World Heart Day 2020: A healthy diet and lifestyle can help you control your heart disease risk. Read here to know foods you should eat and avoid. Follow these heart-friendly diet tips today!
Heart Day 2020: Consume a rainbow diet to receive a variety of nutrients
HIGHLIGHTS
- Regular exercise is essential for your heart and overall health
- It is important to maintain a healthy weight to fight heart disease risk
- World Heart Day: Reduce consumption of fried foods for a healthy heart
World Heart Day is observed on 29 September every year. Diet and exercise play a key role in maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. While exercise improves circulation and keeps you fit, a good diet helps keep the arteries unclogged and protect them from damage. To fight the risk of heart disease simple modifications in your diet can help. On the occasion of World Heart Day 2020, let us take a look at foods you need to eat and foods you need to avoid to maintain a healthy heart.
World Heart Day 2020: Diet tips for healthy heart
Say Yes To
1. Fatty fish - Fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, trout and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids that help ward off inflammation. While you can also get omega-3 fats from plant based sources like flax seeds, your body will have to convert them from alpha-linoelic acid.
World Heart Day 2020: Fatty fishes are loaded with healthy fats beneficial for your heart health
Photo Credit: iStock
2. Rainbow diet - Include fruits and vegetables from all the colours of the spectrum to your diet. Phytochemcials, which are vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that prevent free radical damage to the arteries, impart colour to food. Each colour contributes a different nutrient. The aim is to keep the meals as colourful as possible.
3. Mixed nuts - Nuts are dense in nutrients and rich in fiber, protein and polyunsaturated fats. They promote satiety and make it easier for you to avoid processed snacks or junk food, both of which are high in unhealthy refined carbohydrates.
Also read: This World Heart Day Adapt These Expert Recommended Heart-Friendly Practices
4. Extra-virgin olive oil - It is rich in monosaturated fats which help lower the level of LDL cholesterol. It is also rich in antioxidants, which help prevent free radical damage to the cells, keeping your arteries free from fatty deposits and plaques.
5. Barley - This is a good source of soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol and prevents fat build up. It also reduces the production of cholesterol in the liver, which also helps to keep the lipid levels in control. Beans are a good non-grain source of soluble fiber.
Also read: World Heart Day 2020: Diabetes, High Blood Pressure And Other Comorbidities Linked To Heart Disease
Say No To
1. Fried foods - Fried foods are linked to increased heart disease risks. Conventional methods of frying create trans fats that raises the level of bad cholesterol and lowers the level of good cholesterol.
2. Soft drinks - For most people, the largest source of added sugar in their diets is not food but beverages. It contributes to inflammation, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
Heart Day 2020: Soft drinks are loaded with added sugar
Photo Credit: iStock
3. Processed meats - Processed meats contain a lot of saturated fat, and even the low fat options tend to have a lot of salt. Excess sodium pushed up your blood pressure, putting your heart at risk.
4. Fast food - Fast food is associated with saturated fat and a high level of carbohydrates, which have an adverse effect on heart health. They are also associated with unhealthy weight gain and unsuccessful weight loss maintenance. Moreover, a lot of fast foods contain processed meats which elevate their sodium content.
Also read: World Heart Day 2020: Chest Pain Is The Only Sign Of Heart Attack- Myth Or Fact? Our Expert Explains
5. Biscuits and pastries - Most of the commercially produced baked goods are not only full of sugar but are also made with saturated fats like palm oil and butter, or trans fats like hydrogenated vegetable oil. Both ingredients make up for an extremely unhealthy nutritional profile that should be avoided at all costs.
Also read: World Heart Day 2020: What Leads To Early Onset Of Heart Failure In Young Adults? Expert Answers
Remember, no matter how heart friendly your diet is, it won't do you any good if you don't get regular physical activity. Make it a point to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week.
(Dr. Ashwin Madhukar is a senior cardiologist at Apollo Telehealth)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
