Exercise and a healthy diet make the heart work efficiently. Being physically active reduces the risk of a heart attack. People who learn to keep blood pressure and cholesterol under check are helping their hearts to function well.
The common things that affect heart health are diet, physical activity, smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Heart disease causes the maximum number of deaths in the world. People living in cities like Kolkata lead busy lives and neglect their health.
Doctors from the best heart hospital in Kolkata advise people to change their lifestyles and manage their heart health.
Things to do for a healthy heart
Eat healthily:
A healthy diet decreases the risk of developing coronary heart disease and eliminates the chance of getting high blood pressure. It is good to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Consuming moderate amounts of milk, dairy products, meat, fish, and eggs meet the protein requirements of the body.
Get enough sleep:
When people sleep, their blood pressure and heart rate go down. Sleep decreases the work of the heart, and sleep deprivation shows changes in the heart rate. Lack of sleep causes cardiovascular and heart disease. People having difficulty sleeping will develop high blood pressure, which leads to heart problems.
Exercise every day:
Exercise helps muscles draw more oxygen from the blood and lowers blood pressure. Exercising helps people to lose weight and being overweight is another reason for getting heart diseases. Physical activities relax the muscles and reduce stress. Low-stress levels decrease the chance of heart attacks.
Cut down on salt:
A diet high in salt can increase blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease or stroke. The maximum salt intake per day is recommended to be 6 grams for adults and 3 grams for children.
Nutritionists advise not to add high amounts of salt while cooking. People should read the food labels in processed food before buying and check the amount of salt in it.
Eat less sugar:
Limiting sugar in the diet decreases the risk of heart disease. One good way to limit sugar is to read the labels and buy only those with less sugar content. Processed food found in stores has more sugar and is harmful to health. Sweetened drinks are unhealthy as they are loaded with sugar and have more calories.
Limit saturated fat:
Reducing the amount of saturated fat and trans fat is essential to lower the chance of heart disease. Saturated fats make the cholesterol level in the blood rise and lead to heart attack or stroke. Lean meats, fish, and low-fat yogurt are good and do not harm the heart. Cookies, cakes, and chips have trans fat and low nutritional value.
Quit smoking:
When people smoke, their blood pressure and heart rate increase. It exerts extra strain on the heart and forces it to work harder. Smoking increases clotting and inflammation and causes damage to the heart. Quitting smoking helps the heart to start healthy.
Keep stress under control:
Stress causes the body to secrete adrenalin, raising blood pressure and speeding up breathing and heart rate. The body also releases more cortisol, and high cortisol levels increase blood cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. It disturbs the blood flow to the heart and causes heart problems.
Finding the best heart hospital in Kolkata is not difficult, but the smarter way is to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle and prevent heart problems. A healthy heart pumps more blood and enables the body to function more efficiently. A healthy heart allows a person to lead a happy life.
