2023-07-15 17:40:33
© Harvard Alert: 3 changes you need to make to take care of your heart
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Anything related to heart health generates interest, and rightly so. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, especially at Harvard. Healthy lifestyle habits might prevent 80% of heart attacks. Exercise, a good night’s sleep and a heart-healthy diet are the main pillars for taking care of your heart. But we don’t always have time to exercise every day. Indeed, stress often prevents us from sleeping well. In addition, it can be difficult to adopt a very healthy diet.
The most practical thing is to incorporate small changes into our daily lives. We must choose those that do not require too much effort and for which our hearts will thank us. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, walk to work. On the other hand, take the train or the metro two stops further, climb the stairs…
You probably already know this, but three simple changes in your daily life are extremely good for your heart, according to Harvard experts.
MEET PEOPLE IN PERSON
Emails, whatsapp, social media and Zoom meetings have become a common way to communicate with others whether at work or with friends. It has been shown that this can lead to isolation and loneliness. Two factors linked to heart disease, strokes and heart attacks, according to the American Heart Association. Read Viral challenge: can you find the missing tennis ball? Only 3% one
To fight once morest isolation Harvard experts advise to find time for coffee. A breakfast or brisk walk with a co-worker, friend or family member is also effective.
“One-on-one time helps you connect with others and can help you feel less isolated. That’s why some doctors are starting to make ‘social prescriptions,’ including suggesting volunteering or other activities to socialize in person,” says Harvard sociologist and researcher Matthew Lee.
A study by this author published in the International Journal of Public Health is talking regarding her. The latter suggests that having social relationships reduces the risk of depression or anxiety. Both are risk factors for heart disease, or worsen heart disease if one already has it.
CHANGE YOUR BREAKFASTS
Breakfast is one of our worst meals. At lunch we are more cautious and dinners are generally lighter. But many Spaniards eat a lot of refined grains and sugars for breakfast. The typical latte with a croissant promotes weight gain, cholesterol and blood sugar.
According to experts from Harvard, replace white bread or pastries with foods high in fiber. This is the case for rye or buckwheat bread. Cereals such as wholemeal oats, fruits, nuts or seeds are also listed. To read The supposedly innocent drug linked to stomach cancer
Fiber is not only useful for fighting constipation. They trap and clean cholesterol from the arteries, fight chronic inflammation of the arteries. In addition, they control blood sugar by reducing the risk of diabetes. Factors that increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
DEDICATE A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME TO MEDITATION
What do you do when you have a few minutes to spare?
You probably spend them staring at your cell phone, like the vast majority of people. Harvard experts suggest that if we devote those minutes to meditation, our health will improve, especially our heart health.
Studies show that people who meditate have lower cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure levels. They also suffer fewer strokes and coronary heart disease.
The reason is that meditation, practiced for 10 to 20 minutes a day, triggers a relaxation response in the body. It reduces blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen consumption, adrenaline levels and levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
If you’ve never meditated, Harvard experts suggest these simple tips for getting started:
Sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. And this, without trying to eliminate the noises you hear or the thoughts that come to mind.
You can also listen to a guided meditation that uses mental imagery to help you relax, or listen to a recording of soothing sounds, such as waves, a stream or gentle rain.
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