Heart attack in youngsters is not a rare occurrence now-a-days. Even people who lead a very active lifestyle are seen to suffer a heart attack and collapse to death. In addition to having an active lifestyle and regular exercise regime, we must also have some heart healthy foods and certain food habits to prevent a heart attack. These foods must be a regular part of our diet. The most important thing is the quantity of the food that we eat. Overeating has a very bad effect on the heart. Maintaining a proper time for food in accordance to the biological clock of the body is also important. Specially, the dinner time must not exceed 7 to 7.30 pm.
The quantity of food we eat must be maintained too. The hormone named as leptin is produced and signals are sent from the brain that the stomach is full and we need to stop eating. This process takes 15 to 20 minutes and so eating slowly is also equally important, since if one eats too fast, he would eat up lot of food before the leptin could act. When we eat food slowly, the leptin is quickly produced in our body and by around 15 to 20 minutes, we will get a feeling of satiety. Therefore, the heart is not overloaded. A mixed food platter is suggested to get a balance of all nutrients. This must include a fruit, some rice, a mix vegetable curry, a salad, a leafy vegetable and fish. It is always better to include more vegetables in the diet.
There are 8 kinds of foods that must be included in diet to have a healthy heart.
1. Nuts. 17 to 25 g of nuts can be had per day which may include peanuts, almonds, cashew nuts, pista, walnut, etc. These nuts mainly contain proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and some amino acids that are beneficial for our body. These amino acids and beneficial fats help to make our blood thin and thus the damages occurring to the inner lining of our blood vessels are rectified. The omega-3 fatty acids firstly remove the inflammation in our blood vessels and they make the blood thinner and help the smooth flow of the blood. This greatly reduces the tendency of blocks, heart attacks, and strokes.
2. Grains with bran. The polished and processed grains must be avoided and whole grains with their bran must be used. By using these, the insoluble fibers present in these greatly reduce the tendency of blocks and also prevent the rapid rise of blood sugar because of their low glycemic index. These also reduce the LDL and maintain a stable BP.
3. A variety of pulses must be included in the diet to support the heart as they contain a large amount of soluble and insoluble fibers, folates or folic acid, magnesium, and high concentration of proteins. This combination of proteins, fiber and magnesium definitely improves the capillary health and prevents the tendency of blocks in the blood vessels.
4. Onion and garlic. These contain sulfur compounds and fibers which work in two ways. They help reduce the cholesterol level and also control the blood pressure. Garlic contains an antioxidant called allicin which mixes with saliva when we chew the garlic and forms a chemical called allidin that controls the cholesterol level in the blood. The LDL is reduced, HDL is increased and triglycerides are controlled by eating garlic in this way. The garlic gives the best results when chewed and eaten.
5. Fishes are lean protein and very safe for our kidneys, liver and heart. Small and large fishes may be used as they contain omega-3 fatty acids which are supportive fatty acid groups for our liver and heart and these help in thinning the blood and maintain elasticity of the blood vessels. Frying of fish, however, leads to charring of many protein and fat components and these chemical changes are not supportive to our heart. The fishes like sardines, tuna, mackarel can be included in the food and also small fishes like pony fish, anchovy, etc. are all good for the heart.
6. Fruits contain fibers, antioxidants and vitamins required for our body. The free radicals forming in our blood due to excessive stress or due to the different kinds of chemicals and toxins that reach the body are neutralized by the antioxidants and vitamins in the fruits. This helps to control the triglyceride level in our blood and improve the heart health by improving the HDL. The calorie value of this would be less when compared to other foods and the glycemic index also is low. So, fruits are good for the heart, stomach and liver.
7. Olive oil is the best oil for the body as it is the edible oil which contains the maximum amount of omega-3 fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid. But olive oil must not be used for cooking as it has a very low smoking point. It may be used as dressings for salads or drizzled over cooked food.
8. Cruciferous vegetables like, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, raddish, etc. must be regularly included in the food and at least 50 g of these vegetables must be consumed 4 times a week as these are rich in fibers and help prevent the tendency to forming blocks in the blood vessels. The antioxidants present in them prevent the sticking of fat molecules to the vessel walls. They also have minerals and vitamins in abundance and it is seen that if we eat 10 g of additional cruciferous vegetables, it reduces the thickening of the blood vessels by 0.8%. Including these foods in the diet regularly and moderate exercise for 45 minutes a day can reduce the tendency to heart attack by 44%. So, with proper sleep, regular exercise and the use of these heart healthy foods we can prevent the heart attack tendency by upto 90%.