Heart Healthy Diet - You Ignored All these days

This post is part of know how series. Let us understand more on healthy eating options and avoid heart failures.

Heart failure occurs when your heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.

Since your heart cannot pump well your body holds on to salt and water. 

Low Sodium Diet

·      Sodium, also known as sodium chloride, common salt, table salt, or chemical compound NaCl

·      Sodium causes the body to retain fluid. Excess fluid places additional strain on your heart.

·      You must control the amount of salt you eat. Keep your salt intake to under 3000mg/day

If you are already on a diuretic, reduce intake to 2000mg/day

TIP: 1 tsp = 2400mg of sodium

Below are some tips on controlling your salt intake:

·      Read food labels and buy brands with the lower mg of sodium per serving

·      Take the salt shaker off the table

·      Salt should not be used in food preparation or at the table

·      Avoid processed foods (Example: ketchup or instant soups)

·      Avoid medications that are sodium based (Example: antacids)

·      Watch out for the words like: monosodium glutamate (MSG), soda (ex. baking soda), sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate

·      Substitute salt with other seasonings such as lemon juice, vinegar, herbs and spices, garlic or ginger

Foods That Are High in Salt	Foods That Are Low in Salt
Pickled foods (olives, salsa, dips) Lunch meats Instant foods (pudding) Most prepackaged foods (canned) Condiments (soy sauce, ketchup, gravies) Cheeses (especially cottage cheese)	Fresh fruits and vegetables     Hot cereals (oatmeal, but not instant)     Unprocessed meats, fish, poultry     Unsalted cottage cheese or milk     Unsalted peanut butter (unsalted nuts)      Eggs

Fluid Intake

The basic strategy for fluid intake = avoid excessive fluid intake and keep intakes consistent

• You need to limit your fluid intake. It is recommended that you drink no more than 4-8 cups or 1.0-2 litres per day. Measure and label your bowls and cups to help track your fluid intake.

• Fluids are anything that is liquid at room temperature. 

• (Example: water, juices, ice cream, popsicles, watermelon, celery or soup are some examples)

• Juices, tea, fruit drink/punch, soda, and sports drinks all contain sodium, thus they should be consumed in moderation.

Please share your tips, comments, suggestions with us, as always stay fit and healthy :-)

How To Make Heart Healthy Food With Herbs

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the majority of the countries. Heart disease can lead to a heart attack, or even a stroke. 

It can strike suddenly and require you to make decisions quickly. Often a lifestyle change to eating heart healthy foods is part of this decision making process. Eating well by following a healthy diet can lower your risk of heart disease.

Did you know that fresh herbs can be used to make many foods heart-healthy and delicious when they replace sugar, salt, and trans fats? The Ancient text, Genesis 1:29, tells us that our Creator, God gave us every herb yielding seed. “And God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. 

You shall have them for food.” Adding herbs to foods will give you delicious ways to fight heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

If you are new to cooking with herbs, you can start with a few of the basic dishes such as chicken with tarragon, guacamole with cilantro and chili, grilled cod or tuna with salsa verde (a delicious Mexican green salsa made with roasted tomatillos, onion, cilantro leaves, lime juice and sugar), and roast potatoes with rosemary and garlic. 

Once you begin to appreciate how the blending of flavors affects a dish, you will begin to experiment and create combinations to your own taste.

Generally herbs are used to add fragrance and flavor to food rather than to provide the dominant taste.

While robust herbs like sage do not lose their flavors if dried, most herbs are meant to be eaten fresh.

Herbs added early on in cooking process will release their flavor to the food. Dried herbs should be put in at the beginning, and herbs with tough leaves such as rosemary, lavender, thyme, and bay can withstand long cooking. 

When you add sprigs of herbs to a dish, remove them before serving. To restore the aroma of herbs in a slow cooking dish stir a few finely chopped leaves into the pan toward the end of cooking process. Strongly flavored herbs, such as mint, tarragon, fennel, can be added at any stage during cooking. 

The essential oils of delicate herbs, like basil, dill, cilantro, and lemon balm, soon dissipate when heated. To keep them fresh in taste, texture, and color, add the just before a dish is served.

Herbs are usually grouped by aroma and taste:

The following should make your herb selection a little easier:

Sweet herbs-basil, bay

Minty herbs- mint- peppermint, spearmint

Pungent and spicy herbs- oregano, rosemary, sage

Oniony herbs- garlic

Fresh and mild herb- parsley

Citrus or tart herbs- sorrel, sassafras, lemon balm

Bitter or astringent herbs-celery, chicory

Licorice or anise herbs—tarragon, dill, fennel

Putting this information together we have the light flavor of dill and parsley that is good with fish and seafood. The more pungent flavors of rosemary, oregano, and garlic go with lamb or roast pork wonderfully. 

Root vegetables respond well to thyme and rosemary, green peas to chives, and tomatoes to basil with parsley. Using herbs correctly is very important to the outcome desired.

Try these combinations /parings often and make your food heart healthy and delicious when they replace sugar, salt, and trans fats

What is Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Why it is called so ?

In this post, let us understand medical terminology - CPR (also know as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

What is CPR ?

It's a daily existence sparing clinical strategy which is given to somebody who is in heart failure. It assists with pumping blood around the individual's body when their heart can't.

To do CPR an individual presses up and down on the casualty’s chest (chest compressions) and gives them a progression of salvage breaths to help spare their life when they are in heart failure.

Then, what is Cardiac Arrest?

A cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical problem in the heart. This electrical problem causes the heart to stop pumping blood around the body and to the brain.

It causes the person to fall unconscious and stop breathing. Without CPR the person will die within minutes.

When to use CPR ?

CPR should only be used only if some is :

a) unconscious and not breathing

b) unconscious and not breathing normally

If someone is unconscious but they are breathing normally, then call immediately emergency care.

What will happen if their heart is beating but they are not breathing?

This is called a respiratory arrest, and it will become a cardiac arrest quickly without CPR. Don’t waste time checking for a pulse – if someone is unresponsive and not breathing or not breathing normally then call immediately emergency care number and start CPR.

How long should I continue CPR?

Be aware !! it is advisable to call emergency care before you start CPR. Once you inform emergency care team, you are good to proceed with CPR until professional help comes in and takes over the patient. 

Remember, do take support of others, near by people, to do CPR incase you are exhausted.

What are the signs of regaining consciousness ?

Below signs determines the patient is regaining his consciousness

a) opening their eyes

b) coughing 

c) starting to breathe normally.

Stop CPR if the person regains consciousness. 

If the person starts to breathe normally but still unconscious, put them into the recovery position and pay attention to their breathing until help arrives.

Does CPR really helps ???

By performing chest compressions and rescue breaths, you are taking over the role of their heart and lungs, pumping blood and oxygen around their body.

Every second counts – any delay can quickly reduce a person’s chance of survival.

How do defibrillators help?

When a person has a cardiac arrest a defibrillator can be used to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm.

Defibrillators are simple and safe to use, and will not shock unless it’s appropriate. 

Is a cardiac arrest the same as a heart attack?

No, but both are medical emergencies, so it is always safe to call emergency care immediately.

A heart attack happens when an artery supplying blood to the heart muscle becomes blocked. This starves part of the heart muscle of oxygen and causes symptoms such as chest pain or discomfort. A person having a heart attack is usually still conscious and breathing.

If a heart attack isn’t treated, it can lead to a cardiac arrest.

Source: British Heart Foundation

Eat Tomatoes to prevent heart attacks !! Shocking Truth Revealed !!

Heart disease and strokes are leading causes of death and permanent disability annually. they're to blame for many thousands of adults needlessly losing their lives annually. 

Thousands of adults also become partially or totally disabled after a having a attack or stroke. The risks of getting a heart or stroke are often reduced by lifestyle changes. some risk factors include obesity, high pressure, high cholesterol levels and circulation problems all of which diets play a serious part. 

Consequently, many of those deaths and disabilities can be prevented or reduced by eliminating the consumption of foods which are known to extend the risks of any of those conditions and increasing the consumption of health promoting foods. One food that excels in promoting heart health is tomatoes. 

Tomatoes are remarkable in their ability to positively affect heart health. they're among the foremost popular foods consumed which contain a good range of health-promoting benefits. 

There are thousands of types of tomatoes available everywhere the globe. they are available in an exceedingly large choice of shapes, sizes and colours. they vary from small cherry tomatoes to large beefsteak tomatoes. 

There are standard varieties and even heirloom tomatoes. they're available in various colors like yellow, orange, green and red

Tomatoes are acclaimed for the center health benefits they supply.

Tomatoes are known to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, they need also been shown to assist prevent unwanted clumping together of the platelet cells within the blood. this can be a awfully important think about lowering the chance of heart problems like atherosclerosis. they need also been shown to scale back stroke risk.

 

Tomatoes are known for his or her high antioxidant content. 

They contain a really rich concentration of the potent antioxidant, lycopene which is that the red pigment in tomatoes. Lycopene has the flexibility to neutralize free radicals that may damage cells within the body. Lycopene excels because the handiest antioxidant promoter of heart health.

Lycopene may have specific properties that enable it to guard cells in an exceedingly way other antioxidants might not. Sufficient levels of lycopene are shown to reduce the probabilities of these suffering an CVA. this kind of stroke is caused by a blood and it's the foremost common style of stroke. Tomatoes also contain phytonutrients which support heart health.

 

Additionally, they also contain high amounts of vitamin C, potassium, iron, manganese, beta-carotene and antioxidant.

Those seeking to cut back their chances of getting a attack or stroke should include tomatoes or tomato products in their diets on a usual or a minimum of several times weekly. select from a good sort of fresh tomatoes. canned tomatoes, juice, tomato sauces, sundried tomatoes and other types of tomato products. you'll see that by simply choosing to every heart healthy foods like tomatoes on an everyday basis you'll significantly reduce your risk of getting a coronary failure or stroke. this is often the explanation it's so important to incorporate heart healthy foods in your diet.

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Tips for Healthy Heart

Billions of rupees are spent each year on hospital, medical and doctor bills, yet in spite of this expense people are still suffering and dying of coronary artery disease (blockage of the arteries of the heart).

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the single most important disease entity, in most of the nations - both in terms of morbidity and mortality. Imagine, if a drug was invented that could prevent CAD.It would surely be hailed as the wonder drug of the century.This "magic cure" already exists, its all around us and it is totally free of charge. The simple truth is that the human body has an amazing ability to sustain vitality and good health provided it is treated with respect.

By making certain life style changes and avoiding risk factors, one can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and pre mature mortality.Risk factor reduction is the primary clinical approach to prevent CAD. The life style changes required are not difficult to achieve and even relatively small "Dos & Do nots" can have a significant effort over the years.

Risk Factors

Cigarette Smoking: If you smoke, Stop !!!

Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death.The risk of a heart attack for a smoker is more than twice that of a non smoker in both men and women.In people with CAD, those who continue to smoke have a higher death rate than those who quit. It has been shown that long term exposure to second hand smoke or passive smoking may increase the risk of heart disease. However, the risk of a second heart attack decreases with smoking cessation.In one study of people who had a heart attack, the risk of second heart attack fell by half with in one year of stopping and became the same as for non smokers within 2 years of smoking cessation.

Smoking constricts your arteries, makes your blood sticky and more likely to form a clot, robs your body of vitamins and costs you a small fortune.

So quit smoking for a healthy heart.

Obesity:

Modern day epidemic. Loose weight if you are over weight. Obesity is linked with CAD because it has an effect on blood pressure, diabetes and blood cholesterol. It is important to know that loosing weight is associated with a decrease in heart disease risk.If you are over weight, see your doctor to evaluate your additional heart disease risks and ask your doctor for a safe and effective way to loose weight.

High Blood Cholesterol:

If you do not know your cholesterol levels, you should.If it is high,work to bring it to the target.The higher our intake of fat, particularly animal and dairy fat, the higher your blood cholesterol level will be. This in turn leads to build up of fatty plaques on the walls of your arteries.

So Aim for fitness
Build - A healthy base
Choose - sensible diet………. For good health

Increase your intake of:

All types of fruit.
Vegetables, root vegetables, leafy green vegetables, brightly coloured vegetables (carrots, Tomato etc)

Reduce your intake of:

• Meat of all types
• Dairy products
• Processed food, much of which contains high levels of salt and sugar
• Foods containing "hidden fat" such as cakes, pastries, pies
• Salt

High Blood Pressure    

High blood pressure is a well known major risk for CAD. Because high blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms, many people do not know that they have it and that is why its called the "Silent Killer". Have your blood pressure checked, if it is high, follow your doctors advice for bringing it down to normal.

High blood pressure causes damage to the lining of the arteries and accelerates the build up of fatty plaques in the arteries. Also it causes extra stress on the heart by forcing it to work harder to pump blood.

Taking regular exercise, adopting a healthy low salt diet and management of a stress can all help to reduce high blood pressure.

Diabetes Mellitus   

 

If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to keep it under control. Having diabetes increases the risk of heart disease two times in men and three times in women.

Once it was almost invariably fatal, but can now be treated through insulin injections and oral tablets to control the symptoms.

Physical inactivity:

Being physically inactive is a major risk factor for CAD.It may also contribute to development of obesity, high BP and low level of HDL (good) cholesterol, all of which are additional heart disease risks. Exercise has many beneficial effects by increasing your level of HDL (good) cholesterol, reducing blood pressure and causing weight loss. Host of the health benefits can be gained by moving from a sedentary life style to a modest exercise programme. Just 30 minutes per day of walking can reduce risk of heart disease substantially

 Stress

In some ways the most difficult problem to solve. Very often a stress sufferer does not realize that they have a problem. This produces hormones in the blood stream that constricts the arteries, unfortunately if you already have narrowing of the arteries,the effect is multiplied by chronic stress.

Nevertheless, it is a vital area which we ignore at our peril, for not only does it have an impact on physical self, it may affect our entire sense of well being - our happiness.

 

Genetic Factor

There is not much one can do about ones genetic inheritance.

The risk factors multiply together. So if you are doing everything else right, there is less chance of the genetic factor coming into play.

The Good News

 

You don’t need anyone's permission to change your life.In such matters you have no boss and it will not cost you any thing. You can change your life for the better and in doing so in some way, you will be changing the world as well

 

 Source:

O.P.Yadava -Chairman

Dept.of Cardiac Surgery

Dharma Vira Heart Centre

Sir Ganga Ram  Hospital

New Delhi

 &&

Indian Medical Association