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t Health Hear uide

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Introduction:
Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more.

Heart diseases are increasing worldwide being leading cause of death. Also know as cardiovascular disorder involves problems like stroke, heart attack, hypertension, peripheral arterial disease etc. WHO suggests cardiovascular diseases are leading cause of death worldwide. Data suggests 17.3 million people died due to cardiovascular diseases in 2008. While by 2-3- almost 23.6 million people will die due to heart diseases. It will mainly include heart attack and stroke. Experts suggest unhealthy eating patter and lifestyle is the major cause of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Young adults need to adopt healthy lifestyle and lead disease free life. Lifestyle modification helps in reducing the risk for diseases such as heart diseases and delays the onset of the condition. This Heart Health Quick Guide will give you insight to the causes of cardiovascular diseases; which all control measures can be applied in daily life to prevent the condition and dietary requirements. Ayurveda is our ancient science reveals secrets for healthy heart. Get more to know about keeping your heart Healthy and Happy!

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FACTORS CAUSING HEART DISEASE


Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more.

There are several factors that cause heart disease. Few of them are modifiable or controllable and few are non-modifiable or uncontrollable. Non modifiable factors cannot be changed. We need to lead our life with the fact, but modifiable factors can be controlled to lead healthy heart! Non-Modifiable causes: 1. Age: More than 83% of people dying from heart disease are 65 or older. 2. Sex: Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women. Though the risk of heart disease in women increases after menopause. 3. Family history: History of parents or close relatives having heart diseases increases the risk. 4. Race: The risk is higher among African Americans, Mexican Americans, and American Indians etc. Modifiable Causes: These factors are more important. Pay attention to them and adopt them in your lifestyle modification routine. 1. Smoking: Smoking is the major risk factor for heart disease. Carbon monoxide (from the smoke) and nicotine both put a strain on the heart by making it work faster. They also increase the risk of blood clot. Other chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the lining of your coronary arteries leading to furring of arteries. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease by 24% 2. Cholesterol: Cholesterol is the fat made by the liver from the saturated fat that we eat. Cholesterol is essential for healthy cells but if there is too much in the blood it can lead to coronary heart disease. Cholesterol is carried in the blood stream by lipoproteins.

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Lipoproteins are mainly of 2 types: a. LDL-Low Density Lipoproteins Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more. a. HDL- High Density Lipoproteins LDL is termed as bad cholesterol. It tends to build up on arterial walls increasing the risk of heart disease. HDL is termed as good cholesterol. It carries cholesterol away from heart. 3. High Blood Pressure: (Hypertension) IT strains the heart leading to coronary heart disease. It leads your heart to thicken and become stiffer. It increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists along with other risk factors the chances of stroke increases with many folds. 4. Physical Inactivity: Sedentary lifestyle increases the risk for any heart disease. It is a vicious cycle, if you are not active you will gain wait. Increased weight will put more pressure on your heart, which asks heart to work more. So getting active throughout the day is very important. 5. Obesity: People having excess body fat especially if it is around the waist have higher risk of coronary heart disease. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. The most common measure of obesity is BMI(Body Mass Index) 6. Diabetes: About 3 quarter people with diabetes die from some form of heart or blood vessel disease. 7. High CRP: (C-reactive protein): The body produces CRP during the process of inflammation. It is correlated with heart disease. Inflammation of arteries has been linked with increase risk of heart disease. CRP is the marker of inflammation, meaning its presence indicates an increase inflammation in the body. 8. Uncontrolled stress: Stress in normal part of life, but if left unattended can lead to emotional, psychological and even physical problems including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and chest pain etc. v v v www.justforhearts.org

CONTROL MEASURES FOR Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more. HEART DISEASES You can prevent as well as control coronary heart disease with simple lifestyle changes and proper medications. Lifestyle changes eg diet modification, exercise, stress management, smoking and medications for controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels are used. If sever plaque is developed then treatment may involve catheter based interventions. Lifestyle changes can be as listed below; DIET: a heart healthy diet is good for the heart patient as well as Following the whole family. to be nutritionally balanced, rich in fiber, low in fat and Diet has moderate low in salt. of vegetables , choose lean meat. Have a lot low fat or fat free dairy products. Choose Avoid foods that are been processed with sodium. Enjoy some fresh fruit everyday. advice of your doctor or dietitian. Follow the ALCOHOL: Avoid alcohol as much as possible. If you choose to drink then have only 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men per day. means 12 ounce beer, 4 ounce wine. Each drink has a lot of calories so they tend to increase the triglyceride Alcohol levels. EXERCISE: your physical activity is the best way to reduce the risk as Increasing well as control coronary heart disease. will help you reduce weight and prevent Type2 diabetes. Exercise 30-60 minutes of exercise daily you should aim at.

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Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more. SMOKING: Cigarette not only affects the lungs but also affects the heart and the blood vessels increasing the risk for heart disease as well as stroke.

BODY WEIGHT: l is not only a major risk for heart disease but also important Obesity for insulin resistance too. l It increases the blood pressure too. l weight will not improve your heart health as well as Reducing decrease the chances of stroke too. MEDICATIONS: BLOOD PRESSURE: Anybody having blood pressure should be treated with medications. For people having diabetes doctors usually prefer ACE inhibitors. These medicines not only reduce your blood pressure but also protect your heart and kidneys. If required it may be combination of drugs like thiazide diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers etc. CHOLESTEROL LOWERING MEDICATIONS: Statins may be prescribed if LDL levels are high. If triglycerides are on the higher side then niacin or fibrate is prescribed. ASPIRIN: Low dose of Aspirin (75-162mg/day) is given to people already having coronary heart disease. But for those who want to prevent the heart disease aspirin doesn't play any important role. Combination of proper medication and lifestyle changes will help you
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Ayurveda & Heart:


Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more.

Ayurveda is defined as science of life. Ayu Life ( Ayu is combination of four things mind , body , soul / spirit & sense.Veda Science. According to Ayurveda Heart is home of Ataman eternal soul, ojas & mind. Heart is the most vital organ & the person as old as her/ his heart according to Ayurveda. It contains 8 drops of Ojas which gives life , longetivity, bliss & overall immunity. Ayurvedic healers recognized many years ago what modern science today- that eating fatty food in excess ( fatty foods do not get digested completely & create ama or toxins in the system) & too much stress are prime factors that lead to heart damage. Chest pain, angina is caused by Kapha dosh. Accumulated kapha blocks the flow of prana into the coronary artery, so that heart muscle does not receive sufficient blood & oxygen supply. According to Ayurveda perspective, while discussing heart health, two equally important aspects that need to be taken into account Physical Aspects physical aspects of organ that pumps blood Emotional Aspect that experience every human emotion from joy to sorrow. Ayurvedic recommendation for Healthy Heart: 1. Ahar ( Diet)- You can make your diet more heart healthy by eating lots of fresh fruits, whole grains , vegetables, dressing your veggies with fresh lime juice & using lime juice & by using heart friendly spices like black pepper, anti oxidant spice turmeric. Choose fresh & light foods over processed foods & rich foods. 2. Vihar ( Exercise & Physical activity)- 30 min walk not only help your heart , it will prepare you for the day charging up your metabolism & circulation.

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Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more.

1. Rest- Our bodies can only rejuvenates when we give them time to rest. We need time for ourselves, time for simply do nothing. 4. Yoga & Meditation Meditation & yoga contribute immensely in offsetting heart disease. Thus, owing to its many positive effect direct & indirect on the cardiovascular system, yoga assumes a pivotal role in heart care. 5. Panchakrama- Panchkarma removes all ama or toxins from your body. It cleanses & nourishes the body, mind, soul on physical, mental & many levels. 6. Herbs Ayurveda is famous for its safe & highly effective herbal medicines. Herbs like arjuna, tulsi, ginger, guggul, bramhi & many mores helps to prevent & heal the heart disease. Ayurveada believes in prevention & holistic approach to healing.

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Eating for Healthy Heart!


Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more.

Heart is an important organ of human body. Healthy heart ensures well being for an individual. Recent studies by Indian government found that cardiovascular diseases are the first reason for deaths in India. It not only covers urban population but also the rural population. They say 18% adults die due to cardiovascular diseases. Life style and changing eating pattern is the leading cause of heart diseases. How your diet can help you in delaying the onset of heart disease or prevent it? Important nutrient for heart health: fats and oils It is well known that limited intake of fats and oils are recommended for heart patients. But to prevent them your selection of fats and oils matters a lot. There is buzz about heart healthy fat, low absorbent cooking oil etc. Which one do you select? One must go for blend of oils throughout the month. You can refer to following table to select your cooking oil for different purpose:
Cooking Method Deep frying, Searing, browning Baking, over cooking or stirred frying Sauteing, making sauces and low heat oven cooking Dressing, dips and marinating (not suitable for high temperature cooking) Oils Almond oil, avocado oil, hazel nut oil, sunflower oil, refined olive oil etc. Canola oil, Grape seed oil, extra virgin oil and Peanut oil Corn oil, Pumpkin seed oil, Soybean oil, Sesame oil and coconut oil. Flax seed oil

Know about types of fatty acids present in your cooking oil ! There are three different types of fatty acids: saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids. Besides these Trans fatty acids are discussed more frequently. They are produced during the processing of fats. Saturated fatty acids need to be restricted in diet. They are present in meat, full fat milk and milk products, fish etc. Total consumption of saturated fatty acids should not be more than 7% of your total fat calories.
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Health, Heart, Lifestyle and more.

Including olives, avocado, and canola in diet ensures intake of monounsaturated fatty acids. They are heart healthy cooking oils. Whereas omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are part of polyunsaturated fatty acods have many health benefits. To ensure you get their benefits include walnuts, flax seeds, fish, and almonds in daily diet. Relation between simple carbs and heart diseases! Simple carbohydrates coming from white rice, white bread, sugar, desserts etc needs to be restricted for diabetic and obese patients. This nutrient also ahs correlation between heart diseases and health. More the simple carbs you consume, it increases the risk for increased triglyceride levels, total cholesterol. These factors are closely associated with the heart health. So simple message comes here is Include more of whole grains in daily diet to prevent heart disease. It will help you in controlling weight and thus have positive effect on heart health.

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