PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
As all we know that heart is an important organ of our body so we should take due care about our heart health. Here there are life’s Saral 7 steps to follow. If we follow these 7 steps in our life than we will definitely save from heart disease.
LIFE'S SARAL 7 STEPS.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. When your blood pressure stays within healthy ranges, you reduce the strain on your heart, arteries, and kidneys which keeps vou healthier longer. To lower blood pressure, try to eat a heart-healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity.
High cholesterol contributes to plaque, which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke. When you control your cholesterol, you are giving your arteries their best chance to remain clear of blockages.
Improve your cholesterol. If you don’t know your cholesterol numbers, now is the time to find Out.
High levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease.
High levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol protect against heart disease.
High levels of total cholesterol also increase your risk of heart disease.
Cholesterol levels can be improved with exercise and a healthy diet low in unhealthy fats and alcohol. If these strategies don’t work, your doctor can prescribe medications.2. Improve cholesterol levels. You’re more likely to get heart disease if you have:
- Total cholesterol level over 200
- HDL (“good”) cholesterol level under 40
- LDL (“bad”) cholesterol level over 160
- Triglycerides over 150
Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to control your blood sugar levels.
Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (or blood sugar) that our bodies use for energy.
Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
Learn how to reduce your blood sugar.
Living an active life is one of the most rewarding gifts you can give yourself and those you love.
Simply put, daily physical activity increases your length and quality of life
Learn how to get active.
A healthy diet is one of your best weapons for fighting cardiovascular disease. When you eat a heart-healthy diet, you improve your chances for feeling good and staying healthy – for life!.
Obesity and being overweight are major risk factors for a host of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Exercise and a healthy diet can help, but some people might want to work with a doctor or a dietitian to help them get to a healthy weight.
Exercise regularly. Studies show that regular exercise can prevent heart disease, slow down the progression of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol levels.
Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health. Quit smoking. Smoking is a major cause of heart disease. Work with your doctor to develop a plan to quit. Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
We all know prevention is better than cure, yet when it comes to our health, we start worrying about it only once we see certain discrepancies. Until then, we eat what we like and exercise only if we can find time that is hardly ever. These unhealthy lifestyle choices can lead to serious conditions including heart disease. However, a few changes in diet and lifestyle can help you prevent this. Here we represent simple 10 tips to keep your heart healthy.
- Get regular medical check-ups done to make sure you are not suffering from asymptomatic high blood pressure, abnormal lipid profile or pre-diabetic condition. If you are, meet an expert and take steps to control the condition – it will require a multidisciplinary approach with special attention to dietary changes.
- Make a conscious effort to add fibre to your diet. Eat green leafy vegetables, salads, fruits, and cereals like oats. Five servings of fruits and vegetables per day play a preventive role.
- Keep a check on your weight and fat percentage. Maintaining a healthy weight and controlled fat percentage goes a long way in keeping heart diseases at bay.
- We get enough of PUFA from pulses and vegetables, try to use an MUFA-rich oil (to maintain a heart healthy fatty acid ratio) for cooking. Olive oil, rice bran oil and groundnut oil are best choices.
- Keep your dinner light. Indians tend to eat too many carbs, and fewer proteins that lead to obesity and in turn puts stress on our heart. Include healthy proteins like skinless chicken, fish, egg whites more often in meals especially dinner.
- Focus on healthy fats like almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, fish oil. They are a must to keep your heart healthy.
- Make a rule to include junk only once a week, one meal of that day. Tr and choose healthier options outside in case it’s unavoidable. For example, choose wine over other drinks if you must drink, brown rice over white rice, red sauce over white sauce, etc.
- Keep a check on invisible sodium that goes in our body from various sources like processed foods, drinks, bakery items, etc. You may want to cut down on table salt if you are worried about your heart health.
- Manage stress. This includes cutting down or avoiding smoking and alcohol, it may seem like you feel de-stressed by these habits but in reality they raise one’s stress levels. Rather exercise, it will not only help manage stress but will help you maintain weight and stay active. Other ways to reduce stress are developing a hobby, listening to music, practising yoga or meditation, etc.
- Make time to include minimum 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. It can be as simple as walking or you can play a sport that you enjoy.
HEART HEALTHY DIET
Although you might know that eating certain foods can increase your heart disease risk, it’s often tough to change your eating habits. Whether you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt or you simply want to fine-tune your diet, here are eight heart-healthy diet tips. Once you know which foods to eat more of and which foods to limit, you’ll be on your way toward a heart-healthy diet.
