World Heart Day: Adopt these healthy habits for a healthy heart

On World Heart Day, a nutritionist shares a checklist to take care of your heart

Earlier this month, 40-year-old actor Sidharth Shukla passed away, reportedly after suffering a sudden heart attack. The incident further highlighted concerns regarding poor heart health, especially among young people. “Cardiovascular or heart disease is largely preventable, so it's important to know what you should and shouldn’t do to improve your heart health. Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and excessive alcohol, including 30 minutes of physical activity at least five times a week, maintaining your ideal body weight through a well-balanced diet, and managing your stress through daily meditation can help you build not just a healthy heart, but an overall healthy body and mind,” shares clinical and sports nutritionist Natasha Kanade. 

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Clinical and sports nutritionist Natasha Kanade

On World Heart Day today, Kanade shares an important checklist for your heart health:

- If you’re a smoker, the first thing you need to do is to slowly reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day and then, quit the habit completely.

- Basic activities like walking, cycling, skipping, swimming or even enjoying your favourite sport is the best way to include 30 minutes of activity in your daily routine, or at least five times a week.

- Cut out high-sodium food, fried fare, canned beverages, items rich in preservatives, red meat and high-sugar desserts from your diet completely. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, high-fibre grains, lentils, pulses, nuts, seeds and lean meat in your diet. 

- Reduce high-GI carbohydrates as that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Refined carbohydrates, starches and added sugar in a large quantity aren’t very heart-healthy. Instead, include low-GI foods like oats, barley, vegetables, lentils and pulses in your diet.

- Studies show that healthy fats are necessary and beneficial for health. Increase mono-saturated fats like vegetable oils (olive, canola, sunflower, soy and corn), nuts, seeds, avocado and fish, and limit processed foods made with trans-fat from partially hydrogenated oil and red meats.

- Work towards getting close to your ideal body weight; this can be done through the combination of the right diet and physical activity.

- Excessive alcohol intake can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure or even stroke in some cases. It can also contribute to cardiomyopathy, which weakens the heart muscle. Reduce your alcohol consumption and if there is a need to drink on an occasion, always choose a small amount of red wine.

- Stress management plays an essential role when it comes to overall health; many studies even link anger and stress to heart diseases. Start with dedicating at least an hour a day to activities you enjoy and begin or end your day with meditation.

- Read the food label. Not all foods labelled healthy are great for you. Decode the food label before you make a choice.

- Consult a medical professional for regular check-ups.

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