Shoveling snow? No worries ... I hope!

I hope it’s too late to use this information, but today I learned about heart attacks and snow shoveling. I was interviewing Dr. Samir Hadeed, cardiology chief at Memorial Medical Center. Although the focus of the interview was on emergency response to heart attack patients, I couldn’t help asking about the snow shoveling issue.
Is the body mechanics of snow shoveling inherently strenuous to the heart? Or would any strenuous activity be as likely to trigger an attack?
Hadeed said it is the latter.
“Doing any physical activity in the cold weather puts a lot of strain on the heart,” Hadeed told me, adding that for many sedentary Americans, snow shoveling might be their “first encounter” with physical activity since the previous summer.
Not me. Although it worries Becky, I do shovel the snow -- but not to the point of over exertion. I always say I’d feel guilty running a snow plow or snow blower to get my car out of the driveway so I can go to the gym for a 45 minute workout. I can usually clear the driveway in 45 minutes and feel like it was just a good workout. If it is going to take longer, I always take a good long rest and cool down after 45 minutes or so.
But AccuWeather and The Tribune-Democrat forecasts don’t have any significant snowfall predicted for the rest of the year. I guess I’ll have to just drive to the gym or brave the traffic.
Hadeed’s comment about the cold weather’s effect on the heart gave me second thoughts about my physical activity from Wednesday. I know I said I was not planning much, but the opportunity presented itself when the Forest Hills School Board went into executive session. I figured, rather than sit in the outer office, I’d stroll around the grounds. It was bitter cold, but the brisk walk felt good.
Today may be more challenging. It started earlier and I’ve got stuff at home tonight. Maybe the stairs again?
Tomorrow, I have to buckle down and write the next package of stories for the American Heart Month project. This Sunday’s installment in The Tribune-Democrat will focus, as i said, on emergency medicine. It’s really exciting how technology allows the paramedic at the scene to connect directly to the hospital and allow the doctors to diagnose the type of heart attack instantly, from miles away.
By the way, if you notice I didn’t mention what the scales told me today, it’s a secret. Besides, I’m told you shouldn’t check every day.
Let’s just say I may have over done it on my second meal of quinoa and beans.
By the way, quinoa is great stuff. I’d like to see more of it. Even though quinoa has been around for centuries, it’s pretty new to the American diet, and I understand Johnstown has trouble with new stuff.
My friend Ben Gallagher said he would have second thoughts about adding it to the menu at his Village Street Cafe because he would have to tell everyone what it is.
Balanced Living Magazine said quinoa, known as the mother grain by the ancient Incas, has attracted attention recently because of its impressive nutritional value. Although higher fat than other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, protein, B vitamins and iron. One cup of steamed quinoa has just 200 calories, but a whopping 9 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
And it is pretty tasty, if a little weird looking.
It’s a little hard to find, but at least two Richland Township supermarkets regularly stock it.