Heart diseases are quite common in today s age. Even though there are people who are conscious about their diet, there are also people who cannot resist indulging in foods. Due to irregular dietary and sleep patterns, the biological cycle is altered and a lot of problems eventually creep up including high blood pressure being the most common trigger of heart diseases in the young. There are various other reasons that could lead to cardiac problems. Here Dr Vijay Janagama Director, New Initiatives, SuVitas Holistic Healthcare talks on how you can recover and stay healthy if you are suffering from heart diseases.
Many a times, people suffering from cardiac problems who had undergone a procedure like stent replacement or surgery need to resort to cardiac rehabilitation programs for effective recovery, where dieticians help people to adopt good eating habits that keep the heart healthy and in sound condition. These rehabs design organized recovery programs. They see to it that every patient is treated in a way that helps him or her recover and gain energy. Multiple sessions are conducted to help the patient recover and to monitor the patient closely, says Dr Janagama.
He emphasises that diet is an important part of rehab, especially cardiac rehab. The dieticians see to it that they combine the science and the art concerned with nutrition in a manner that it reduces a patient s mortality and sickness.
The practice of taking up cardiac rehab is picking up pace fast. Successful results are building faith in these programmes and are being widely accepted. It is seen in particular that the patient s physical activities are closely monitored. It involves customised treatment that looks into stress management, decreases in tobacco consumption and most importantly addresses nutrition. After any major surgery involving cardiac problems, nutrition monitoring helps people shun fat-free foods and a tab is kept that the person has limited fat and cholesterol consumption. Recommendations are given not just to the patient but so also to the caregivers and family.
It is advised that the diet for cardiac rehab care patients should include a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry and low-fat dairy products. Also include, legumes, nuts, fish and non-tropical vegetable oils. It is essential that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, red meats and sweets is reduced very significantly, says Dr Janagama.
There are a lot of cardio protective benefits seen in plant-focused eating patterns. An ideal diet should involve vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. This will help in enhanced recovery and will also ensure that the problems don t persist or recur. It is essential to follow the instructions and recommendation of the doctor or the therapist in charge throughout the care period to reap the required results. Also follow up is crucial.
Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and excessive use of alcohol and tobacco have been observed to be the major contributing factors of most lifestyle disorders including cardiac diseases. However, evidence proves that healthy dietary changes, physical activity and abstinence from alcohol and tobacco can prevent 80% of these diseases. Therefore, let s take an informed step to a healthy living.
