Winter is the time of year when we love to stay at home, the season in which we reduce physical activity and good habits, especially those related to our heart.
Professor Claudio Ferri, former President of the Italian Society of Arterial Hypertension (SIIA), gives us some practical and useful advice to be treasured, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease even in this period:
1. Prevention begins with nutrition, which must be as healthy and balanced as possible. “Since we tend to eat more at Christmas, before the holidays we learn to consume a lot of vegetables, fruit (also like nuts and almonds), lots of fish, whole grains and very little cooking salt (less than half a teaspoon of coffee, satin, all day long, without ever adding it to the table). Red meat, sugars and sweets, always eat them very sparingly, even on holidays ”.
2. Physical activity remains a perennial ally. “Even in this period, let’s take at least 45 minutes of brisk walking, help the heart and feel good about yourself. We also avoid taking the elevator preferring the stairs ”
3. Beyond physical health, we must also “pamper” the mental one. “We take advantage of the holidays: we reduce stress by dedicating ourselves to simple and stimulating activities such as reading, visiting a museum, writing or listening to music. Television: let’s turn it off as often as possible ”.
4. We learn to listen to our body and to cover ourselves well. “Let’s always dress in layers, covering well and especially protecting the ends of the body, such as the head, feet and hands. Beware of cold drafts, therefore, especially if you have cardiovascular problems ”.
5. Keep your health under control, especially if you change altitude. “Before a vacation, make sure you have measured your blood pressure and have packed all the medications we need. The device for measuring pretoria and glycaemia, if we are diabetic: let’s take them with us ”.