WEIGHT
CONTROL
Be more physically active!
Long-term physical activities can lower blood pressure and help with your weight control. Physical activities are also a very good way of reducing stress and especially to help you feel good. If you have an extremely high blood pressure, discuss to your physician before starting to do any form of physical exercise.
Relax!
Stress can cause a short-term increase of your blood pressure – however, its long-term effect is more difficult to fight off.
Eat well, but try to lose weight!
Being overweight means that your heart has to work more in order to pump enough blood in the body. Additional pressure causes the wear and tear of the heart and blood vessels. Many overweigh people develop a diabetes and high blood pressure risk factors for heart diseases. In the last ten years, there was an increase in the number of overweigh and obese people. Obesity harms the heart and joints.
If you are overweight or obese and you also display other risk factors such as high cholesterol and smoking, you have to go see the family doctor even a small weight loss will improve your general health and will help you reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
If you have already had a heart attack, bypass surgery or a coronary angioplasty, it is important to take the following steps in order to lose weight:
- eat fish (for instance: sardines, salmon, mackerel, trout) twice a week.
- eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
- use rapeseed oil or olive oil if you are used to eating oil-based dressings.
Are you ready to lose weight?
- Do you gain weight every year?
- Do you have less energy than usually?
- Are you out of breath if you run to catch the bus?
- It is possible that your answer is „Yes”.
By reducing your weight:
- You will feel better.
- You will look better.
- You will reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and increased blood pressure.
- You will reduce or even stop your therapy for angina, increased blood pressure or high cholesterol.
- You will surely have your own reasons to lose weight.