
lower risk of cardiovascular problems (Yu 1619). Tong and her peers not only examined the
factors of dietary risks to CVD, but they also studied lifestyle risks (Yu 1616). Evidence in their
study from 1999 showed that physical activity lowered the risk of CVD development;

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interestingly enough, Copenhaver and his student also outlined that physical activity in young
children was an important factor that needed to be stressed for the prevention of cardiovascular
diseases (Yu 1619; Shrestha 2). Teaching kids at home, school, and in the community to have an
active lifestyle rather than sitting at home watching television is important so that they can learn
the importance of being healthy and staying active (Shrestha 3).
In my elementary school and high school, it was mandatory that I took a physical
education (P.E.) class, and like all millennial kids, I dreaded going to P.E. It was not that terrible
in elementary school, it was actually kind of fun because we got to play games such as tetherball,
wall ball, steal the bacon, and many more; it was exercise disguised as fun. When I got to high
school P.E., however, I was not fond of it because it was no longer just fun and games. It was
treated so seriously and became very boring and tedious, and my teacher was no help either, but
it was still exercise. So, you can see how my schooling prepared me and started me with good
habits of physical activity. I was taught that exercise should be a priority in life because without
it you may not have a life to live. Children this day in age rarely go outside to play; they are
usually inside on the computer playing video games or watching television. They are not doing
themselves any favors because they are putting themselves at a higher risk for CVD since they
are not as active as they should be. Ill admit I am guilty of not being as active as I should be
either, but I am actively trying to change that, and I urge you to do the same.
I started this research with a quest to find the comparison between diet and lifestyle
choices and heart disease, and I have found that there is a connection. Choosing to eat healthy
foods that nourish your heart combined with some sort of physical activity will help prevent the
possibility of developing a cardiovascular disease. Not having a healthy lifestyle or healthy
eating habits can cause negative effects on heart health that can lead to severe illness and even

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death. Your hearts job is to keep you alive, and your job is to keep your heart alive. So, if a
healthy heart is what you want to strive for, beware of the unhealthy lifestyle choices, and if you
find yourself making bad habits, you are the only one who can change them into good.

Works Cited
"Choose Healthy Fats." eatright.org. Ed. Sharon Denny. Eat Right. Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.
Keyserling, Thomas C., et al. "A Community-Based Lifestyle And Weight Loss Intervention
Promoting A Mediterranean-Style Diet Pattern Evaluated In The Stroke Belt Of North
Carolina: The Heart Healthy Lenoir Project." BMC Public Health 16.(2016): 1-22.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Nov. 2016
Shirato, Susan, and Beth Ann Swan. "Women And Cardiovascular Disease: An Evidentiary
Review." MEDSURG Nursing 19.5 (2010): 282-306. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1
Nov. 2016.
Shrestha, Roman, and Michael Copenhaver. "Long-Term Effects Of Childhood Risk Factors On
Cardiovascular Health During Adulthood." Clinical Medicine Reviews In Vascular
Health 7 (2015): 1-5. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.
Tong, Tammy Y. N., et al. "Prospective Association Of The Mediterranean Diet With
Cardiovascular Disease Incidence And Mortality And Its Population Impact In A NonMediterranean Population: The EPIC-Norfolk Study." BMC Medicine 14.(2016): 1-11.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2016.
Yu, Edward, et al. "Diet, Lifestyle, Biomarkers, Genetic Factors, And Risk Of Cardiovascular

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Disease In The Nurses' Health Studies." American Journal Of Public Health 106.9
(2016): 1616-1623. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.