The modern world is enjoying the fruits of advanced technology and developing at the highest pace possible. However, with the rapidly evolving environment, our eating habits and sleep patterns have also undergone major changes. These lifestyle modifications coupled with the stressful life and lack of physical activity have given rise to major illnesses among which heart disease is a severe one, resulting in the deaths of many every year.
Though there are several reasons behind heart disease, diet is undisputedly a major contributing factor. Intake of a healthy diet containing required nutritious food and proper physical activity can help reduce this lifestyle disease. Stress is another important factor that causes heart disease. In the modern lifestyle where everyone is struggling to meet timelines and juggling between different tasks to keep pace and win the rat race, stress is the new normal.
This is where yoga plays a major role. Yoga is a holistic system that focuses on bringing harmony between body and mind. With the regular practice of yoga, practitioners can develop mindfulness and focus on the present moment, soothing the various physiological aspects and reducing stress and associated problems.
Let’s discuss the dietary aspects that cause heart disease. These include:
Being highly dependent on convenience foods.
A diet high in inflammatory and processed food.
Lack of fiber in the food
Essential items in a healthy diet
The diet recommendations for heart diseases are quite easy to follow. A healthy diet includes optimum fiber intake, a good quantity of proteins, consuming healthy oils and fats, and avoiding trans fats.
Let’s understand these recommendations: Fiber:
Fiber is an essential component of a healthy diet. It has been proven to improve gastro-intestinal health and has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Various food items such as whole wheat flour, red rice, brown rice, steel-cut oats, corn, raw vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, sprouts, beans, and legumes are rich sources of fiber.
Proteins:
Proteins are large biomolecules required for the proper functioning of the body. These are the basic elements in the construction of muscles and tissues. Being a muscle, proteins are essential for the health of the heart. Lentils, legumes, nuts and seeds, milk and milk products, and non-vegetarian foods can provide the required quantity of protein.
Trans Fats:
These are unsaturated fats found in some food items, which can be detrimental for the health. At room temperature, trans fats are oils, however, they undergo a hydrogenation process and become more stable compounds. And, this changes its composition. When this gets deposited at the walls of arteries, this causes plaque. Vanaspati, hydrogenated oil, margarine, etc, are such oils. These oils must be avoided to maintain a healthy heart.
Eating a balanced diet for your heart
Include veggies and fruits in your diet.
Focus on the meal while eating.
Include sprouts in your meals.
Have a variety of nuts daily.
Reduce fried food items to avoid excess oil.
Have a variety of whole grain cereals.
Non-vegetarians should include chicken (skinned) & fish over other meats.
Try to reduce ‘empty calories’ and junk food.
Avoid foods with hydrogenated fat / trans fats.
Yoga in managing heart disease
Yoga's focus on harmony between body and mind can play a vital role in preventing and managing heart disease. Stress, unhealthy eating habits, and a poor lifestyle can damage the heart. Yoga offers a way to combat these issues.
The yogic diet also known as Mitahara, emphasizes mindful eating. It encourages eating fresh, nutritious food in appropriate quantities, avoiding extreme flavors. By adopting yogic principles in diet and lifestyle, you can notably reduce your risk of various diseases, including heart disease
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