Living healthy with healthy heart

Heart ailments will continue to be the major health problem of the urban populace in 2010. The growing income of Kathmanduites has had direct impact on their lifestyle. With a variety of eateries to choose from, backed by a fat wallet, eating habits of the people have taken a turn for the worse, nutritionally speaking. And the increasing use of personal vehicles has ensured that people are not even doing the simplest of exercises of walking.[break]

All this has taken a heavy toll on our health with lifestyle diseases like heart ailments and diabetes becoming major threats. Health does not seem to be a serious priority for most of us. Taking regular health checkups will help, but never will be enough. We need to answer the following eight basic questions honestly to know how serious we are about our health.

Are we spending 40 minutes a day for aerobic exercises?

Are we eating healthy?

Are we avoiding any addictions – tobacco/smoking/alcohol?

Do we realize that spending too much time at evening parties takes away precious family time from us?

Do we get up before 6 o’clock in the morning?

Do we try to stay happy and relaxed –involving in yoga/religion/hobbies/pet animal etc? Do we laugh loudly at least eight to 10 times a day?

Do we get ourselves periodically checked up and follow the instructions of our doctor?

Do we realize the importance of a family physician or a general physician (rather than seeing a specialist directly)?

Most of the answers to the aforementioned questions, sadly, are negative; and we have to try to turn them into affirmative.

We can start by eating healthy. We have to set our priorities right, and should never forget that we eat to live, and not the other way round. All the healthy food may not actually be as tasteless as one thinks. In general, a healthy food will be good for every part of our body, not just the heart. Similarly, junk food is harmful for so many different organs. If one is planning to live long and healthy, one should watch what one is eating.

Here are some tips for healthy eating habits:

Never go to parties on empty stomach. Do have healthy snacks at home before leaving for any dinner party.

Have a proper breakfast, full timely lunch and early light dinner. Most of us may have little breakfast, too early or too late lunch, and heavy late dinner. This is not healthy at all. Avoid red meat, dairy products, white breads and sweets as much as possible.

Eating healthy is not just about avoiding. You should eat more fruits and vegetables.

You should know the calorie content of all the food that you eat, just like knowing

how much it costs while ordering from a menu. This way you know how much you need to burn.

For healthy snacks, pick up from cereals (cornflakes, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread), vegetable soup, fruits, salad and sprouted grains.

Last but not the least, please avoid forcing others to eat. You never know, your expression of love may actually push your loved one toward a deadly disease.

Both non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors must be screened to ensure that the heart remains healthy. One has to be aware of non-modifiable risk factors, such as age (above 40 years), sex (male) and family (history of heart attacks below the age of 65 years), and be extra careful if there is any risk pertaining to these factors. We don’t know why, but females have a very low chance of heart attack, and many women under 45 years can only have an attack if they are is diabetic and smoke.

Screening is more important in the case of modifiable risk factors, which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes and tobacco addiction. One has to regularly check blood pressure, and the level of cholesterol and glucose in the blood to prevent heart diseases.

The government also has to promote healthy living through various awareness programs and messages in the print and electronic media. Simple checkups may be made free in public health centers. Provision of parks and health centers in various colonies, being developed now, should be made mandatory. And free sale of alcohol and tobacco should be banned.

Following the recent confirmation of Swine Flu deaths, and we being in the middle of winter, we should also be careful about it, especially in the first quarter of 2010.

The best thing that we can do to stay away from the Pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza is to avoid being in close gatherings for long. We should also keep washing hands many

times a day, and if possible, keep a sanitizer in the pocket and use it after a few handshakes.

Let us make this year healthy and happy. Let us make achieving a sound health our New Year resolution. We will succeed by following better eating habits, quitting smoking and tobacco, starting to get up early, controlling our anger, laughing many times a day, giving more time to our kids and spouse, exercising daily, or joining a health club, and targeting at the desired weight.

Dr Rawat is a consultant cardiologist at Norvic International Hospital, Thapathali, Kathmandu