Are you worried about developing heart disease? Here are 10 good lifestyle habits to incorporate into your daily life to keep heart disease at bay.
Physical activity
Physical activity is a must if you want to keep your body and heart he althy! If exercise is to have a positive effect and help lower blood pressure, moderate to vigorous physical activity should be done at least three times a week, for 30 to 60 minutes each time.
Weight control
Excess weight, especially fat that tends to accumulate on your stomach, can lead to a higher risk of developing heart disease. The key to he althy weight loss is having a good diet and staying active within your abilities. There is no shame in starting slowly to give your body time to get used to it, the important thing is to stop being sedentary. For every pound lost, you lower your blood pressure by 1, 1/0, 9 points!
Mediterranean food
Do you know the Mediterranean diet? Several studies have shown thatthe diet of Mediterranean populations offers many advantages, including a lower risk of developing heart disease. To see an example of the Mediterranean diet and the foods it recommends, click here!
Sodium Consumption
Sodium is one of the main contributors to heart disease and for good reason: it is found in huge quantities in meals and prepared products sold on the market and in fast food dishes. Even if this kind of meal can help out on occasion, it is always better to make your own dishes in order to be able to control the amount of sodium added. Reducing your s alt intake by at least 1,800 mg lowers your blood pressure by 5, 1/2, 7 points.
Consumption of refined sugars
Refined sugars contain triglycerides. The more your body contains a high level of triglycerides, the more you increase your chances of developing heart disease since triglycerides have the effect of reducing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. Too high triglycerides can also affect your risk of being overweight or type 2 diabetes.
Alcohol consumption
We all like to relax with a drink once in a while. The problem is when this habit comes up a little too often. Consuming a large amount of alcohol increases blood pressureblood pressure and is therefore to be avoided both for the risk of heart disease and for he alth in general. When you feel like spoiling yourself, try to limit yourself to one glass of wine (preferably red) and save the bottomless drinking for special occasions.
Stress Management
Stress as such is not necessarily bad, since it is a normal physiological reaction that helps us assess danger. The problem is that most of us live in a constant state of stress, and this chronic stress is responsible for a myriad of he alth issues that increase the risk of developing heart disease. It is therefore important to learn how to reduce your daily stress level by using stress management techniques and observing your lifestyle to make the appropriate changes.
Stop Smoking
If you smoke, and are thinking about quitting, here are two more good reasons: First, smokers are two to three times more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers. In addition, one year after quitting smoking, no matter how many cigarettes you smoked, you already reduced your risk by 50%. It's encouraging! If you're having trouble quitting smoking, there are resources for you:
- The “I quit! »: 1-888-853-6666
- The site I quit
- The website Tobacco Challenge
Medication Control
If you are particularly at risk or if you already have heart disease and your doctor has prescribed medication to prevent complications, it is important to follow the recommended treatment, in addition to adopting the good lifestyle habits contained in this article. Also, be careful before taking any medication, whether over-the-counter or prescription. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about their effects.
