Maintaining Heart Health
I woke up yesterday to the shocking news of Bollywood actress Sridevi's death due to a heart attack. It was truly shocking considering she was only 54. Of course, death is unpredictable and the reasons could be many. For a celebrity of her stature, it was quite obvious that she was under great pressure to look her skinniest best for professional reasons. According to the grapevine, this involved regular visits to various skin and slimming clinics and surgeries.
Here's some handy tips to maintain your cardiovascular fitness and heart health
A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons to fight
cardiovascular disease.
Make lifestyle changes instead of following crash diets and
crazy exercise regimen.
Plan your meals according to
your age, gender, and level of physical activity
Don’t eat more calories than you know you can burn up every
day
Increase the amount and intensity of your physical activity
to match the number of calories you take in
Exercise
Exercise regularly. Aim for 30 minutes at least four times a
week
Regular physical activity can help you maintain your weight,
keep off weight and help you reach physical and cardiovascular fitness.
If it’s difficult to schedule regular exercise sessions, aim
for sessions of at last 15 minutes spread throughout the week
If you would benefit from lowering your blood pressure or bad
cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides, the American Heart Association (AHA)
recommends 40 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity
three to four times a week
Diet
Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups.
Eat an overall healthy dietary pattern that emphasizes:
A variety of fruits and vegetables
Fibre-rich whole grains
Low-fat dairy products
Lean poultry
Fish
Nuts and legumes
Use rice bran, groundnut, sesame and olive oil
Limit intake of saturated fat and trans fat. Replace them
with the good fats - monounsaturated found in peanuts, avocados… and
polyunsaturated found in walnuts, flaxseeds, olives, and omega-3 containing
fish like salmon, sardines, and tuna
Limit intake of sodium, red meat, sweets and sugar-sweetened
drinks
If you like red meat, go for the leanest cuts possible once
in 15 days or a month
If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation
Lower your LDL
Certain foods can help you lower your LDL (“bad”)
cholesterol, which causes a buildup of plaque in the arteries that leads to
heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke:
Dark chocolate – indulge in a bit
Avocado – in moderation
Green tea
Nuts like almonds, walnuts and pista - in moderation
Whole grains
Olive oil
Soya
Lentils and beans
Pears, apples and citrus fruits
Steamed or vegetables sautéed in little oil
Lower Your Triglycerides
Eat whole grains
Avoid white rice and its products. Switch to genuine brown
rice and its products
Avoid Maida (refined white flour)
Avoid sooji
Avoid instant foods like noodles and pastas and instant soups
Avoid processed and packaged foods
Avoid sugar
Avoid high-fat dairy products and meats. Switch to low-fat
varieties\
Avoid red meats. Take white meat in moderation
