A healthy heart means a life lived fully with no physical inhibitions but why is it that we take it for granted? Our hectic lifestyles and poor eating habits put so much pressure on our hearts that if it could talk to you, you would get scolded every day for treating it so badly. But the heart does talk to us; it’s just that we ignore the signs until it’s too late. So what are the best management practices to have a healthy heart? Scroll on to find out.
Balanced Diet Management
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A balanced diet with the right amount of nutrients to give you energy and nourish your body is a must for a healthy heart too. This is the portion size of foods you can refer to while aiming for a balanced diet.
- Cereals – Size of your clenched fist
- Protein – Palm of your hand
- Cheese – Two thumbs
- Butter – Tip of thumb
- Fried/baked snacks – 2 of your cupped hands
- Cakes and brownies – 2 of your fingers
Along with a balanced diet, you need to keep a check on your calories burnt too while walking or doing other exercises. For an accurate idea, try this Mi Fitness Band. Available at an MRP of Rs 2,199, you can buy it here for Rs 1,999.
Weight Management
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Stress Management
Stress causes hypertension, which means an unhealthy heart that can give up on you anytime. Stress also makes you resort to an unhealthy lifestyle that includes binge eating, drinking alcohol or smoking, avoiding exercise (since you think you have no time or it is too strenuous for you). Apart from the usual stress in our lives, we also need to unnecessarily stress about our health first of all and just maintain some discipline. Your heart will thank you for it. The easiest way you can manage stress anytime is by using something like this Abee Stress Reliever Smiley Ball. Available at various rates, you can buy a pair for a discounted price of just Rs 42 here.
Cholesterol Management
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Cholesterol is not all bad so do not shun all the foods that you think are high on cholesterol. You need to maintain a lifestyle where the HDL (high-density lipoprotein) which is called good cholesterol should be more in your body while the percentage of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol should be low. For this, increase the intake of olive oil, beans, and legumes, whole grains, high-fiber fruit, fatty fish, flaxseeds and nuts while cutting down on fatty meats, saturated oils and dairy products made from whole fat milk. You can also try some natural stuff for cardiac wellness like the Himalaya Wellness Shuddha Guggulu Tablets. The MRP of a pack of 3 is Rs 441 but you can buy it here for Rs 275 only.
Preventive Management
Go for yearly checkups to know what’s up with your heart. Treat it as your best friend and pamper it by staying in the loop with what it says. Check your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels or have an ECG so that you don’t require costly treatments later.
Expert Speak
According to cardiologist Aparna Jaswal, who is the principal consultant, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute Okhla, the incessant use of painkillers, physical exertion after meals, heavy physical labour, extremes of environmental temperatures and altitude, heavy alcohol consumption as well as self-medication and self discontinuation of medication are bad habits that can cause heart failure.
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