10/04/2024
A very.interesting paper;
Ten tips for promoting cardiometabolic health
and slowing cardiovascular aging by
Maria L. Cagigas 1
, Stephen M. Twigg1,2
, and Luigi Fontana 1,2
*
1Healthy longevity heart code
1. Reduce waist circumference and increase muscle mass
• Take action to reduce your waistline with endurance exercise and moderate calorie restriction, ensuring you consume the right amount of nutrient-rich
calories for optimal functioning.
• Increase or maintain skeletal muscle mass with resistance exercise.
2. Adhere to a minimally processed Mediterranean-like diet
• Eat a wide range of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and fruits. Avoid refined carbs.
• Eat mostly proteins from plants (legumes, nuts, and whole grains), alongside fish, seafood, and low-fat dairy; if opting for meat and poultry, choose lean cuts on
occasional basis, and avoid processed meat.
• Avoid ultra-processed foods and beverages, rich in ‘empty’ calories, sugars, and unhealthy fats.
• Choose and prepare foods with little salt; use iodized salt to promote thyroid health.
• Use cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil in moderation, while abstaining from animal fats (butter, cream), tropical oils (coconut, palm) and partially hydrogenated
fats.
3. Intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding
• If overweight, stop eating at 80% satiety; eat only non-starchy vegetables and legumes salads once or twice weekly.
• Try to eat all your food within a window of 8–10 h, refraining from between-meal snacks. Emphasize mindful eating, preferably shared with others.
4. Be physical active every day
• Commit to at least 30–60 min of daily physical exercise, alternating between aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance exercises.
• Minimize sitting time, and move as often as possible integrating enjoyable, friend-oriented activities into your daily routine.
5. Avoid or limit alcohol consumption
• If you do not drink alcohol, do not start.
• If you choose to drink, minimize intake to prevent cancer, atrial fibrillation and heart disease.
6. Do not smoke
• Do not use any form of to***co, including e-ci******es and va**ng.
7. Prioritize quality sleep
• Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get between 7–9 h of sleep.
• Establish a consistent sleep schedule, creating a sleep-friendly environment, and turn off electronic devices at least 30 min before bedtime.
8. Nourish and protect your mind
• Practice stress reduction through mindful meditation and slow deep breathing.
• Stimulate your mind daily with activities like learning new skills or engaging in artistic pursuits for enhancing cognitive function and brain health.
• Adopt a lifelong mindset of self-awareness and personal growth, seeking new knowledge, experiences, and perspectives for intellectual and spiritual vitality,
and human flourishing.
9. Cultivate friendship, altruism, and compassion
• Nurture deep connections with family and friends through empathetic communication and forgiveness.
• Practice daily altruism and compassion to reinforce synaptic networks of peace and eudemonia.
10. Minimize pollution exposure and connect with nature
• Reduce exposure to pollution, including air, water, and noise.
• Immerse yourself in nature as often as possible. Exercising in unpolluted environments, particularly in parks and wooded areas, confers cardioprotective and
psychological benefits.