'Happy Heart. Healthy Life'
To spread awareness among the people about heart care, September 29 is celebrated as ‘World Heart Day’ from the year 2000. Some decades back, heart diseases were considered to occur post 50 years of age, but thanks to the pressures, youngsters too now fall prey to heart ailments. According to the World Heart Federation studies across the globe, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year and the numbers are rising. By 2030, it is expected that 23 million people will die from Coronary Heart Diseases (CHDs) annually – which is more than the population of Australia!
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries & create obstruction in its function. If this condition is persists for long time it will leads to stroke.
The main reasons behind heart diseases are:
Heredity
Drinks
Cigarette smoking
Obesity, Physical inactivity
Hypertension
Post -menopausal stage
Heredity is the main cause for CHD. If any of the parents have history of heart diseases, the children are susceptible to heart disease in their later life. If they take proper care, and with periodic regular checks the chances may decrease.
Alcohol, cigarette smoking leads to increase in LDL (low density lipo- proteins) & decreases the HDL (high density lipo-proteins) which is good for heart leading to increase in cholesterol.
Obesity, physical inactivity also leads to CHD. Increase in cholesterol level results to narrow down the arteries & body doesn’t get proper blood. Regular aerobic exercises, helps to lowers the cholesterol, strengthen heart muscle & also helping in weight reduction.
Hypertension is very common these days. Various factors lead to increase in blood pressure. Stress due to heavy work load, changes in eating habits leads to hypertension. Our body if denied the required relaxation will lead to occurrence of stroke. To avoid this, it is advised to have a low salt diet, practice meditation and exercise regularly which could be simple walking for example.
Simple Steps to prevent Heart disease:
• Make the effort to quit smoking.
• Eliminate exposure to all tobacco products, including chewing tobacco
• Engage in some type of physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week or more.
• Consider taking an active lifestyle approach to exercise if you cannot fit 30 consecutive minutes of exercise into your daily schedule
• Carefully watch your weight as you age.
• Calculate your body mass index (BMI) to determine if you have excess body fat and are at a healthy weight for your height
Dietary suggestions:
• Eliminate all trans-fat and saturated from your diet. Tran-fat is the most dangerous type of fat and is linked to a host of negative side effects. Both types of fat are linked to increases in blood pressure and an elevated risk of developing heart disease. Decrease the amount of foods you eat that contain these type of fats, such as red meats, full-fat dairy products, palm oils, fried foods, packaged foods, margarine, and processed baked goods.
• Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that you consume each day.
• Pay attention to your portion size when eating. Although what you eat is important for heart health, how much you eat is also a factor in improving overall heart health. Refrain from overeating, which can lead to excess fat, cholesterol and calorie intake.
Wishing all our 'Spicezens' a healthy and long life.
Article, 'Happy Heart. Healthy Life'
by Gandhali Gode
Consulting Nutritionist and Dietician, Pallavis Spices
To spread awareness among the people about heart care, September 29 is celebrated as ‘World Heart Day’ from the year 2000. Some decades back, heart diseases were considered to occur post 50 years of age, but thanks to the pressures, youngsters too now fall prey to heart ailments. According to the World Heart Federation studies across the globe, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year and the numbers are rising. By 2030, it is expected that 23 million people will die from Coronary Heart Diseases (CHDs) annually – which is more than the population of Australia!
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries & create obstruction in its function. If this condition is persists for long time it will leads to stroke.
The main reasons behind heart diseases are:
Heredity
Drinks
Cigarette smoking
Obesity, Physical inactivity
Hypertension
Post -menopausal stage
Heredity is the main cause for CHD. If any of the parents have history of heart diseases, the children are susceptible to heart disease in their later life. If they take proper care, and with periodic regular checks the chances may decrease.
Alcohol, cigarette smoking leads to increase in LDL (low density lipo- proteins) & decreases the HDL (high density lipo-proteins) which is good for heart leading to increase in cholesterol.
Obesity, physical inactivity also leads to CHD. Increase in cholesterol level results to narrow down the arteries & body doesn’t get proper blood. Regular aerobic exercises, helps to lowers the cholesterol, strengthen heart muscle & also helping in weight reduction.
Hypertension is very common these days. Various factors lead to increase in blood pressure. Stress due to heavy work load, changes in eating habits leads to hypertension. Our body if denied the required relaxation will lead to occurrence of stroke. To avoid this, it is advised to have a low salt diet, practice meditation and exercise regularly which could be simple walking for example.
Simple Steps to prevent Heart disease:
• Make the effort to quit smoking.
• Eliminate exposure to all tobacco products, including chewing tobacco
• Engage in some type of physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week or more.
• Consider taking an active lifestyle approach to exercise if you cannot fit 30 consecutive minutes of exercise into your daily schedule
• Carefully watch your weight as you age.
• Calculate your body mass index (BMI) to determine if you have excess body fat and are at a healthy weight for your height
Dietary suggestions:
• Eliminate all trans-fat and saturated from your diet. Tran-fat is the most dangerous type of fat and is linked to a host of negative side effects. Both types of fat are linked to increases in blood pressure and an elevated risk of developing heart disease. Decrease the amount of foods you eat that contain these type of fats, such as red meats, full-fat dairy products, palm oils, fried foods, packaged foods, margarine, and processed baked goods.
• Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that you consume each day.
• Pay attention to your portion size when eating. Although what you eat is important for heart health, how much you eat is also a factor in improving overall heart health. Refrain from overeating, which can lead to excess fat, cholesterol and calorie intake.
Wishing all our 'Spicezens' a healthy and long life.
Article, 'Happy Heart. Healthy Life'
by Gandhali Gode
Consulting Nutritionist and Dietician, Pallavis Spices
