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Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Simple, affordable lifestyle changes to prevent cardiovascular diseases

In an Instagram post, holistic wellness coach and nutritionist Luke Coutinho suggested some simple and inexpensive lifestyle changes.

By: Lifestyle Desk |
March 3, 2020 9:10:25 am
heart disease A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of heart diseases. (Source: Getty Images)

A sedentary lifestyle, bad diet and unhealthy habits have made us susceptible to various cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of heart disease in India has increased by almost 50 per cent, between 1990 and 2016, as per a study in The Lancet.

As we know, prevention is better than cure so we must ensure healthy habits to keep such lifestyle diseases at bay.

In an Instagram post, holistic wellness coach and nutritionist Luke Coutinho suggested some simple and inexpensive lifestyle changes. “People believe that they get cardiovascular diseases as they age but it does not have to be that way. If you make lifestyle changes, in most cases, you will be able to prevent it,” he said in a video.

Here are some healthy lifestyle tips he suggested:

1. Be active: Inactivity and sitting for too long is a major cause of inflammation in the arteries and poor blood circulation in the body. The heart needs oxygen and nutrients, both of which are carried by the blood.

2. Sleep well: Being sleep deprived can compromise your heart health. You need good quality sleep.

3. Avoid smoking: Smoking, Coutinho informed, creates inflammation in the arteries and depletion of key vitamins in the body.

4. Manage stress: Chronic stress is another major cause of cardiac disease. “The more stress you have, the more cortisol you have. The more cortisol you have, the more inflammation you have,” explained Coutinho.

5. Reduce body fat: The more body fat you have, the higher is the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Read| Heart disease and diabetes: All you need to know

6. Control blood pressure: Apart from taking medication, you also need to make lifestyle changes to maintain blood pressure levels.

5. Manage diabetes: This is crucial or it can impact your heart as well as your kidney.

hand washing, lifestyle habits. good lifestyle habits, indian express news One should always wash their hands before and after a meal. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

6. Diet: Avoid consumption of refined sugar, processed food, packaged fruit juices and refined oils among other foods that can lead to inflammation.

7. Wash your hands: We often make the mistake of eating our meals without washing our hands. If the hands are infected, in turn, it can affect the heart too.

8. Medications: A lot of the side-effects of medicines are related to heart health risks, warned the coach. You have every right to discuss the side-effects of any medication with your doctor, he emphasised.


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