Actor Sidharth Shukla’s untimely death has brought heart health in focus. Are we doing enough to take care of our heart? What are the lifestyle habits that are adversely affecting our heart? Our diet plays an important role in our overall health and timely changes in our dietary habits could go a long way in protecting ourselves from deadly diseases.
Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has highlighted the importance of home-cooked food, local ingredients and seasonal fruits enough in her videos. On the occasion of National Nutrition Week 2021, she along with her team have been posting videos to bust myth around nutrition and sharing easy tips to help move towards a healthier way of life.
In one of the videos, nutritionist Jinal Shah from Diwekar’s team talks about foods that must be consumed for better heart health and to control blood pressure.
ALSO READ: Sidharth Shukla passes away. Smoking to stress, possible reasons of sudden cardiac death
1. Nuts: Shah suggests that peanuts, coconut, cashew nuts are excellent for heart health and a very convenient snacking option in between the meals.
Peanuts: Peanuts being high on heart-healthy fats also help to lower bad LDL cholesterol and is thus good for heart health. They are cheap, convenient, and healthy snacking option for those who want to lower risk of heart disease.
Cashew Nuts: Being high on magnesium, they enhance sleep quality and help you to relax. When you are well-rested and relaxed, your heart will function better and your BP is regulated.
Coconut: Great in taste and packed with nutrients, coconut boosts physical stamina as well mental strength and is very good for those with heart issues or high blood pressure. Garnish it on Poha, use it in ladoo or mix it in chutney.
2. Ghee: Ghee being one of the panchamruts is an excellent source of good fats and helps you in feeling satiated after a meal. If you put ghee on your roti, you would not crave for sweet, tea & coffee or cigarette. Consuming ghee in your meals can help solve the problem of constipation and acidity for many people.
3. Fresh, local and seasonal fruit: Chikoo, banana, pumpkin and other seasonal fruits must be consumed for good heart health. It is important to eat seasonal fruits for the innumerable micronutrients that improve heart health and overall strength. Good time is to eat fruits is in the morning, in the middle of meals during the day or pre and post workout.
4. Salt while cooking: It is not the salt that is our enemy, but packaged food. Chips, biscuits, so called low-fat and high-fibre packaged products are high on preservatives that are bad for functioning of heart. Salt in normal cooking on the other hand is perfectly fine. If one puts less salt in sabzis, the feeling of satiety is missing. Make sure not to sprinkle salt on your salad.
Apart from these foods, regular exercise of 150 minutes a week and 7-8 hours of sleep is important in keeping heart diseases and high blood pressure at bay.
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