Know Your Health
Understanding risk factors, prevention strategies, and lifestyle modifications for optimal heart health
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors
These factors cannot be changed, but knowing them helps with better management:
- •Gender - Male
- •Post-menopausal women
- •Heredity (Family history of Heart Disease - Male ≤ 55 years, Female less than 65 years)
- •Stress
- •Type-A Personality (Impatience, Aggressive & Jealous Nature)
Modifiable Risk Factors
You can control these through lifestyle changes and management:
- ✓Sedentary lifestyle
- ✓Improper & High fat Diet
- ✓Smoking / Tobacco
- ✓Dyslipidaemia (Bad Cholesterol)
- ✓Diabetes
- ✓High Blood Pressure
- ✓Obesity
Goals for a Healthy Heart
Smoking
No exposure to tobacco in any form
Diet
Low in saturated fat with focus on wholegrain products, more vegetables and fruits
Physical activity
30 minutes for 5 days/week
Body weight
BMI (Body Mass Index) 20-25 kg/m²
Waist circumference
Male less than 90 cm, Female less than 80 cm
Blood Pressure
Less than 140/90 mm Hg
HbA1c (Diabetes)
Less than 7%
LDL (bad cholesterol)
Heart Patients: less than 70mg/dL, General Population: less than 100mg/dL
HDL (Good Cholesterol)
Male greater than 40mg/dL, Female greater than 45mg/dL
Triglycerides
Less than 150 mg/dL
The HOLISTIC Approach to Heart Health
Rule of 20: 20 Minutes of Exercise, 20 Minutes of Meditation & Yoga, 20 Minutes of Recreation
Healthy Heart Choices
Healthy heart choices for everyone, everywhere. Make conscious decisions for your cardiovascular health.
Optimistic & Positive Attitude
Develop optimistic and positive attitude to life. Everything is possible if you BELIEVE. Proper planning and doing one thing at a time.
Live Happy & Stress Free
Live happy and stress free. Enjoy life in every second of it. You can't change others, but you can change yourself.
Inhibit Smoking/Tobacco
Inhibit smoking and tobacco intake. This will decrease your heart attack risk by 50%.
Shavasana & Meditation
Practice Shavasana and meditation daily for 20 minutes. Try Universal Healing Program. Train your heart to see good in everything.
Take Adequate Sleep
Take adequate sleep - minimum 6-8 hours per night. Good sleep is essential for heart health.
Include Physical Activity
Include 30 minutes of physical activity daily and manage your weight. 30 mins/day for 6 days a week (Walk, Swim, Cycle).
Cardiac Diet
Follow cardiac diet on your plate. High in fruits, vegetables, pulses and fibres. Avoid unhealthy fats and processed foods.
Understanding Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is part of a larger global epidemic of non-communicable diseases. It has become a major public health challenge globally. India is home to 40.9 million people with diabetes - nearly 15% of the global diabetes burden. It results mainly due to bad lifestyle and genetic predisposition.
Diagnostic Criteria
Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS)
greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl
Post Prandial Blood Sugar (PPBS)
greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl
Random Blood Sugar (RBS)
greater than 200 mg/dl
HbA1c
greater than or equal to 6.0%
Symptoms of Diabetes
- •Increased appetite and thirst
- •Increased frequency of urination
- •Weakness
- •Unexplained weight loss
Preventive Steps for Diabetes Management
Monitoring of Fasting Blood sugar/HbA1C levels
Low calorie, low fat diet
Weight Control
Physical activity
Regular Medication
Cardiac Diet Guide
What is a Cardiac Diet?
A cardiac diet is an unofficial term for a heart-healthy diet. This is a plan to eat plenty of nutrient-rich foods - fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes and pulses. It also means avoiding saturated fats, trans fats, and excess sodium and sugar.
Who should follow? Following a heart healthy diet would be recommended to someone who has high blood pressure, high cholesterol or any other history of heart disease, or to someone who has a family history of heart disease.
Good Fats (Heart Healthy)
- • Avocados, Eggs, Olive Oil, Raw Nuts
- • Salmon, Flaxseed, Leafy Green Vegetables
- • Organic Butter, Organic Nut Oils
- • Sesame seeds, Roasted soy beans
Bad Fats (Avoid)
- • Margarine, French Fries, Doughnuts
- • Cookies, Pastries, Crackers
- • Processed Meats, Canola Oil
- • High fat dairy foods, Tropical oils (coconut, palm oil)
Daily Food Serving Goals
Healthy Diet Components
Carbohydrates
Refined < 30%, Whole grains 50%
Fats & Fiber
Saturated 5%, Poly-unsaturated 15%, Fiber 30-45g
Vegetables & Salt
Fruits & Veg > 400g/day, Salt < 1g/day