A healthy heart is essential to overall well-being. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you avoid heart disease and reduce your chance of having a heart attack or stroke at any age. It is never too early or too late to start caring for your heart. It is true that the earlier we begin making healthy choices, the longer we can reap their benefits. Even if anyone has already had a heart attack, they can still improve their health by substituting healthy behaviors for unhealthy ones.
In this blog, we will discuss a few healthy habits that one must follow for a healthy heart and overall health. This post is drafted for you from expert insights of Dr. Sujay Shad, a renowned, experienced cardiologist and heart doctor in Delhi. He practices at the famous Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
- Quit Smoking
Giving up smoking is one of the best things we can do for our heart’s health. Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that are harmful to the heart and blood vessels. Smoking cigarettes increases blood pressure and heart rate by lowering blood oxygen levels. Due to this, the heart takes more effort to pump enough oxygen to the body and brain. As soon as one day after quitting, the chance of developing heart disease begins to decline.
2. Consume Heart-Healthy Food
A heart-healthy diet can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, improve blood pressure and cholesterol, and protect the heart.
Include the following things in the diet:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Legumes, such as beans
- Fish and lean meats
- Dairy items with reduced or no fat
- Whole grains
- Healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado
Exclude or minimize the following things from the diet:
- Salt or meals high in sodium
- Sugar or drinks with added sweetness
- Highly refined carbohydrates
- Alcohol
- Food that has been highly processed, like processed meats
- Saturated fat, which is found in red meat, full-fat dairy products, palm oil and coconut oil
- Trans fat, present in certain fast food items, i.e., fried, chips, and baked goods
Manage Diabetes
Uncontrolled diabetes raises the risk of heart disease by affecting the heart muscles and blood vessels. It is critical to adhere to the diabetes treatment plan, which may entail taking prescription drugs and routinely checking the cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
Manage Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases the effort the heart has to pump blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease. This might lead to structural and functional changes in the heart. If one has hypertension, consulting a healthcare provider is crucial. The best way to lower the blood pressure is to stick to the treatment plan, which may involve taking several different kinds of medication.
Live Longer With Healthy Heart
Keeping a healthy heart is a must in order to live a longer and overall healthier life. Managing a few risk factors and following a healthy lifestyle daily is the key to preventing heart disease.
If anyone still experiences any heart related disease, they can opt for various heart treatments. One can consult with Dr. Sujay Shad, a well known heart surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He performs a variety of procedures, including bypass surgery, aortic dissection, HOCM, heart transplants, and many more. Wondering about the heart surgeries and bypass surgery cost in Delhi? The cost of bypass surgery at the hospital starts at Rs. 3,55,000.
Also in many cases insurance covers the cost of the procedure. For more details, visit the hospital for more details on heart health and surgeries!