It is estimated that over 50% of health related deaths in India are attributed to Heart attacks, Diabetes or skin cancer (exposure to excess sun)and this is also prevalent is other countries. However, the average life span of Indians is still way lower (Around 60 years) compared to developed countries (Around 72-75 years).
Heart attacks and Diabetes are controllable if identified early on and by making changes to the life style and diet. High cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease and heart attacks. These risk can be reduced by making some lifestyle changes to reduce cholesterol. These two issues are the largest contributor to the deaths in India and other countries. It is estimated that over 50% of health related deaths in India are attributed to Heart attacks, Diabetes or skin cancer (exposure to excess sun). This is applicable to all ages and more so for people over 30 years old.
Simple changes in daily life can significantly reduce the risk of Heart Attacks, Diabetes and skin cancer.
Important - Even if you are healthy, please take a Blood Cholesterol test as soon as possible and monitor the Cholesterol levels each year or as periodic as possible
As a thumb rule for a good heart;
Total cholesterol needs to be Less than 200 mg/dL
LDL (Bad cholesterol) needs to be Less than 100 mg/dL
HDL (Good Cholesterol) needs to be 50-60 mg/dL and above
Triglycerides needs to be Less than 150 mg/dL
1. Lose extra weight - Loose the extra pounds / Kgs as overweight contributes to high cholesterol. So losing as little as 5 to 10 pounds (about 2 to 5 kilograms) can help reduce cholesterol levels significantly.Look for ways to incorporate simple changes to your daily life, like using the stairs instead of taking the elevator, parking away and as far as possible and walking to the office / shopping. Optimum weight can be found by adding about 15 to your height (5' 8" height needs to around 74 Kgs) The body mass index (BMI)which is a measure of Height(in Ft)/Weight(in Lbs) needs to be between 19-25 for normal weight
2. Eat heart-healthy foods - Eating Healthy from now on and making a few changes in your diet can reduce cholesterol and improve your heart health and reduce the risk of Heart attacks.
- Eliminate trans fats. Trans fat can be found in fried foods and many commercial baked products, such as cookies, crackers and snack cakes.
- Reduce LDL (Bad Cholesterol) and your total cholesterol and Increase HDL (Good Fat)
- Avoid meat if possible. If you do eat meat then reduce the consumption and choose leaner meat like skinless chicken instead of lamb/mutton and red meat.
- Take low-fat dairy and monounsaturated fats — which is found in olive, peanut and canola oils,
- Avoid Ghee (Butter), Fried food including Fried rice, fried curries etc. Eat boiled vegetables/curry with less salt to the extent possible.
- Eat whole wheat like Roti (dry), Naan(without butter),whole wheat bread instead of plain white rice.
- Eat less white rice as it produces carbohydrates and sugar. The less white rice the better it is. Use wild rice or the raw rice in small quantities
- Eat lot of vegetables, green leaf, cauliflower, spinach etc.. and in boiled curry form (less or no salt)
- Eat at least 2-3 fruits daily - Bananas, Apples, Grapes are good source of fiber and is good to the heart and health
- Limit cholesterol in your food and keep it to 200-300 mg a day. Example; a full Egg has about 200mg cholesterol . If you have heart disease avoid Egg yellow as it is a significant source of cholesterol. Eat Egg whites and avoid yellow if possible.
- Drink skimmed milk or Soy milk instead of whole milk or 2% milk.
- Drink lot of water (at least 8 glasses per day)and drink atleast one or two glasses of Orange/Cranberry/Apple juice daily
- Avoid Soda (excess sugar) and coffee (excess caffeine) to the extend possible
- Plain Black tea and Green tea contain Antioxidant is good for health.
- Eat fresh fruits daily (as available in the season), dried fruits and nuts for snacks instead of Chips, fries, burgers etc.. If you prefer dried fruit to fresh fruit, limit yourself to no more than a handful as dried fruit and nuts tends to have more calories than does fresh fruit.
- Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids which is found in fishes like Salmon, mackerel and herring (found is the US and Euope). Only some fishes in India contain and you need to check on these fishes. Some fished contain mercury and you need to avoid these fishes as they can be harmful. Omega-3 fatty acids can help lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, almonds and ground flaxseeds.
- If you need drink alcohol then limit it to 1 drink a day (low carb Beer or Red wine) - Not suggesting you start to drink for heath reasons.
3. Exercise at least 5 days a week: Irrespective of your weight, exercise help reduce cholesterol. Exercise for at least 200 minutes a week diligently. Moderate physical activity (60 mins a day or so) can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is the "good" cholesterol. Exercise can include;
* Taking a brisk daily walk during your lunch hour or in the mornings/evening
* Riding your bike to work or for pleasure
* Swimming / jogging
* Playing a favorite sport like Tennis, Soccer, Cricket etc..
4. Limit exposure to Sun Rays - Reduce the amount of time spent under direct sun rays and apply sun screen (SPF 15 or over) as a precaution. Direct exposure to excessive Sun rays can cause skin cancer.
Disclaimer: These are general guidance based on research and learnings. This should not be construed as medical advice and please consult your doctors for specific health issues or concerns. Sources: WebMd, Mayo Clinic and self learnings
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