The medical recommendations that are made around cardiovascular health always go through the maintenance of a lifestyle and a diet that are balanced and healthy. It is, after all, to influence an idea shown by many investigations carried out for this purpose: a food routine rich in calories, high in fat in conjunction with sedentary lifestyle are a bad combination for the good condition of the heart and arteries.
Heart Healthy Diet
The first rule is to minimize foods containing saturated fats and trans fats. Foods rich in fats of animal origin, -butter, milk and derivatives, fatty meat-, increase the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. For this reason, it is advisable to replace these protein contributions with other healthier sources such as legumes, nuts and vegetable oils such as olive oil. We can also opt for lean turkey and chicken meats – or resort to oily fish such as salmon, sardines or tuna.
Although it may be obvious, we must eliminate from the diet pastry products, rich in refined sugars and fats that, in addition to increasing cholesterol, tend to make you fat. Foods that contain fiber, such as oats, beans, apples or pears, are essential, since it not only helps reduce cholesterol but also all diseases related to it, including cardiovascular diseases.
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits, especially colored ones (spinach, strawberries, peaches or carrots), and when consumed raw rather than prepared as juice, is an effective way to prevent heart ailments.
Influence of lifestyle on the heart
It is desirable to keep voltage levels below 120/80 mm/Hg. For this it is essential not only to control the amount of calories ingested, but also to reduce the salt content in cooked foods and perform sports on a regular basis.
Another element, which is also influenced by our social life, is tobacco. Excessive smoking or constant exposure to tobacco can lead to the development of both cancer and various cardiovascular disorders.
Following, therefore, the recommendations of the experts it is very important, for cardiovascular health, that we are aware of both the calories we consume and the size of the portions. Although we live in a society in which sedentary lifestyle is claimed and adopted, especially from the world of work, as a rule, we must try to compensate it with regular physical activity, such as joining a gym or going for a walk with our partner.