If your everyday life involves getting stuck in the traffic or behind the desk for longer period of time – then you are not alone. Thanks to our growing technology, people are getting lazier and inactive day by day.
The prevalence of heart disease in India has risen over the past 2 decades due to population growth, aging, and a stable age-adjusted CVD mortality rate.
List of the following lifestyle habits as the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases:
- Long working hours and work-related stress can lead to cardiovascular issues.
- Smoking, eating junk food and less physical exercise are the evils that add fuel to the fire, causing heart attacks in the youth of our country.
- Lack of physical activity can also pull you towards having cardiovascular disease.
- Excess alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure and ultimately heart attack. It also leads to an increase in triglyceride levels, a form of cholesterol, which can harden your arteries.
Did you know? 1 out of 4 Indians is at risk of dying from one of the Non-Communicable Diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease or cancer.
Let’s understand how to keep heart health:
It is very important to understand and implement in your day to day life, which is good for your heart. We all understand certain things are bad or good for your heart. In this article, let’s define the limit for each bad and good thing which will ultimately affect your heart health.
- Eating a healthy balanced diet: Now, this is complicated – isn’t it? We all know that balanced healthful diet is the key to a great heart, but how do we achieve this! Well, let’s make this easy for you. For 1 portion of processed food a day, consume 2 portions of additional vegetables or fruits. It will definitely help you.
- Maintaining a healthy weight: Being physically active daily will not only help maintain your healthy weight but also help lower your blood pressure levels, cholesterol, and sugar levels. For adults, the Surgeon General recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling, every week. Children and adolescents should get 1 hour of physical activity every day.
- No Smoking: Smoking is the cause of increasing stress in your diet. It in no way can help reduce your stress levels – mentally or physically. If you do not smoke, then don’t start.
- Restricted Alcohol: As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women should have no more than 1 drink a day and men should have no more than 2 drinks a day. Follow this guideline and help your heart!
- Laugh out Loud: Don’t just type LOL in Whatsapp messages or emails. Try to laugh out loud. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), research suggests laughing can lower stress hormones, decrease inflammation in your arteries, and raise your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HLD), also known as “good cholesterol.” Try to watch at least one comedy movie or a show daily.
- Aaj se Thodasa Kam: FSSAI, in order to help improve public health in India and combat negative nutritional trends launched a program called “Aaj se Thodasa Kam”. Cut down your salt, sugar and fat intake today – start reducing to ½ to 1 tsp a day from your daily diet.
Fast Facts: Average Indian consumes around 10 gram of salt per day which is double the amount of salt recommended (5g/d).
