Tons have already been written on today’s theme – Precautionary Measures for Heart. And yet, we have decided to focus this week on such a theme because it is like medicine which is required to be administered at regular intervals for curing an ailment. Today’s article also serves a similar purpose. The following paragraphs shall highlight certain aspects that can be adhered to for maintaining healthy heart.
a) Staying Active:
Our body’s ability to effectively pump oxygen to your heart declines each decade as you age, so it’s important to exercise regularly. It’s never too late to begin an exercise program. Regular exercise helps to manage weight & blood pressure, stress and heart performance.
b) Having Balanced Diet:
Balanced diet implies having region-specific food that we enjoy across India. So, a quintessential Bengali diet will certainly include maach bhat(& other seasonal vegetable) if not chicken in penne pasta. However, one can certainly indulge in sin foods like mistiand singara once in a while. But one should put a limit on salt and refined sugar. If possible one may add nuts and olive oil.
c) Losing Weight:
Are we really going to add anything new that you do not know? Perhaps not. Yet it is important to reiterate this once again. Instead of concentrating on limiting all foods that are bad, try eating foods that are good (& easily digestible) like three to four servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It is always advisable adopt a go-slow policy on the issue of weight loss. The adage- slow and steady wins the race – holds absolutely true. This way one can sustain weight lost over a period of time.
d) Regular Health Check-up:
Regular health check-up can identify heart ailments before ending up having heart attack. Preventive check-up should begin early in life and continue as we age. One should ideally keep a tab on blood pressure, blood sugar, blood counts and cholesterol.
e) Listening to one’s body:
Listening to one’s body implies being sensitive to sings of trouble which may include shortness of breath, leg swelling, chest pain, unexplained fatigue, heart palpitation, sudden change in exercise tolerance etc. Often we ignore such indicators during younger days only to repent later.
We hope the points discussed above will find resonance with our readers. Your comments on the same shall be appreciated.