How to prevent heart disease: life hacks

"Listen to your heart," says folk wisdom. I don't know how exactly we can hear our heart, but it definitely deserves special attention because it is always at work when we are happy, worried, crying, sleeping, and jumping.

The heart is very vulnerable to stress, physical and emotional overload. All emotional arousal causes the release of various hormones into the bloodstream (stress hormones, steroid hormones, etc.), which mobilize fatty acids from adipose tissue, leading to the formation of LDL and VLDL (the so-called "bad" cholesterol), hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar), and increased blood clotting (increased risk of thrombosis, strokes, and heart attacks).

• Negative psycho-emotional reactions, unlike positive ones, have an atherogenic effect, i.e., they stimulate the formation and deposition of "plaques" on the inner surface of blood vessels.
• Vascular damage is caused by smoking (cigarettes, vapes, etc.), as well as drinking large amounts of alcohol and coffee (more than 6 cups). Alcohol contributes to an increase in blood lipids (fats) and causes liver damage (steatosis).
• Physical inactivity contributes to lipid metabolism disorders (obesity, atherosclerosis, inflammation), while moderate physical activity has the opposite effect.

SO.

The best thing we can do is to prevent and avoid "breakdowns" of the heart and blood vessels.

In order for the heart to work like a clock, it is enough to give up bad habits and move every day, and the movement should be different, not only walking, but also light (or more difficult, it depends on the individual) exercises.

The heart does not like an excess of saturated fats, so even sour cream, cream, butter, and fatty cheeses should be consumed in moderation, not forgetting that these are concentrated products.

The heart loves unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fat (olive oil), omega-3 fats (sea fish, 1-2 times a week, nuts, flax seeds). However, heavily salted herring and smoked mackerel will not be beneficial because they contain too much salt and harmful compounds. And nuts will be useful only when there are not too many of them, especially for those who are overweight.

Fructose has a bad effect on the heart (it is sold in brightly colored packets as a sugar substitute and is also added to "healthy" sweets, so read the labels). Fructose raises blood triglycerides (accelerates atherosclerosis at a rapid pace), contributes to high blood pressure, makes cells insensitive to insulin, and increases the content of uric acid. Fructose from fruit, if not eaten in kilograms, is not harmful. But still, the best fruit is a vegetable.

And even glucose, when there is too much of it (all kinds of sweet drinks, cakes, etc.), causes the formation of harmful products that damage the heart and blood vessels.

If you write a nutrition formula for heart health, it looks like this:

B+K+F, which means that the main meal should contain THREE important components:

• Proteins (either egg/fish/lean meat/low-fat cottage cheese or legumes/mushrooms)

• Fiber (leafy greens/colored vegetables/cereals/fruits/berries)
• Fat (olive oil, nuts, sea fish/seaweed).

And from this set of products, you can already combine hundreds of dishes: salads, stews, sautés, casseroles, and enjoy life.