World Health Day: On World Health Day 2022, amid growing diseases such as epidemics, polluted planets, cancer, asthma, heart disease, the WHO will focus on the urgent steps needed to promote a movement to keep humans and the planet healthy and build a society. Focused on well-being.Also read – World Health Day 2022: Why Celebrate Health One Day – All About Its History, Significance, And How To Celebrate
On this occasion, Dr. Tilak SuvarnaSenior Interventional Cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai 6 talks about the lifestyle choices we need to make not only for a healthy heart but for overall long-term physical health and well-being. Also read – To stay healthy you should remove 3 things from your life
- Unhealthy snack habits:
Our poor food choices produce worse health than physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking. Saturated fats and trans fats – two types of bad fats that have been identified as potentially harmful to the heart are consumed in large quantities in our diet today. One packet of potato chips can meet half a person’s daily fat requirement. If you are fond of eating Bhujia with tea, you get a higher dose of salt and trans fat along with a large amount of calories. Fries are full of fat. By eating large servings, a person exceeds the safe limit for trans fat. Most oils in which Indian snacks are fried contain at least 13-19 percent saturated fat. Also read – Benefits of eating lemon: 7 ways why lemon should be in your daily diet
A better option would be to avoid cold fried foods and choose healthy snacks like roasted chickpeas, fruits, multi-grain biscuits, dry fruits etc. As part of a healthy diet, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains with fiber. , Fish (preferably oily fish – at least twice a week), nuts, beans and seeds. Choose fat-free and low-fat dairy products and lean meats and poultry (skin-free). Limit sugar-salty drinks.
Buy your fresh groceries from local producers and avoid highly processed foods and beverages.
- Excessive salt intake:
Excess salt in the diet contributes to high blood pressure which is a major cause of heart disease, heart attack and congestive heart failure. Eating too much salt causes the body to retain or retain excess water, which impairs the production of fluids associated with heart failure.
Adults should eat less than 6 grams of salt per day – that’s about a teaspoon. This includes salt contained in prepared foods such as bread as well as salt you add during cooking and on the table. Children should eat less salt than adults according to their age. Check nutritional information on food labels and try to choose low salt options and ingredients. Instead, flavor your food with peppers, herbs, garlic, spices, or lemon juice.
- Lack of physical activity:
Lack of physical activity comes with great risks including high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other heart related problems. The easiest, most positive change you can make to effectively improve your overall health is to start walking. A 30-40-minute quick move every day is flexible and has a high success rate because people can stick with it.
To improve overall cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity) per week.
Environmental pollution is the number one killer in the world today. Try walking or pedaling to get to work at least once a week. Choose public transport. The collective participation of all will go a long way in reducing pollution on our planet.
- Alcohol overdose:
Excessive alcohol is associated with high blood pressure, high blood fat levels and an increased risk of heart failure. In addition, the extra calories can lead to weight gain, a threat to heart health. No amount of alcohol is good or recommended for your health.
- Smoking and chewing tobacco:
Smoking increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease and stroke. Thus smoking damages the lining of your arteries, creating fatty material (atheroma) that narrows the arteries. This can cause angina, heart attack or stroke. Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke lowers the amount of oxygen in your blood. This means that your heart has to pump harder to supply the body with the oxygen it needs. It is also bad for passive smokers.
Stress can indirectly affect your heart. Stress can increase your blood pressure, cause you to overeat, exercise less and smoke more, and thus increase your risk of heart problems. Managing stress makes sense for your overall health. While it is impossible to live your life completely stress-free, it is possible to make small changes in a person’s lifestyle to minimize the harmful effects of stress on a person’s heart. Take time to relax, engage yourself in a hobby or fun recreational activity, meditation and breathing exercises that can relieve stress.
