Holistic health prevention: How you can reduce cardiovascular diseases by up to 80%
In a world where modern industrial diseases are on the rise, it is more important than ever to take care of our health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of chronic diseases by up to 80%! Do you suffer from cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, or want to prevent a heart attack? Then you must keep reading. In this blog post, you will learn what a holistic approach to health prevention can look like.
A healthy lifestyle: The key to health prevention
Our modern lifestyle characterized by a lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating, and stress significantly contributes to the development of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, or irritable bowel syndrome. But there is hope; comparisons with populations that still live like hunters and gatherers show that these diseases are virtually unknown among them (1). A healthy lifestyle is, therefore, the key to individual health prevention.
“Those who do not find time for their health,
will eventually have to find time for illness.”
-Sebastian Anton Kneipp
Cardiovascular diseases in Switzerland
80% of deaths in Switzerland are attributed to cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure, poor blood lipid levels (so-called Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL)), and inflammation are clear indicators of cardiovascular diseases, and all of these factors can be influenced by our lifestyle. Let’s delve a bit deeper into the areas of nutrition, exercise, and personal stress management.”
The role of nutrition
It’s no secret that a balanced diet rich in whole grains and vegetables is crucial for our health (2).
Olive oil - a ture
A concrete example illustrating the impact of nutrition on cardiovascular diseases is olive oil. Olive oil contains healthy unsaturated fats, has anti-inflammatory properties, and has been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (3). These fats are not only stored as fat in our bodies; they play a crucial role in the health of our blood vessels and can help prevent deposits and blockages (4).
Exercise as heart protection
Our cardiovascular system needs exercise to function optimally. Every physical activity provides our body with oxygen and energy. Regular exercise allows our heart to pump more blood into circulation, leading to a healthier heart function. Exercise increases our heart rate and results in both the contraction and dilation of blood vessels.
Studies show that just 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Any increase in heart rate through exercise is valuable, regardless of its duration (7).
Tip from coach Matthias Zedi
Let’s assume that the heart beats at about 80 times per minute at rest and can beat a maximum of 200 times per minute, giving us a reserve of 120 beats per minute. We can supply our body with more energy as long as we haven’t reached the maximum heart rate. Although this reserve varies from person to person, it needs to be trained continuously. Otherwise, the entire system adapts to the resting load of 80 beats per minute. If the body realizes that it is only exposed to resting loads, the blood vessel walls become stiffer because they no longer need to expand. This leads to a long-term increase in blood pressure because the vessels are not elastic enough to withstand the high pressure. This is precisely why regular exercise is important.
Personal health coach Matthias Zedi
Stress management for a healthy heart
Stress doesn’t just affect our mental health but also our cardiovascular system. In stressful situations, our heart beats faster to supply our body with more energy and make us more alert (8). However, when stress persists, it can lead to increased blood pressure and inflammation, raising the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Prolonged stress keeps blood vessels constricted for an extended period. This increased constriction results in greater resistance that blood must overcome, leading to an increase in blood pressure. Simultaneously, prolonged stress releases inflammation-promoting substances in the body. Combined with high blood pressure, these factors increase the risk of atherosclerosis, which can ultimately lead to a narrowing of blood vessels (9).
Our recommendation: Health prevention, but always holistic!
The connection between exercise, nutrition, and stress is evident. All of these factors individually influence the risk of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic illnesses. A balanced lifestyle that considers all these aspects is the key to health prevention.
If you are interested in reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases and other illnesses, you should focus on a holistic lifestyle. If you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to support you on this journey. Book a free consultation to learn how we can assist you. Your health is important to us.
Sources
[1] Sokoła-Wysoczańska E, Wysoczański T, Wagner J, Czyż K, Bodkowski R, Lochyński S, Patkowska-Sokoła B. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Potential Therapeutic Role in Cardiovascular System Disorders-A Review. Nutrients. 2018 Oct 21;10(10):1561. doi: 10.3390/nu10101561. PMID: 30347877; PMCID: PMC6213446.
[2] Sudheendran S, Chang CC, Deckelbaum RJ. N-3 vs. saturated fatty acids: effects on the arterial wall. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2010 Apr-Jun;82(4-6):205-9. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2010.02.020. Epub 2010 Mar 6. PMID: 20207121; PMCID: PMC2878127.
[3] Schwingshackl L, Christoph M, Hoffmann G. Effects of Olive Oil on Markers of Inflammation and Endothelial Function-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2015 Sep 11;7(9):7651-75. doi: 10.3390/nu7095356. PMID: 26378571; PMCID: PMC4586551.
[4] Jonathan Myers, Paul McAuley, Carl J. Lavie, Jean-Pierre Despres, Ross Arena, Peter Kokkinos., Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness as Major Markers of Cardiovascular Risk: Their Independent and Interwoven Importance to Health Status, Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, volume 57, Issue 4,2015,Pages 306-314,ISSN 0033-0620,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2014.09.011.
[5] Ahmadi, M. N., Clare, P. J., Katzmarzyk, P. T., del Pozo Cruz, B., Lee, I. M., & Stamatakis, E. (2022). Vigorous physical activity, incident heart disease, and cancer: How little is enough? European Heart Journal, 43(46), 4801–4814. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehac572
[6] Steptoe A, Kivimäki M. Stress and cardiovascular disease. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2012 Apr 3;9(6):360-70. doi: 10.1038/nrcardio.2012.45. PMID: 22473079.
[7] Levine GN. Psychological Stress and Heart Disease: Fact or Folklore? Am J Med. 2022 Jun;135(6):688-696. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.01.053. Epub 2022 Mar 9. PMID: 35278355.
