AN INDULGENT LIFESTYLE AND AN
INADEQUATE DIET ARE TWO MAJOR CAUSES OF HEART DISEASE. TO STAY FIT HERE ARE A
FEW MEASURES OF CARE AND CONTROL
Heart Diseases and Hypertension which lead to heart or other organ failures has
been on the rise for the past 2 decades. People above the age of 40 have been
suffering from such problems due to their unbalanced dietary habits. Its always
advisable to control these factors if you want to reduce your risk.
Preventing
Coronary Diseases
When there are excess deposits of
fat, cholesterol or other substances in the inner wall of arteries, the
arteries narrow and harden into a condition known as astherosclerosis, the most
common cause of heart trouble. A planned diet and regular exercise are the key
to prevent atheroclerosis.
Friendly
and Unfriendly FATS
FAT should not exceed 30 per cent of
your total calorie intake, which includes a maximum of 10 per cent saturated
fat and 10 per cent mono-unsaturated fats. Saturated fatty acids in full-cream
milk and red meat increase your cholesterol level. Use non-fat or low-fat milk
and milk products instead of full-cream milk and avoid sources of saturated
fatty acids like lard, butter, cream, palm oil, coconut oil, ghee and vanaspati
Mono-unsaturated fats that lower cholesterol as well as prevent formation of
blood clots are present in olive, canola, peanut and mustard oils. It’s best to
use these while cooking.
Omega-3, a fatty acid that prevents
atherosclerosis is present in foods like herring, mackerel, salmon, tuna,
soyabean, walnuts and butternuts. Take these regularly in small quantities to
prevent atherosclerosis.
Cutting
Cholesterol
Dietary cholesterol should be
limited to 300 mg per day. Since it largely comes from animal products,
consumption of non-vegetarian foods, whole milk and milk products hould be
restricted. For example, an egg has 250 gm of cholesterol and it is not
advisable to take more than two to three eggs a week.
Take healthy alternatives like
chicken, fish, beans, vegetable, fruits, bread, pulses, wholewheat flour,
cereals, rice, millet, skimmed milk and skimmed milk products and vegetable
oils like corn, sesame, soyabean, sunflower, canola, olive and mustard.
Heart disease is less frequent among
those who eat high carbohydrate and fibre-rich foods. Carbohydrate and
fibre-rich foods. Carbohydrates should provide at least 55 per cent of your
daily calories. Foods like bread, chapattis, cereals, rice and dals provide an
adequate amount of carbohydrates.
How
to control Chest Pain:
- Boil 4-5 pods of garlic in a glass of milk and consume
the garlic pods with milk daily to avoid chest pain.
- Pound the dates with the seeds and eat them every day.
- Increase the intake of ginger and lime in your diet.
- Pound urad dhal to powder and eat it regularly.
- Drink a glass of milk mixed with kadukai powder every
night before going to bed.
- Take a spoon of tulsi juice with honey in empty stomach
every day.