I monitor my hormones

We are better protected than men ...

Against cardiovascular diseases up to a certain age: we can say thank you to the protective effect of estrogen .
The problem is that at menopause these hormones are in free fall and we lose the advantage.
Today, cardiovascular diseases have become the leading cause of female mortality (1 in 3), ahead of cancer.

First solution:

Offset (a little) the hormonal decline with phyto-estrogen supplementation.
Rather than soy (controversial because of uncertainties about breast cancer), Dr. Eric Lorrain, a herbalist, advises to bet on flaxseed at 250 mg / d.

At stake :

An effect on hot flashes, mood swings or osteoporosis.

I play sports (but not too much)

Sport, good for the heart?
Yes ... unless you are aiming for the marathon when you have not put on your sneakers for two years!
It must be (re) put gradually and bet on the regularity.

Professor Jean-Jacques Mourad, a specialist in hypertension, confirms that there is a benefit on blood pressure from 20 minutes of exercise (cycling, jogging, swimming, brisk walking ...), ideally three times per week. But even less is better than nothing!

First thing to check that we do not do too much:

One must be able to talk without running out of steam during the exercise.
It is then "aerobic" and the effort can last a long time because the muscles are well oxygenated.
It also means that we draw our energy by burning sugars and lipids : all good for the line.
To avoid crumbling while jogging, we also invest in a heart rate monitor that constantly indicates our heart rate.
It remains to know the figure not to be exceeded and, there, it is better to get out the calculator!

We then adopt the new calculation proposed by Chicago researchers, better adapted to female metabolism: 206 - 88% of age.
If you are 40 years old, that's 206 - 35 = 171. Then you have to be able to stay between 65 and 85% of this maximum frequency to avoid any over-revving (ie between 110 and 145 depending on your fitness at 40).
A formula to remember once and for all!

I save my breath

Tobacco is the n ° 1 enemy.

According to specialists, it largely explains by itself the increase in cardiovascular mortality in women.
The bad news is that smoking just 1 to 4 cigarettes a day increases the risk by 2.

The maid ?

At the end of a year without smoking, the risk of coronary heart disease or heart attack already decreases by half.
Pr Mourad confirms: "If we stop completely, we can recover the heart of someone who has never smoked in about 3 to 10 years, depending on the duration and number of cigarettes that were smoked. "

Need a boost?

We take advantage of free online coaching on the tobacco website info service coaching or on the website of stop tabac.
We receive by mail a test, personalized advice, relaxation exercises ... to stay motivated.

I invest in exams:

A timely assessment is the key to detecting a risk factor early enough.

Voltage :
Once a year . At the doctor's office or at the GP, but not if you're already sick (it may distort the measure).

Cholesterol:
Every 3 years (if there has been no weight gain in the meantime).

I have an eye on my tension

For some time, our tension is a little high and it is a first?

Nothing suprising :

With age , it tends to increase and exceed 140/90 (in mm of mercury, or 14/9 in the language of the doctor), the threshold of danger for our arteries.

The sphygmomanometer panics?

We first try to reduce our salt intake , to see what it gives (it is not always involved).

For that, we hide the salt shaker and, above all, we are wary of the prepared dishes, stuffed with hidden salts. Another way: increase our potassium intake to mechanically lower our sodium level.
It is found in fruits and vegetables: banana, apricot, mango, papaya, celery, spinach, parsley, broccoli ...
We can also barter our usual salt against a salt low in sodium and enriched in potassium (Salt Equilibrium / Cérébos, Herbamare Diet / A.Vogel).

Finally, it is better to avoid eating too much fat and lose any extra pounds.
These few measures are sometimes enough to find a "normal" tension.

Otherwise, you have to associate them with a treatment and grope to find the right one among the different classes proposed: beta-blockers, diuretics ...

I'm learning to breathe

"Zen, let's stay zen ..."

To spare our hearts , we adopt this chorus!

Because it pushes us to smoke or to eat badly, the stress can favor the hypertension or the cholesterol, thus the cardiovascular worries.
And to fight it, all methods are good to (ap) take.
In prevention but also when the heart already has failures.

Last year, a study presented at the American College of Cardiology conference showed that after 3 months of regular yoga practice, patients had halved their arrhythmia (a heart rhythm disorder).
In 2009, another showed that 2 sessions of 20 minutes of daily meditation reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 47% in patients with heart problems.

Prof. Mourad recalls for his part that " relaxation methods can have a positive impact, especially on tension , but in addition
conventional treatments.
They must not replace them. "
To stay calm, one can also try the cardiac coherence.
This stress management method aims to control your heart rate by working your breath.

To begin, one can practice a very simple exercise:

It counts slowly to 5 while inhaling, then again to 5 while exhaling (trying to inflate and deflate the ribcage and the belly) and one repeats all 18 times.
The pressure falls back in 3 min chrono.

I'm banking on cardio-protective foods

To feast without clogging our arteries, we are entitled to all that ...

Oily fish: more than three times

Omega 3s are a real shield for our heart and our arteries!
The latest study followed Danish women for 8 years: the risk of cardiovascular disease decreases by half for those who have regularly consumed oily fish , packed with these good fatty acids.

The ideal:
Sardines, mackerel, salmon ... 2-3 times a week.
Rather meat? It is compensated with fish oil capsules (1000 mg / day) with a good intake of EPA fatty acids (ECOmega 3 / Healthspan, Omega 3 Premium / SuperDiet): according to a recent study, they are the ones who make lower the bad cholesterol.

Balanced vegetable oils can also be used in the kitchen, such as Plénitude oil from Quintesens (in GMS, addresses on www.quintesens-bio.fr).
With 3 tbsp. to s. We already cover 72% of our daily omega 3 needs and 52% of our EPA contributions.

Nibble: Yes, but dried fruits

The snack is sacred?
So we opt for a handful (about 30 g) of nuts or almonds : in 2011, a California study showed that an increase in the consumption of oleaginous fruits (full of good anti-cholesterol fatty acids) is associated with a reduction of risk of coronary death (- 16% with only twice a week).

In extra: chocolate

In August 2011, the University of Cambridge analyzed 7 studies: 5 showed a favorable link between chocolate consumption and cardiovascular health .
The antioxidant flavonoids of cocoa would be beneficial to our arteries and slightly reduce hypertension.
Provided, of course, to zap any very fat and sweet chocolate that raises cholesterol and blood sugar ...

What is allowed:
1 or 2 squares a day of a good dark chocolate with 70% cocoa minimum.

From time to time: a glass of red wine

Resveratrol is at the top of the list of antioxidants that passionate researchers today. They found an inverse relationship between the consumption of this polyphenol, found in particular in grapes, and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The recommendation of a glass of red wine (but no more!) A day always holds.
But you can also rely on a complement rich in resveratrol by targeting the daily dose of 20 to 30 mg (Resveratrol / Ponroy Lab, Generactive Resveratrol / Pileje), which brings the equivalent of several glasses, without the deleterious effects ...

Garlic: at will

One of its compounds, allicin , relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation (while taking into account its anticoagulant properties if you have a blood problem).

Result:
Several studies show a hypotensive or hypocholesterolemic effect.
As it would consume 2 or 3 pods a day, we can cheat with garlic capsules (300 to 900 mg / day) : they spare our breath by spinning to dissolve in the intestines.

Thank you to Professor Jean-Jacques Mourad, specialist in vascular medicine, president of the French Committee against hypertension and Dr. Eric Lorrain, sports doctor and herbal therapist.