We have only one heart, protect it from diseases. How can we protect our heart from disease? Eating healthy heart diet is the key to keeping heart diseases at bay. Foods that you eat affect your heart. Select your food carefully. Eating less fat and sodium reduce the risk for heart diseases. Eating more fibre help you maintain good health.
Here are some tips that definitely help you:
- Total fat intake should be less than 30 percent of total calories daily.
- Saturated fatty acid intake should be less than 10 percent of total calories daily.
- Polyunsaturated fatty acid intake should be no more that 10 percent of total calories daily.
- Monounsaturated fatty acids make up the rest of total fat intake, about 10 to 15 percent of total calories daily.
- Cholesterol intake should be no more than 300 milligrams per day.
- Sodium intake should be no more than 3000 milligrams per day.
- Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.
- Maintain or improve your weight.
- Eat plenty of grain products, fruits and vegetables.
Cholesterol and Heart
Cholesterol is an essential for the normal functioning of our body. If the amount of cholesterol increases, it will create heart diseases. Lowering the cholesterol level lowers the risk for heart disease. Here are some tips that help you reduce the risk for heart disease.
Keep the Heart clean.
It is the heart that pumps nutrient-rich blood throughout the body. The work of heart increases if you smoke, take drugs or drink alcohol. That will badly affect the normal functioning of your heart.
The risk of having a heart attack will double, if you smoke. That may result in a sudden cardiac death. By stopping your habit of smoking, you are reducing the risk for heart disease. Same is the case of drinking alcohol also. The blood cannot nourish the heart, if it contains alcohol.
Different types of heart diseases
Following a good diet, keeping the heart clean and exercising regularly keeps your heart away from the dangerous heart diseases. Heart diseases have become the leading cause of death. Do you know the different types of heart disease?
- Coronary artery diseases (Heart attack comes under this category)
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Heart failure
- Heart valve disease
- Congenial heart disease
- Heart muscle disease
- Pericardial disease
- Aorta disease
- Vascular disease
General information regarding heart diseases
- Individuals suffering from heart disease are at risk of having a stroke.
- When a woman has a heart attack, she has a poorer chance of survival than a man does.
- Heart disease kills more women each year than all forms of cancer, chronic lung disease, pneumonia, diabetes, accidents and AIDS combined.
- Individuals who suffer from depression are three to four times more likely to die of cardiac causes than individuals who do not suffer from depression.
- Heart attacks and strokes could be an early form of scurvy.
QUESTIONS ON HEART CARE
Q. It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person get a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?
A. This is called silent attack. That is why, we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health check-ups.
Q. Are heart diseases hereditary?
A. Yes
Q What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
A. Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.
Q. Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
A. Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints.
Q. Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
A. Extremely rare.
Q. How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
A.Control diet, walk and eat walnut.
Q. which is the best and worst food for the heart?
A. Best food is fruits, worst are oils.
Q. Do negative emotions like depression or anger always cause heart disease? A. Not always. On the other hand, positive emotions help recovery of the heart.
