How you can save your heart

           (By Lisa Sarah John, Courtesy Bangalore Times, April 23, 2007)

Today, as we cope with increased stress in our lives and work, with little time for physical activity and eating fatty foods, heart disease is a huge threat to many. Since doctors feel that changing lifestyles is near to impossible, they are quick to recommend medication. But here’s the bad news: popping pills alone cannot change blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and you will still be at the risk of heart disease. One has to make a definite effort to change and correct eating patterns along with the pill.

The solution is to adopt a gear system in which one follows a very strict quantity control (of calories) and quality control (restricting fatty food) for a three-month period. During this time all the following kinds of fatty food is to be completely avoided.

 
A. All fried foods, nuts and    coconut

B. Bakery items, butter, butter substitutes, ghee, etc.

C. Cream of milk, chocolates, ice creams, etc.

D. Colas, alcohol, wine etc

E. Most non-vegetarian food.

Eat only fish and chicken for lunch. Avoid non-vegetarian food at night and avoid the gravy of non-vegetarian dishes and soups.

Oil may be used for seasoning food, 2-3 teaspoons per person, per day.

Along with this restriction, one must follow a healthy eating pattern of regular balanced meals with plenty of fibre. Eat whole wheat bread, rotis or cornflakes, oats or ragi preparations for breakfast. Lunch may be a mix of dry wheat rotis, or ragi ball with 1/2 to 1 cup of rice. Dinner must be only wheat roti; no rice, idli, dosa, rava or pasta items. Roti or wholewheat bread may be eaten at dinner. A big bowl of raw salad of tomato, cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, radish, capsicum etc must be eaten both at lunch and dinner to increase fibre intake. Fibre plays a huge role in breaking down cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood.

Along with this, a 30-minute walk daily and 3 litres of water daily are a must.

After the three-month period the fibre intake must continue as a healthy lifestyle habit, but one may occasionally eat a fatty food from the forbidden list. So on Wednesday you eat an ice-cream and on Saturday you eat a plate of biryani. You must not eat these on the same day or even on consecutive days. There must be a 2-3 day gap between treats for the body to adjust and remove the fat that rises in the blood.

So get smart and save your heart.

 

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