Heart attack or in other words myocardial infarction happens when the blood supply to the heart is disturbed or obstructed.
This can only happen when you are overburdening your heart or if you are consuming more fats than you needed.
The relation between heart health and diet is often neglected and is often misunderstood.
The key point to note here is
We are what we eat
We are what we eat
Just like when you eat good foods for good skin in the same manner your diet has a lot to do when you experience some ailments related to the heart.
You can prevent heart attacks or heart diseases by carefully controlling your intake.
Table of Contents
Prevention of Heart Attack
There are 3 steps that can help to prevent a heart attack.
- Eat healthy and switch to a balanced diet.
- Avoid smoking at every cost.
- Try to maintain the blood pressure in a certain range.
Cholesterol Levels in Diet
Cholesterol in your diet is the main and potent cause of bringing any significant change to your heart health.
Research has found the close association between cholesterols and increased mortality rates in pepple.
Heart is a sensitive organ with many profusely branching vessels coming in and out of it .If the blood vessels are filled with higher cholesterol than it can lead to heart attack.
So it is essential to bring the diet and specifically cholesterol in your diet under control.
Saturated fatty acids
Foods that are rich in saturated fatty acids may increase the amount of bad cholesterols in your body as the saturated fatty acids take a lot of time to break down into simple components.
It has also been observed that LDL or bad cholesterols may raise the risks for heart disease and stroke.
Foods that are rich in saturated fatty acids and can increase the level of cholesterols in blood are following
- Deep fried food items
- Ghee
- Butter
- Cookies and cakes
- Red meat
Different types of Diet Made Specifically for Heart
There are certain types of diet which you can take to control the amount of cholesterols in your blood and body.
This may include a mediterranean diet or a DASH diet as well. Let us find out what these diets are all about.
Mediterranean Diet
This diet is thought to be a heart healthy diet and a diabetes friendly diet as well. The main approach of this diet is to limit the contact with red meat and high cholesterol foods.
This diet may include taking olive oil, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Also there is a moderate amount of dairy products in your diet as well that help you to keep your body nourished with calories.
As you are cutting the intake of red meat and other unhealthy sources you are automatically putting your cholesterols levels in check. Following this diet has shown significant improvements in the cardiac patients health.
DASH Diet
This diet is once again a suitable match for cardiac and hypertensive patients. The diet motto is well exhibited by its name that is
Dietary approach to stop hypertension
And we know that hypertension is the leading cause of heart attacks in patients around the globe.
Keeping your blood pressure within required range may help to keep your heart function properly for a longer duration of time.
well with that being said let us discover the content of this diet:
- Low saturated fatty acid diet
- Fat free or low fat dairy products
- Whole grains
- Fruits and vegetables
Also the content of this diet may help you to keep the levels of potassium in balanced amounts and will also help to limit the sodium intake which will help to keep the blood pressure within a required range, thus ultimately keeping your heart health secured.
This was about the diet part that can help to keep your heart healthy and strong but there are some other dietary and lifestyle modifications as well that should be inculcated to protect your heart.
The DO’S!
Vitamins and Heart Health
Vitamins play a very important role in maintaining your overall health and fitness. But to be precise, these vitamins have a significant role in your heart health and heart fitness.
VITAMIN B
Vitamin b is essential to keep cholesterol levels in check. So the food items that are rich in vitamin b should be added to the diet. This may include wheat bran, legumes, seeds and nuts.
VITAMIN C
Vitamin c also has a great role in keeping your cholesterol levels in balance as this vitamin converts excess cholesterol into bile salts that will ultimately keep your heart fresh and healthy.
Vitamin C is available in a wide range of products that may include citrus fruits like lemon, strawberries, tomatoes and vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. In case you are looking for a powerhouse of vitamin C for your heart, kiwi fruit is for you.
Regular Cardio Exercise
You should add exercise as a mandatory part of your daily routine. You should try to add a normal morning or evening walk to your routine. Low impact exercises should be added in your routine. This will help to keep your blood pressure to a suitable level and will also help to keep your blood flowing properly to your heart.
Regular Medicine
It is a heinous crime to skip your medicines following a heart attack . No matter what your medicines are crucial for keeping your already deteriorated heart health in check. Sometimes your doctor can ask you for some preventive medications such as cholesterol-lowering medication lipiget. Read more about lipiget tablet uses.
The above mentioned dietary modifications and lifestyle changes can only bring good if you continue to take the medicines regularly.
Learn more about lifestyle changes that one can make after a heart attack.
Honey and Heart Health
Honey is also a potent agent in keeping your heart health in check and balance. Honey with its amazing anti-inflammatory properties may be the best solution to treat heart diseases.
It will help to have better control over cardiac health.
Besides this there are many other proven health benefits of honey which you can read out here.
Regular Tests and Follow Ups
If you or anyone of your loved ones have recently experienced heart attack then it is essential to keep a day to day record of your heart health.
Different lab tests can be performed that will help you to monitor minute changes associated with your heart health.
But these lab tests can be a nuisance and can put a strain on your pocket. To aid you in this regard we are offering all the essential lab tests for heart health at the comfort of your house.
Make an appointment for a healthy heart profile and keep the record of your cardiac health.
The DON’TS!
Smoking
Smoking should be avoided at every cost after a heart attack. The contents of tobacco smoke are extremely dangerous for your heart health and blood vessels.
The tobacco tar has been found to contain a lot of carcinogenic elements in it. These harmful contents not only cause the hardening of arteries but can also lead to a more severe heart attack.
You are seriously putting your heart health in danger if you are used to smoking.
In recent times the trend of vaping has put the lives of many in danger. Vaping has serious detrimental side effects on your cardiac health.
Alcohol
Alcohol should also be avoided as it also poses serious health issues. Alcohol may cause a sudden increase in your blood pressure. Research has found that people who continue to drink alcohol after a heart attack are more likely to die early with more serious consequences like a sudden severe heart attack or a worse stroke.
Salt intake
Limit the salt intake as it may cause your blood pressure to elevate which will have deleterious effects on heart health.
You should try to take only a teaspoon of salt a day on a rough estimate. And cutting your salt intake to this level is not a big task. If you follow above mentioned diet plans then it will be far easier for you to control the salt intake.
With that being said it is also necessary to keep your salt levels in check as lower levels of sodium particularly may lead to hyponatremia. To make yourself updated on hyponatremia, check out the detailed information available on our website.
Let’s Wrap Up,
The heart is a very sensitive organ and may continue to function properly if we continue to take care of it in the best possible manner. Heart attacks are fatal but if you are lucky enough to surpass one then you should stay grateful and should try to maintain a healthy lifestyle which will help to reduce the chances of future heart attacks.
Get yourself or your loved ones treated in the best hospitals that will definitely help to treat this disease right away under supervision of the best doctors and staff.
It is not a poor deal if you make slight changes in your lifestyle and get a chance to live some more time on this planet.
