How it works is revealed by Dr. Heart in the free BIGtalk live stream on November 9, 2023.
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the greatest threats to our health and lead the statistics of causes of death in Germany by a wide margin every year. Each of us can do something to reduce the risk of this and, for example, prevent a heart attack. BIG Direkt will provide healthy, entertaining and well-founded information about exactly how this works at the BIGtalk on November 9th, 2023. The BIGtalk is regularly offered digitally and free of charge by the Dortmund direct health insurance company and provides exciting guests and competent information about health.
Cardiologist and heart patient report in the live stream
At BIGtalk on November 9th, Dr. Heart aka Dr. Stefan Waller is there. The Berlin cardiologist is an expert in a heart-healthy life and has a few tips that our hearts love. Also a guest is Markus Patzer, who experienced a cardiac arrest out of nowhere a good three years ago. He had not previously noticed any warning signs, although it later turned out that the then very athletic 46-year-old had severely calcified coronary arteries.
5 tips to keep our heart healthy
Our lifestyle can make a decisive contribution to avoiding cardiovascular diseases. We have put together the 5 most important tips:
Healthy eating
As colorful, as unprocessed and as plant-based as possible – this is what a balanced diet should look like. We should eat the most fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and high-quality vegetable oils. And it’s best to prepare our meals fresh ourselves. Meat and sausage should appear less on the menu.
Photo: AdobeStock
Normal weight
There are different methods to calculate how much you should weigh. You can also measure your waist circumference as a guide. It should be a maximum of 80 centimeters for women and a maximum of 94 centimeters for men. A larger abdominal circumference is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This is the best way to measure your waist circumference: the best time is in the morning before breakfast. You measure while standing and with your upper body free and exhale slightly. Then place the measuring tape in the middle between the upper edge of the pelvic blades and the lowest rib.
Regular exercise
Our bodies are made for movement. And it’s not necessarily about sport, but rather about an eventful and active life overall. The recommendation is to incorporate 5 x 30 minutes of exercise per week. This includes, for example, gardening, house cleaning and so on. It is ideal to supplement this active everyday life with 1-2 units of sport per week. And this not only loves our hearts, but also our psyches.
Refrain from smoking
There’s not much more to say about smoking. Except: give up cigarettes as quickly as possible. There is help, for example from health insurance companies. The BIG pays up to 240 euros per year Prevention courses also for quitting smoking. You can find out more about this here.
Reduce stress
Constant stress without us being able to “come down” through relaxation every now and then is bad for our heart. Because stress can
weaken our immune system, lead to high blood pressure or diabetes, be the cause of sleep disorders or even depression and cause us to live unhealthier lives, for example drinking more alcohol or smoking and eating unhealthily.
All of this promotes, among other things, heart attacks and strokes. Since we cannot lead a life completely without stress, it is about identifying our own stress factors and reducing them where possible. It is just as important to find balance and be able to relax. Here too, BIG offers support and, for example, pays for certified relaxation courses. A start is these small relaxation exercises: