Healthy Heart: A Matter of your own Choice
The prevalence of Cardiovascular disease in the world is 1,75, 00,000, and is rising rather steeply in our country. To a very large extent, heart attack is self-inflicted by our faulty lifestyle, which we adopt right from the childhood. The prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease in adults in India in the urban population is 14 percent, while in the rural population it is 8 percent. Dr. Dudley White Johnson, from San Francisco once said, “Anybody getting a heart attack below the age of 80, it is his or her own fault; after the age of 80, it is God’s will”. One should not have heart attack in the prime of his/her life when he/she is important not only to the family, but also to the community, society and nation. In fact, we are the cause and we are the cure of this malady of Coronary Artery Disease by the lifestyle we have, which should be in accordance with the laws of nature. A healthy heart is an expression of our own perception, thoughts, interpretations and choice making. Thus, a healthy heart is not a matter of chance, but it is a matter of choice. We should know the fact that wisdom is what we are, and not what we have. Women are fortunate to have lower prevalence of coronary artery disease before the age of 45 i.e. menopause. After menopause, the prevalence of CAD is same as men. Over 25 Lac people die of Heart Attack in our country every year. Out of these, 16 lac die within an hour of Heart Attack before even the medical aid is available.
8 Points Programme for Healthy Heart.
· Promise to Exercise daily for 30 minutes. Avoid unaccustomed exercise. “Use it or loose it”.
· Promise to Eat the right food, at the right time, at the right place, in the right manner, in the right dose, in the right environment. Eat only when you are hungry, eat freshly cooked food in a quiet relaxed atmosphere and eat slowly and don’t eat when you are upset and avoid overeating. Have sattvic vegetarian food and not tamsic or rajsic food. All 6 tastes including sweat, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent should be included in every meal. As most of the coronary artery disease are pitta or kapha imbalances. Eat more natural foods such as vegetables, fruits, salads and nuts including walnuts & almonds, etc. Do not eat junk food such as fried food or sweets, etc. “You are, what you eat”
· Promise not to smoke or chew tobacco. “Tobacco or Health, You can’t have both”
· Meditate 20 minutes in the morning and evening and practice yoga. “Meditation is superior to medication”
· Maintain optimum body weight. Avoid a “pot-belly” abdomen.
“Longer the waist line shorter the lifeline.”
· Remain cholesterol-fit.
· Promise to be emotionally stable. Don’t burn both the ends of the candle at the same time. Have adequate rest for 6-8 hrs everyday. Avoid lust, anger, greed, ego and attachment. Be honest, truthful and dedicated for work.Have good social support system. Work with self-referral and not with object referral. Don’t feel lonely. Have perfect choices to achieve any goal in a very peaceful manner. Develop intimate relationship.Become an embodiment of positive emotions such as love, compassion, humility, faith, confidence, peace, harmony, bless and happiness. Have planned daily routine and set weekly, monthly and yearly plans. Laughter is tranquillizer, energizer, stabilizer, equipoiser, happinessiser, equalizer. It is an experience of divinity for Healthy Heart.
“What you think & eat matters but what is eating you matters more”
· Take antioxidants, folic acid, Omega 3 FA, Vitamin D, nuts including pistachios, almonds and walnuts on daily basis especially after the age of 40.
“Optimize your lifestyle to energize your heart”
