Eating tips for healthy heart!

Advised by Dr. Tilak Suvarna, Senior Interventional Cardiologist

When it comes to your overall health, taking care of your heart is paramount.

You might not give it much thought throughout the day, but your heart is working around the clock for you. Your heart is the most important muscle in your body because it pumps blood and oxygen to all of your organs.

When your heart doesn't get the care it needs, serious problems can develop in the lining of the arteries, which then lead to plaque formation. Plaque is what leads to heart attack and blockage of blood flow in the arteries. Understands the condition that affect your heart and the habits than can help prevent or manage them.

Our poor food choices generate more ill health than physical inactivity, alcohol and smocking combined and since a healthy heart is central to overall good health, following a heart friendly lifestyle will prevent heart disease while encompassing a well - balanced diet and taking care of external factors in keeping the heart healthy.

Heart disease are one of the leading causes of death around the world and sometimes, without even giving any warning signs, these heart conditions have proved to be very critical, which is why it has become very important to get your heart checked on a regular basis.

50% of women in India reportedly live with an abnormal cholesterol level and with heart disease getting younger, there is an urgent need for women to be aware of how to live healthy. The human body needs cholesterol for different functions but a faulty lifestyle can adversely increase the levels of cholesterol leading to a poor heart health.

A heart - healthy diet is an essential ingredient of therapeutic lifestyle changes recommended for prevention and treatment of heart disease. In an interview with, Dr. Tilak Suvarna, Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Mumbai's Asian Heart Institute, listed eating tips for healthy heart:

* Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and salads ~

Vegetables, fruits, and salads are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruits are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits, like other plants or plant based foods, contain substances that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you cut back on higher calorie foods, such as meats, cheese and snack foods.

* Have more whole grains instead of refined grains ~

Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. You can increase the amount of whole grains in a heart - healthy diet by making simple substitutions for refined grain products. Whole grains include whole - wheat flour, whole - grain bread, high - fiber cereals, brown rice and oatmeal.

* Reduce the salt intake in your diet ~

Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. Limiting salt (sodium) is an important part of a heart - healthy diet.

* Control your portion size ~

How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories than you should.

* Reduce the number of calories ~

Sugary foods like deserts, sweets, bakery items, sugary drinks as well as processed or refined foods increase the number of unwanted calories which can lead to weight gain, accumulation of fat, worsen pre - existing diabetes, all of which are factors that increase your risk of having heart disease.