Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to negatively impact our nation as sedentary lifestyles are quickly becoming the norm for the average working citizen. It is a major cause of mortality globally as well as in India. While doctors’ offices continue to work to develop better, more effective cures, maintaining heart health remains the first line of defense in addressing the problem. Thus, every year on September 29, World Heart Day is celebrated to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This year’s theme, ‘Using the Heart to Connect’, is a reminder for many people around the world to take a step back and start working to ensure the health of their family and their own hearts. One of the main reasons for the increasing rate of CVD is the constant change in lifestyle that many Indians have experienced, including lack of physical activity, poor dietary regimens, high consumption of sugar, salt and high food consumption saturated and/or trans fats.
Also read: World Heart Day 2021: Top 5 Heart Healthy Breakfast Recipes You Should Try
However, as the world adapts to an ever-changing sense of normality, it is important to take a step back and reconsider the lifestyle choices individuals and families are making, and come together to lessen the impact of this morbid disease. As people across India adapt to this new sense of normal and recognize that proper nutrition is key to overall health. It’s important to make healthy lifestyle choices that pay off over time. You can start to incorporate small changes, that is, be aware of what you eat, as it could have a significant positive impact. Start by adding a handful of nuts like almonds to your family and your own daily diet, as they are a source of a variety of nutrients and make a heart-healthy snack. According to nutrition research, a heart-healthy diet consisting of nutritious foods like 1.5 servings (43 grams) of almonds per day can lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and reduce levels of heart-damaging inflammation. Eating fish such as salmon or mackerel is also beneficial for the heart since they are a good source of Omega-3. Additionally, to keep your heart in its best health, it’s important to watch what you eat and keep your weight under control. For someone who is working to maintain their weight, almonds are a good snack option as they are known to have satiating properties that promote feelings of fullness. In addition to significantly improving LDL cholesterol, eating 42 grams of almonds every day also reduced central adiposity (belly fat) and waist circumference, all well-established risk factors for heart disease.
Aside from these, cultivate an active lifestyle by incorporating 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, monitor blood sugar and cholesterol levels and try to keep levels within prescribed limits, as well as completely giving up smoking. Doctors’ suggestions and moderate portion control base. /or nutritionists is highly recommended to ensure healthy health.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of the information contained in this article. All information is provided as is. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV takes no responsibility for the same.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.