Sunday January 5th, 2020

Cold hands, warm heart

How many times have we used this saying without understanding what it really involves.

It is absolutely true that our limbs are the first to get cold, because our body self-regulates, ensuring that our vital organs always maintain an optimal temperature so they function well.

We could even say that thanks to the fact that our hands and feet are cold, our heart remains warm and ready to keep us alive.

The body is very intelligent, but we also have to contribute our part to take care of one of the most vital organs we have.

The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to our cells and, therefore, is essential to keeping us alive.

The most common heart-related diseases are heart attacks, angina pectoris (chest pains) and cardiac insufficiency. And to prevent these types of diseases as much as we can, we must control or influence the risk factors that contribute to their appearance.

So we are going to give you some tips for taking good care of your heart:

  • Keep blood sugar levels low (cholesterol, triglycerides)
  • Have your blood pressure taken
  • Do not smoke
  • Say no to stress and anxiety
  • Maintain a body weight suitable to your constitution
  • Eat a diet low in fats and salt
  • Have an active life

We mustn’t forget age. The older we are, the greater the risk, and thus an even better reason to control the factors that increase our chances of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. For men, this risk age starts at 45, and for women, at 55.

The rate of heart disease is lower in cultures with traditional diets rich in fish oils, which have high contents of Omega 3. For example, the Inuit people and the Japanese. This discovery led to extensive studies on Omega 3 fatty acids, and the consequent recommendation to consume blue fish to keep our hearts healthy.

The World Health Organization recommends a weekly intake of 2-3 grams per week of omega-3.

We can obtain this amount from eating blue fish (two or three portions a week), nuts such as walnuts, or nutritional supplements with fish oil rich in Omega 3.