When it comes to your heart, what you eat as well as how you exercise matters. A rich plant diet gives you all the nutrients necessary to survive. Instead of pumping iron in the gym, moderate exercise like walking and aerobics help you to strike a balance.
Follow these heart-healthy tips:
- Aerobic exercise results in lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Aerobic exercise also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, aerobics will help you lower blood glucose levels and boost your body’s sensitivity to insulin
- Thirty minutes a day of brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope, five days a week, are sufficient. These heart-pumping aerobic exercises which doctors recommend should be done at least 150 minutes per week.
Stick To Vegetarian Diet
Eat a variety of fresh vegetables procured from the local market or nearby farmhouse. give frozen and canned food a miss
Breakfast: A bowl of Bharatiya homemade breakfast such as Dosa, Dhokla, Upma, Poha, Idli, Boiled Moong, Khandvi, Thepla and Paratha are ideal. However, a cook needs to use little oil and supplement it with a glass of milk or curd Eat 100 gram of seasonal fruit. Eating bananas, mangoes, chikoos, grapes, and custard apples will ensure a healthy heart.
Lunch: Two phulkas or rotis (without oil/ghee) or one medium bowl of rice will ensure that it has protein and less cholesterol. For growing up children or those who want more, they can include a big plate of leafy salad, one cup of vegetable curry, one bowl of curd and one bowl of dal. Eating dahi is better than drinking buttermilk
- Fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots are a must
- Leafy greens for salads
- Fresh fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, pears, and peaches
Dairy
Look for fat-free or low-fat options.
- Fat-free or low-fat (1 per cent) milk
- Fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt
- Fat-free or low-fat cheese or cottage cheese
- Drink Soya milk as it has added calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D Start your day by eating Jowar, Bajra, oats and barley. Make sure whole first in list.
Make sure that your diet includes Methi. Fenugreek is a rich source of soluble fibre and contains active compounds which reduce cholesterol. Therefore, methi is good for the heart. Those suffering from heart problems or are diabetic need to incorporate methi in the form of curries, dal or curd
Proteins
- Eat peas, and lentils — like black beans and chickpeas
- Consume nuts, seeds, and nut butters, like almond or peanut butter tofu
Healthy Fats and Oils
Replace saturated fat with healthier unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds, avocados and oils.
- While cooking, housewives need to use vegetable oil instead of butter
- Use low-fat or light mayonnaise instead of the full-fat sauce
- Oil-based salad dressings
