World Heart Day-How to take care of your Heart

World Heart Day

Hi Friends,

Today is 29th September 2019- World Heart Day.

At the outset, let me wish all my readers-both past and present-” A Healthy Heart and A Happy Heart Day”.

Heart care is the need of the day, and all young and elderly people should know how to do it.

Why am I writing this article?

Today, as I write this article, there are many people out there in this world who may have: –

1] Suffered their first Heart Attack

2] Started getting pain related to heart-The Angina

3]Had their CABG [coronary artery bypass graft] or Angioplasty done after being diagnosed as the Cardiac Insufficiency Patient

4] Had Pericarditis/Pericardial Effusion

5] Heart Failure – commonly known as the Congestive Cardiac Failure

6] Hypertension [High Blood Pressure]/ Hypotension [Low Blood Pressure]

Today I will discuss only the preventive aspect of heart disease and not the treatment part of it as I believe that “Prevention is Better than Cure”.

I once received a unique gift with an inscription suggesting the effect of smoking on the heart. [Click the image to see the message.]

You can see the relevance of this picture, which says at the bottom- ” Don’t Let Your Heart & Blood Pressure Fume with Smoking“. How true!

I have displayed this pen stand on my table in my clinic in such a way that all my patients- especially those who smoke- can see it and read what is written at the bottom and decide for themselves what is best for them-smoking or not smoking.

One should remember that our Heart is a machine. It works non-stop from our birth to death, pumping blood to all parts of our body.

Having said this, can we really prevent heart disease? Oh yes, we can. Just follow these few tips: –

1] Have a healthy diet i.e. cut out junk foods, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, use oils that do not raise your blood cholesterol levels-that which have the ability to reduce your cholesterol- and have food that is rich in protein and healthy carbohydrates.

Those who like non-vegetarian food, I would recommend consuming fish like Mackerel, Sardine, Salmon, and Cod-these fishes contain good fatty acids- Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which help in reducing the atherogenic [bad cholesterol] LDL and triglycerides and help in increasing the HDL [good] cholesterol.

However, I would also advise having fish in a curry form rather than fried ones, as frying is known to deactivate the good fatty acids. Having a piece of fried fish occasionally along with curry will not cause any harm to our hearts.

2] Go for Walks– Walking is supposed to be the best exercise a person can get. While walking if you swing your arms slightly or vigorously, you are bound to give exercise to almost all the parts of the body, thereby reducing bad cholesterol in the long run.

Walking, done in open spaces surrounded by lots of vegetation [see the picture below] and in the early part of the day, is very helpful. Because, as the sun rises, the trees and plants emit pure oxygen which is good for us.

Walking should be done in a proper way so as not to cause wear and tear of your joints. For those having arthritis or pain in the knee, swimming is another good alternative.

One can also do some weight training, aerobic exercises, and yoga which improves the heart pumping capacity. You can use a fitness band to monitor your activity.

3] Quit smoking- Smoking hardens our arteries by depositing nicotine in the walls of our arteries thereby increasing our blood pressure and narrowing the coronary arteries [arteries that supply blood to the heart].

This can also occur in the brain causing stroke or paralysis. It can destroy the delicate tissues of lungs thereby causing chronic obstructive lung disease, which increases the load on our heart. So, quit smoking now!

4] Reduce Stress-Day to day stress has become the norm of today’s generation. Deadline working hours, having less sleep and untimely sleeping habits add to the stress.

Nowadays, people work in shifts to increase productivity for companies. This is taking a toll on their overall health and more specifically, the heart.

Unhealthy sleeping and eating habits also act as a double whammy on the health of the heart.

One can balance this by doing yoga and meditation. You can read the Happiness Express book written by Khurshed Batliwala  & Dinesh Ghodke, for a better understanding of the concept.

Conclusion

I am sure that all these tips will help you in maintaining a healthy heart.

If you have any queries or suggestions, you are welcome to contact me /email me.

If you have liked what you have read today, kindly share this post with your near and dear ones and friends in your group.

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Adios.