It’s all about the heart

February is Heart Month, and the perfect time to focus attention on the importance of cardiovascular health.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, but here’s the good news: it is often preventable through good lifestyle habits.

This month, I propose four simple, measurable and effective habits that you can adopt to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fibre and the unsaturated fatty acids found in nuts and fish. Limiting the consumption of salt, sugar and saturated fats found in animal products is also suggested.

Getting regular exercise is an extremely effective way to improve the health of your heart muscle. The minimum weekly time of just 150 minutes of moderate physical activity such as running, cycling, swimming or cross-country skiing improves blood circulation,

reduces blood pressure and improves myocardial contractility, that is to say, strengthens the contraction capacity of the heart muscle.

Avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption. These simple acts can contribute greatly to your heart health. Smoking damages blood vessels and increases the risk of clots, while excessive alcohol consumption increases blood pressure and can lead to heart disease.

Practising healthy stress management strategies. In the modern world, stress is unfortunately omnipresent in our daily lives. Adopting stress management strategies is not only essential to daily wellness, but also essential to prevent the development of chronic stress.

In addition to the risk of high blood pressure, the devastating effects of stress can lead to harmful habits such as the cessation of physical activity and an eating imbalance, as well as increased alcohol consumption and even tobacco use.

Remember, small changes can make a big difference. Eight out of ten premature heart disease and stroke cases are preventable through adoption of these healthy lifestyle behaviours.