These 5 habits will benefit your heart

Do not Mess with Your Heart. According to the American College of Cardiology, heart disease provokes 30% of deaths in the world and remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Becoming a part of this fatal statistics can be as easy as sticking to a few healthy habits.

Revisiting your diet and lifestyle is the best way to combat cardiovascular disease.

1. Food fiber

The fiber, contained in some products, not only works wonders for our digestion, but also has a positive effect on the heart.

How does this happen? This magnificent substance, often found in healthy whole grains, helps the body to fend off high cholesterol levels, heart disease, stroke, obesity and type 2 diabetes. In fact, a study conducted at the University of Leeds in 2013 showed that the risk of cardiovascular disease is dramatically reduced with every seven grams of fiber consumed. This should encourage you to eat rich antioxidants sweet potatoes, organic edamas and many other products.

2. Include in the diet of healthy fats

A study published by the British Medical Journal showed that replacing saturated fats with healthy polyunsaturated fats, whole grains and plant proteins can strengthen the heart muscle and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Grilling of wild salmon for lunch or inclusion in the diet of walnuts is a delightful way to combat heart pathologies.

3. Lead an active lifestyle

"Regardless of how much physical activity you get, prolonged sitting may negatively affect the health of the heart and blood vessels," explains Deborah Rom Young, Ph.D., director of behavioral research at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. You should not join a swimming team to have excellent heart health. Daily half-hourly exercise of medium intensity will help prolong the life of the heart.

4. Meditate

Although more research is needed to determine the relationship between stress and heart disease, getting into too many unpleasant situations can significantly damage your psychological state. "When stress is excessive, it can help raise high blood pressure, develop asthma and ulcers," explains Ernesto L. Schiffrin, chief physician at the General Hospital named after Sir Mortimer B. Davis in Montreal.

5. Do not smoke

Such an addiction, like cigarette smoking, is responsible for about one in every five deaths in the summer in the US, and is also the main preventable cause of death and heart disease in the country. Only a few puffs can cause plaque formation in your arteries, which then hardens and limits the flow of blood to the heart and other organs. Smoking can damage heart tissue, lower cholesterol and increase blood pressure.