World Heart Day: A mindful approach to putting your heart into action and maintaining heart health

This year's World Heart Day theme, “Use your heart for action,” aims to encourage active thinking and daily action at all levels, from individuals to families to communities, to curb the rapidly increasing global heart disease epidemic. is a call to action to modify your lifestyle choices.

As a preventive cardiologist who has been working with heart disease patients and at-risk populations in India for the past 10 years, the main message I would like to emphasize on this day is: Start early and do consistently. is. This is the only way to avoid cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure and arrhythmia, which are the leading causes of death and disability around the world today.

Hurdles to a healthy lifestyle

Although people are well aware of the importance of exercise and diet for heart health, they often struggle to incorporate effective lifestyle changes on a regular basis. Whether it's when work gets tough, house chores get tough, you're overwhelmed by a new role, a loved one needs ongoing care, or you're just trying to stay fit and eat healthy. The attempt falls apart.

In modern times, the biggest barrier to a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages is dependence on devices. It is definitely an addiction in the truest sense. You might just open up your gadget for a quick break from work or study and find yourself spending hours on social media or binge-watching every episode of your favorite show. We learned to associate tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs with addictive behaviors, but failed to recognize the addictive nature of gadgets.

lifestyle and genes

A lifestyle built on healthy building blocks: regular exercise, a balanced diet, a healthy weight, mental well-being, enough sleep, mindfulness, and quality time with loved ones. , has been proven to be the best defense against almost every disease prevalent today. Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol abnormalities, cardiovascular disease, liver dysfunction, kidney disease, chronic lung disease, joint disease, musculoskeletal disease, fertility problems, some cancers and psychosocial diseases are all associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. caused by

We now know that even individuals with a strong genetic predisposition to these diseases can avoid the “disease trap” by choosing healthy components and getting regular medical checkups. Masu. This is because these are “epigenes” and are only expressed when your lifestyle and environment are suitable.

How early should I start?

Current international guidelines recommend having your first cardiovascular health check at age 20. A medical assessment that includes BMI, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood sugar, electrocardiogram (ECG), detailed medical history, and health-related lifestyle assessment allows us to provide individuals with a risk profile along with their behaviors. Make a plan to reduce your cardiovascular risk through lifestyle changes, medication, or both.

In order to be healthy at age 20, it is important to be healthy during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. And a person's health at age 20 has a direct correlation to their health at age 60. Therefore, starting early and continuing healthy behaviors consistently is the need of the hour.

Simple and practical tips

Here are some ways to overcome healthy lifestyle habits from the perspective of a heart wellness doctor who has coached people from all walks of life to become healthier, heart healthier, and younger.

Start with small steps. Make one small change a week, such as adding more fruit to your daily meals or taking a 15-minute walk around the house, on the patio, or in the office, and implement it as many days as possible during the week. . The next week, be thankful for your consistency the week before and try adding nuts or seeds instead of namkeen or increasing your exercise time by a few minutes. Set small but sensible goals, achieve them, and see the impact on your overall health.

Plan for your worst day. We all know that unexpected things happen in life. When we have established healthy routines and these surprises come our way, we tend to fall apart and return to unhealthy behaviors. For example, people trying to quit smoking often fail due to too much peer pressure or difficulty managing withdrawal symptoms.

In this case, it is important to seek the help of a health care provider who has expertise in helping people quit smoking. There are medically proven ways to help people quit and stay smoke-free, and it's important to get the right guidance from the right health care provider.

Work as a team: When it comes to behavior change, we often underestimate the power of teamwork. For children, the team includes parents, home, school, teachers, and peers. Positively reinforcing physical activity, eating a healthy diet at home, creating consistent sleep patterns, refraining from excessive use of equipment, and providing opportunities for children to experience outdoor activities will help students stay healthy. It's part of how we raise healthy adolescents at home while educating them about a healthy lifestyle. , physical education lessons that promote nutritious food choices in school cafeterias, encourage leisure-time physical activity, and cover team activities and emotional bonding help schools inculcate lifelong healthy habits. important for.

For young people, a healthy working environment and emotional support system are essential additions to the team they built in childhood.

And changing our lifestyles as adults is not easy for each of us to do alone. Team up with friends, colleagues, spouses, children, and neighbors, inspire each other, and share tips and tricks on how you overcame obstacles that someone might need in a crisis. Give them an extra boost.

And remember that your doctor is part of this core team. Seek your doctor's guidance before embarking on any new fitness routine or dietary change, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Let them know your health plan and goals, and keep up regular follow-ups. This World Heart Day serves as a wake-up call for everyone to move more, eat healthily, sleep better, feel fresh, and be energized to protect your heart and overall health. Should.

(Dr. Priya Chokkalingam is the founder and clinical director of Cardiac Wellness Institute, Chennai. [email protected])