How to protect your arteries?

The best gift you can give to your heart? A healthy lifestyle. "Most cardiovascular conditions are indeed preventable, says Dr. Jean Francois Toussaint, a cardiologist and professor of physiology at the University Paris-Descartes. Prohibiting tobacco, practicing thirty minutes of daily physical activity and adopting a healthy diet is already enough to reduce by more than 50% the risk of heart attack. Easy in appearance, but not always easy to implement. To begin, we must remove from our plates one of our worst enemies: refined white sugar.

US researchers at the Atlanta Center for Disease Control and Prevention actually demonstrated in February 2014 that its abuse significantly increases the likelihood of developing cardiac or vascular disease. So exit sweets, industrial desserts and sodas of all kinds. When the added sugar represents a quarter of our daily energy intake, the risk is tripled! Popping on sweeteners is also not a good calculation. Especially after 50 years. An extensive study presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in late March in Washington found that postmenopausal women who drink two light sodas a day have a 29% increased risk of heart failure compared to those who do not. drink only occasionally (maximum three per month). It is also better to avoid the draconian diets that induce nutritional deficits, especially in sodium and potassium, essential minerals for the good health of the heart.

The best protective shield is unquestionably the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on fish, olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes (lentils, dried beans), nuts and almonds. It has been recommended for a long time, but the proof of its benefits was definitively brought by the New England Journal of Medicine, in February 2013. Its long-term adoption makes it possible to reduce by at least 30% the incidence of angina pectoris and stroke. Not insignificant! Nothing forbids, of course, to put a little meat on the menu, but without forcing too much on beef, lamb, pork and sausages, because the iron they deliver in quantity is pro-oxidant: it attacks the walls of the arteries favoring the profusion of free radicals that cause them to age prematurely. The iron brought by plants and eggs does not cause the same damage. The Mediterranean diet reduces the incidence of angina pectoris and stroke by at least 30%. Not insignificant!

Do not skip breakfast

All nutritionists recommend not skipping this first morning meal to better distribute the nutritional intake during the day to avoid fatigue and weight gain. But an American study has just demonstrated (for the first time) that this ritual is also crucial for heart health. Made by more than 27,000 people at Harvard University, it states that breakfast zappers are 27% more likely to be hit by a heart attack than those who eat a balanced snack in the morning. Similarly, nibbling during the night also increases the risks. This study, published last summer in the journal Circulation, suggests the importance of not antagonizing our natural biological clock that governs not only the alternation of our waking and sleeping cycles, but also the proper functioning of our system. cardiovascular.

Aquagym, the sport that wants us well

Another major pivot of cardiovascular prevention: the fight against a sedentary lifestyle. When you move regularly, the blood vessels gain in elasticity, the blood pressure improves, and the resting heart rate. Over time, the heart also learns to economize. With identical effort, he acquires a larger energy reserve, which allows him to run out of steam less quickly and recover better after an effort. As many scientific studies have shown, it also becomes less sensitive to stress. So less palpitations and surges in the face of annoyances.

To take advantage of these virtues, doctors especially recommend the practice of endurance activities (cycling, brisk walking, swimming, Zumba® ...), twenty to forty minutes three times a week. The goal is not to unduly force, but to exert a prolonged effort of moderate intensity. And if there is only one sport to remember, this is the Aquagym. In its April 2014 edition, the International Journal of Cardiology describes the wonders it performs on our cardiovascular system, especially in case of anxiety or declared hypertension. In just twelve weeks, she brings deep psychic relief and stabilization of blood pressure. In addition to the intense movements performed smoothly, the comforting presence of lukewarm water plays a decisive role at the physical and emotional level. Important, given the damage caused by stress on the heart. Mismanaged, it imbalances our hormonal secretions and increases our sensitivity to cardiovascular disease by about 40%, according to cardiologists at Boston Brigham Hospital.

Meditation, super antistress

You do not have to be a Buddhist monk to get started. "Mindfulness meditation is a cognitive and behavioral therapy that helps fight against the harms of stress, anxiety and depression," says Alexis Le Cornec, meditation instructor at the Thermes d'Allevard *. More than 200 medical studies validated its profits. Researchers at St. John's Hospital in Detroit, for example, showed in March 2010 that his regular practice halves the risk of heart attack. The principle is simple: it is to muzzle his negative thoughts to fully welcome the present moment with benevolence, without any judgment. In the long run, the brain reprograms itself positively, loosens more easily and reacts less to a quarter turn. Our heart is therefore less heckled. To find a trainer near you: www.association-mindfulness. org / active-members.php * Thermal cure Fibromyalgia and anti-stress cure Vitazen (5 days, 540). Info on 04 76 97 56 22 or on www.thermes-allevard.com.

The importance of having the positive attitude

Being in your head is important to be good in your heart. We all know it intuitively. But a survey published in summer 2011 in the journal of the European Society of Cardiology has demonstrated scientifically. Directed on 8,000 British civil servants, it has screened for six years every part of their lives likely to influence their daily happiness: romantic relationships, leisure, financial prosperity, professional development, family life ... Each participant has regularly evaluated its degree of satisfaction in each of the fields. The results were then confronted with their medical file.

Verdict: a high level of satisfaction is associated with a 13% average reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease. A "dose effect" has even been observed: the more an individual feels happy in life, the less he suffers from myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, regardless of his body mass index, his diet and his the intensity of his sports practice. Like what, a positive state of mind can alone protect diseases. It is therefore urgent to look at the glass half full, rather than the glass half empty.