How to take care of your heart so that it is healthy

Sleep well and wake up rested

Sleeping less than 6 hours a day doubles the risk of cardiovascular accident and sleeping more than 8 hours increases the risk of angina pectoris. Ideally, sleep between 7 and 8 hours and rest well. If you have sleep problems, here are tricks to sleep like a baby.

Sleep on the left side

Don't do it from the right side. By sleeping on your left side, you promote lymphatic drainage and make your heart pump more easily. If you have trouble not turning over, put a pillow on your back.

Get off the TV, mobile, tablet …

There are studies that link spending more than 4 hours in front of the television with obesity and ensure that a sedentary lifestyle carries a 15% higher cardiovascular risk. And this is also valid for social networks if they make you glued to the chair. Ideally, be selective about what you see on TV and restrict the time spent on the networks.

Don't take your bread

But go to the integral. According to a Spanish study, wholemeal bread helps reduce cholesterol. The important thing is to adjust the amount you take according to the exercise you do. Here we explain more in depth why you should not stop eating carbohydrates.

Cook in the wok, in the oven, in the steam …

Do not abuse fried and battered because by taking them you end up eating more fat than if you had cooked steamed, grilled or boiled. Plus, if you're short on time, both woking and steaming in the microwave is healthy and quick.

Pizza, homemade

Convenience foods such as pizza, frozen lasagna, etc. tend to have "bad" fats, and eating these foods frequently raises "bad" cholesterol. Need an easy and light recipe for pizza on Friday or Saturday? Here you have it.

More fruit, less risk

If you add a third to the two fruits a day that you have to eat, you reduce your risk of having a heart attack by 15%. And if you add another piece, 15% less. So think about including a piece of fruit for breakfast or mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks and dessert for lunch or dinner and thus make sure you eat at least 3 fruits a day.

Do you defat the meat?

Well, it is a very good habit to keep cholesterol at bay. Removing the fat from chicken or turkey is easy, because it concentrates under the skin. On the other hand, with red meat it is more difficult, so it is best to opt for lean cuts and limit your consumption to one, maximum twice, per week.

Go green, your heart appreciates it

If you eat more vegetables, you take away your hunger for other things that are more caloric and lose weight. And if 5% your weight, the result is that cholesterol and triglyceride numbers improve. But if, in addition, you combine raw vegetables with cooked ones, you make sure to make a full of vitamins, because some are destroyed by cooking, and others are better assimilated if they are cooked, such as lycopene in tomatoes.

Control the salt shaker

Salt and fluid retention go hand in hand. And by retaining fluids, there is an increased risk of hypertension. Ideally, cook at home, because you are the one who controls the salt shaker, and avoid precooked, cheeses, sausages, etc., where more salt is hidden than you think. If you want to know more about foods with hidden salt and how to avoid fluid retention, don't miss this post.

More fish, less cholesterol

The omega 3 fatty acids in fish increase "good cholesterol" and reduce "bad cholesterol" and triglycerides. Do not limit yourself to white fish and also include blue in your menus (sardines, salmon, mackerel …), which is even richer in omega 3. If you have a hard time eating it, here are ideas to eat more fish.

Olive oil for everything

The Prevention with Mediterranean Diet study (PREDIMED) recommends taking care of the heart with virgin olive oil because it is the only one that preserves 100% its properties, since it is consumed without refining or having had chemical manipulations. Its oleic acid helps reduce "bad" cholesterol. And it is rich in polyphenols and vitamin E, two antioxidants that are lost in refining. You can use it to season, cook, fry … But try not to exceed 3-4 tablespoons a day.

Move and you will pump health

A motto from many years ago said that "who moves the legs moves the heart". And it is still fully current. You do not have to do a very intense activity, walking for 30 minutes a day at a good pace and without interruptions you can control blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and, therefore, reduce the risk of heart attack.

Eat breakfast like a queen

In addition to having other advantages, having breakfast also takes care of the heart. And is that, according to an Australian study, not doing so increases the levels of "bad" cholesterol. And if you want to know if having breakfast is really as important as they say, here you can see the response of Clara's nutritionist, Dr. Beltrán.

Don't be overwhelmed, relax

Stress weakens your heart. In stressful situations, more adrenaline and other catecholamines are released that can trigger an acute myocardial infarction. Find activities that help you release tension. There are those who manage to do it with sports, those who prefer manual labor (sewing, crocheting, painting) and those who do yoga, tai chi or meditate. But in addition to that, not having an overloaded schedule and delegating helps a lot.

Take care of your smile (go to the dentist)

The Spanish Society of Cardiology and the Spanish Society of Periodontology warn that diseases that affect the gums increase the risk of heart attack because the bacteria in the mouth can pass into the blood.

Practice optimism

Research carried out by the HeartMath Institute (USA) has proven that heart rhythm is related to emotional life. According to this, emotions such as love, compassion or appreciation generate heart rhythms that have physical consequences: cholesterol is better absorbed, blood pressure improves and, thanks to this, cardiovascular risk decreases. Don't miss our tips to be a more positive and happy person.

If you still smoke, think about it …

According to the American Heart Association, quitting smoking lowers the risk of coronary heart disease and reduces the likelihood of a repeat heart attack or death from cardiovascular disease by 50%. Bear in mind that women who smoke and take oral contraceptives have a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke than those who take them but do not smoke. If you've tried and haven't succeeded, Rafa Santandreu tells you how to quit smoking.

Take a nap after eating? Brush your teeth when you finish your meal? Not to do it? What we do every day affects the health of our heart, not only eating a balanced diet or playing sports, although these two factors reduce the chances of heart disease by 10%, according to a study by Harvard Medical School ( USA).

If you want to know if your lifestyle helps you have a healthy heart, keeping cholesterol and hypertension at bay, you can check it in our test.

And to know how to improve it, do not miss our gallery, where we review the main habits that take care of the health of your heart.