13 good habits: protect your heart and brain

February is the heart month of the United States. A major theme this year is “good habits of protecting the heart can also protect the brain”. Recently, the health column of MSN website in the United States invited experts in the field of Cardiology in the United States to teach us some habits beneficial to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.

1. Eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Leslie Zhou, director of the women’s cardiovascular disease research center of the Cleveland Clinic in the United States, said: “the American Heart Association recommends that people eat fish twice a week, but this does not mean that they can eat any food from the sea. For example, the omega-3 fatty acid content of tilapia is basically zero, which has little effect on reducing triglycerides and inflammation. Salmon, herring, tuna and so on with high omega-3 fatty acid content should be eaten.”

2. Don’t take aspirin blindly

Zhou said: “although studies have confirmed that aspirin is good for heart health, it is not suitable for everyone. One of its major risks is bleeding. If you are under 65 years old and there is no risk factor for heart disease, taking aspirin every day will not help.”

3. Find your own happy social circle

Stacey Rosen, vice president of Katz Institute of women’s health, said: “chronic stress in daily life can cause blood pressure to rise, leading to depression and anxiety. Usually, we have dinner with friends or listen to music, and we are full of gratitude every day, which is very good for our heart and brain health.”

4. Stay away from sugary foods

Holly Anderson, director of the education and Publicity Department of the Institute of Cardiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital, said: “As a cardiologist, we recommend patients to eat low-fat foods. However, food manufacturers will add more sugar to foods such as biscuits and grains. Eating too much sugar will cause the human body to stop receiving the signal that the stomach is full. Therefore, it is necessary to eat high-quality proteins and healthy fats, rather than refined carbohydrates.”

5. Pay close attention to blood pressure during pregnancy

Krisanda Shufelt, deputy director of cedars Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, said: “Most women don’t know the hidden dangers of pregnancy to heart health, but pregnancy can reveal a lot of your risk of heart disease in the future. Because women’s blood volume will increase a lot during pregnancy, they seem to have undergone a stress test. If you have pregnancy related hypertension, preeclampsia or gestational diabetes, your risk of heart disease and stroke will increase with age.”

6. Exercise more muscles

Suzanne sternbaum, director of the women’s heart health department at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said: “Strength training can speed up the metabolic rate and let the human body burn more calories in a static state. It can keep blood pressure and cholesterol at a low level, which helps prevent metabolic syndrome, which is an important risk factor for heart disease. People can use strength training equipment or their own weight to complete strength training movements such as scaffolding, sit ups and push ups.”

7. Laugh.

Anderson said: “the power of laughter is huge and magical. 15 minutes of laughter is equivalent to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. It is very beneficial to cardiovascular health.”

8. Not angry before going to bed

Sternbaum said: “research shows that a healthy marriage can reduce people’s risk of heart disease. If you have an argument with your spouse, stress will increase the inflammatory reaction in the blood vessels. The longer an disharmonious marriage bothers you, the more harmful it will be to the heart and brain. Therefore, maintaining a stable and happy marriage is crucial to promoting heart and brain health.”

9. Don’t take estrogen blindly.

Nietzsche Goldberg, director of the Department of women’s health medicine at NYU langueney medical center, said: “As women grow older, their estrogen content will decrease and their risk of heart disease will increase. Estrogen helps to maintain the elasticity of arteries and keep low-density lipoprotein at a low level. However, research shows that adding synthetic estrogen does not work in the same way in the human body. You can use hormone therapy in the short term to alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause, but it cannot Heart formation protection. “

10. Eating nuts

Anderson said: “nuts such as walnuts, almonds and walnuts are beneficial to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. They can increase the content of high-density lipoprotein. People who eat nuts live longer and are less sick. But they should also be moderate in eating nuts. When they feel hungry, they can eat a handful.”

11. Keep exercising

Zhou said: “no matter what kind of exercise you are engaged in, you should be persistent, so that it will be most beneficial to your cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. You should enjoy the exercise process, not treat it as a chore. It is important to improve the intensity of exercise, but you should step by step, otherwise you will be exhausted or injured.”

12. Put work in the second place

Anderson said: “women with a sense of work pressure are more likely to die of heart disease. Women’s desire to do a good job is good, but don’t hurt their health and put too much pressure on themselves. Therefore, you should leave the office on time to eat, relax completely when you need a rest, go home on time, and don’t let work ‘steal’ your health.”

13. Drink more green tea or coffee that is beneficial to blood vessels

Drink more green tea and coffee. Research has found that drinking an extra cup of green tea every day can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by 10%. Drinking at least one cup of coffee a day can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, which in turn can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Drink less energy drinks. A 2014 study found an association between heavy consumption of energy drinks and angina pectoris, irregular heartbeat and death.

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