October 26, 2022 By Vandana Juneja Leave a Comment

Top 5 Eating Habits That Are Bad For Heart Health

There are lots of habits which play a key role in maintaining good heart health. Eating right, being active, managing stress well and getting good quality sleep are just a few of them. Then, there are habits which are bad for heart health. These habits, over a period of time, if left unchecked, can increase the risk for heart disease. Let’s go over some of these eating habits that can affect your heart.

Top 5 Eating Habits That Are Bad For Heart Health

Junk & Packaged Food: This one is a no-brainer. Eating junk and packaged food items like chips, namkeens, maggi and bakery items, etc. are bad for heart health. These food items are loaded with saturated fats and sodium which increase the amount of LDL (Bad cholesterol) in our body. High levels of bad cholesterol can build up plaque in the blood vessels and clog them, leading to atherosclerosis, heart failures and stroke.
High Sugar Intake: Regular and high consumption of sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart, causing high blood pressure and damage to artery walls. Besides table sugar, there are many food items with hidden sugars that we should avoid like – bakery items, desserts, mithai, packed juices, and instant food items like ready to cook breakfast cereals, aerated drinks, energy drinks, etc.
Overeating: Being overweight is a major risk factor for heart disease. Eating uncontrolled portions leads to weight gain which can cause a myriad of health issues. So avoid eating, not only high calorie foods in large quantities, but be careful about the portion of your regular meals as well.
Eating Red Meat: Red meat is high in saturated fat and there’s also evidence that processed meat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Ideally, less than 10% of your diet should come from animals and animal products.
Avoiding Fruits & Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are a great source of Vit C and beta carotene. These antioxidants help prevent plaque deposition in the blood vessels. So, try including fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.

Apart from the above mentioned foods, make sure you lead an overall healthy lifestyle to avoid facing any health issues. If you need help with improving your lifestyle or seek guidance to manage an existing condition, reach out to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more on heart health, check out Healthy Reads.

We hope this article helps you avoid these foods which are bad for heart health. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

October 11, 2022 By Arooshi Garg Leave a Comment

Cardiac Diet: Foods To Eat, Avoid & Other Tips

Whether you want to lose weight, manage cardiovascular issues or simply avoid any health complications, a healthy, clean eating pattern can help you move towards it. Understanding what foods are good or bad and taking small steps to include or avoid different foods can be game changer. While eating habits are formed slowly and changing them can be overwhelming, here’s your guide to a Cardiac Diet which includes foods and eating habits that can help you maintain a healthy heart.

The Cardiac Diet – Foods & Habits For A Healthy Heart

Control portions: Eyeballing your food to check the estimated calories is the easiest way to avoid overeating and over consumption. Even healthy foods like nuts, when taken in excess, are harmful! Always choose low calorie and high fiber foods to fill yourself like raw fruits and vegetables. Take smaller portions of calorie dense and high salt foods for a healthy heart. Another tip is to choose a smaller plate when eating.
Choose raw vegetables: Having at least 3-4 servings of fresh and local vegetables is very essential to get a good supply of heart healthy antioxidants. Choose bright coloured vegetables to get maximum benefit. Fiber, which is present in vegetables, helps in controlling high BP, fat deposition in arteries and also eases digestion.
Include whole grains, millets: Grains are naturally high in fiber and nutrients. Avoid refined and processed cereals like all-purpose flour, breads and bakery products. Instead, choose locally available native millets like barley, ragi, bajra, quinoa, and farro.
Consume salt mindfully: Having too much salt can worsen cardiac health and cause hypertension. Adding no table salt and reducing salt while you cook is the first step. Reducing hidden salt from foods like cornflakes, muesli, breads, biscuits, sauces, and pickles is the next step. Choose less refined salts like Rock salt or Himalayan salt. Be wary if you have thyroid, as you might need regular iodized salt. Flavor your dishes using dill, coriander, mint, lemon, and oregano instead!
Choose low-fat high protein sources: Avoid animal products that are high in fat such as full fat milk, cheese, etc. Go for low fat/toned milk, choose leaner cuts, fish, and eggs to meet your protein requirement. Certain types of fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood fats called triglycerides. Products like soya granules, sprouts, powdered pulses are good, low-fat sources of protein and contain no cholesterol. They can be easily added to the diet to increase protein intake.
Control the intake of nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds when consumed in moderation are extremely beneficial. Nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, chia seeds, sabja seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds are rich in heart healthy fats known as omega 3 fatty acids. These help in increasing the good cholesterol component essential for limiting inflammation in heart patients. However, excess of these nuts and seeds can also lead to increased fat intake which is not ideal.
Engage in cardio activities: As the name suggests, any type of physical activity which affects the heart activity is considered good for cardiovascular health. If you cannot go to the gym, ensure that you at least go for a walk. A quick 30-minute fast walk can help you get good cardio activity to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure and improve energy levels. It can also help you fight weight gain to improve overall cardiac health. If you are still unable to find time for dedicated exercise, make it a habit to walk for 10 minutes post every meal. Finding small pockets of time for cardiovascular fitness in the form of walking can be really helpful. Choose any activity like jogging, running, cycling, swimming, Zumba, or aerobics, etc.
Say no to smoking and alcohol: Limit your alcohol intake. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease. The chemicals you inhale when you smoke, damage your heart and blood vessels.

A mild indulgence should not hamper your heart healthy journey, so an occasional favorite meal or a piece of cookie won’t harm you. However, balancing your choices and changing your eating habits in the long run is the key to better heart health.

We hope this Cardiac Diet and the subsequent tips help you make a positive lifestyle change. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

For more on Heart Health, check out Healthy Reads or ask an expert by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

September 29, 2022 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 3 Comments

7 Yoga Asanas For Good Heart Health

Stress, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle can have serious long-term health consequences. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are just two among many of the consequences of not treating your body well. Just know that even during the current times, you can make a positive U-turn and get active! Try yoga for good heart health!

How Does Yoga Help Heart Health?

Yoga, as a practice, emphasizes on breath, focus and meditation. Apart from building awareness of your mind and body, yoga also helps heart health by boosting blood circulation, keeping blood pressure in check and relieving stress.

Let’s take a look at 7 Asanas you must practice for good heart health.

1. Virabhadrasana or The Warrior Pose boosts energy in the body and mitigates stress. It is ideal for heart patients as it keeps blood pressure in check.

2. Sukhasana greatly improves the breathing pattern, which in turn enhances blood circulation.
3. Uttanasana helps relax the muscles and eases the mind. It lowers high blood pressure and ensures that your heart remains healthy!

4. Setu Bandhasana or The Bridge Pose is an excellent yoga asana for heart patients as it improves blood circulation, lowers blood pressure level, and stretches chest muscles. It can lessen depression, stress, and anxiety too.
5. Trikonasana or Triangular Pose relaxes the mind and calms down anxiety levels. This pose also opens and strengthens the chest area, and improves the digestive system.
6. Shavasana is another ideal asana for heart patients. This asana helps in repairing cells and tissues. It reduces blood pressure and assists in developing a better balance of the air element in the body.
7. Bhujangasana or The Cobra Pose is good for heart patients as it expands the chest area and relaxes muscles. As a result, blood circulation gets better and the heart feels reinvigorated.

In my practice, these Asanas are beneficial! But, before you begin practice, consult your doctor or physician especially if you have had any major/minor surgeries or other health issues. If you’re a beginner, check out some of these Myths and Facts about Yoga. For live sessions on yoga, practice with experts on GOQii Pro within the GOQii App, who will guide you on the correct form and posture in real time.

We hope this article has helped you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

September 30, 2021 By Dr. Viral Thakkar Leave a Comment

Your Heart and You 2: Habits for a Healthy Heart

Aakash wondered why every Hollywood and Bollywood movie stressed on the “heart”. Some dialogues bothered him:

“My heart aches at the way you have treated your friends.”

“Don’t you feel anything? Are you heartless?”

What Affects Heart Health?

It is interesting to note that a heart attack is usually the result of an emotional outburst or a very emotionally charged situation. While, many of us have similar experiences, some are potent to handle such sudden shocks which the heart receives. This depends on the emotional and mental health of a person, dietary habits, sleep quality, the capability of handling stress, faulty habits, etc.

The heart apart from pumping blood and ensuring every cell receives blood and oxygen, governs largely the emotional and physical wellbeing of a person (it also overlaps Anahat or Hridaya chakra in Indian Vedic understanding). So, a healthy heart depends largely on the emotional and mental well-being of a person as well as nutrition.

It is now a known fact that feelings of stress, anxiety, etc. adversely impact the overall health of a person, especially the heart. As stress increases, the cortisol levels (stress hormone) impacts all the hormones and organs, all the basic physiology including cardiovascular system.

These emotions create a chain reaction in the body — stress hormone levels increase, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure rises, and the immune system is weakened. If we consistently experience these emotions, it can put a strain on the heart and other organs, and eventually lead to serious health problems.

In my previous article, I spoke about the signs of heart disease to watch out for. Here, let us look at healthy habits for a healthy heart!

Do the Following to Ensure a Healthy Heart

Be happy: If you cannot feel positive and good, simply recall a time when you felt sincere appreciation and try to recreate that feeling. Look at photographs of happier times, keep a diary where you record your positive events and feelings from your life.
Exercise: Get regular with yoga, especially pranayama and exercise. Exercising helps heart muscles become more efficient at pumping blood throughout the body. It allows body’s tissue (including the heart) do a better job of pulling oxygen from the blood. This allows your heart to work effectively under stress. It also helps the body make more branches and connections between these blood vessels (collaterals), so there are other routes for the blood to travel if the usual path is blocked by narrow arteries or fatty deposits. Instead of a 45 minutes workout, it is best that the body is moving every half an hour! A small 2 mins walk every half an hour is also helpful as along with cardiovascular system it also keeps our lymphatic active. However, if you have a heart condition, please take the advice of your doctor before taking strenuous exercises or pranayama.
Do what you like doing and stop what you don’t! It will help you keep your stress levels in check and be happy!
Take care of what you eat: Have a good portion of breakfast, followed by small meals, lunch and dinner 2-4 hours before you sleep. Follow the advice of your nutritionist/doctor, if something special has been designed for you!
Vegetarian food is easily digested by the body. It will also help you cut back on higher calorie foods such as meat, cheese and snack foods. Whole grains play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. Add flaxseeds to your diet as they are rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
Limit unhealthy choices: Reduce or stop refined oils, refined sugar and aerated drinks.
Choose low-fat protein sources like flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil. Legumes, beans, peas and lentils are good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good substitutes for meat.
Reduce the sodium in your food: You can replace your normal salt with rock salt or pink salt.
Quality is better than quantity: If your body feels fresh and charged after 4-5 hours of sleep, it implies quality sleep. But tiredness even after 6-8 hours of sleep is worrisome. Usually deep breathing before sleep, dinner 4 hours prior to sleep helps one sleep better.

Heart is the biggest miracle which works every moment to keep you alive! Cherish it by living healthy. For more on heart health, check out Healthy Reads or get a doctor consultation by subscribing to GOQii here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce