Ayurvedic Secret to Happy and Healthy Heart
A healthy heart is synonymous to a healthy life! This is common knowledge, yet we ignore our health, which adversely impacts our heart.
India will soon be termed as heart disease capital of the world, due to the rapid increase in the number of cardiac problems among all age groups. Believe it or not, there are two million heart attack cases in India every year. Every 33 seconds, there is one person dying because of heart attack. Isn’t it awfully shocking and alarming?
Cholesterol build-up is a major reason for the increasing number of heart attack cases. While our body does need cholesterol to build healthy cells, having high cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease.
We present to you a few tips to prevent heart problems and guide you the road of better health:
1. Exercise to stay fit - You can start with just a 10-minute walk initially, and then intensify your exercise routine gradually. Aerobic exercises are most beneficial for heart, which includes walking, jogging, swimming, biking and many more.
2. Eat healthy fats, NOT trans fats - Fats are essential part of our diet, but only saturated, polyunsaturated and unsaturated fats. Trans-fat is a complete no. Trans fat increase the risk of developing heart disease and occurrence of stroke. They cause clogging of arteries by increasing bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and reducing good cholesterol levels (HDL). Trans fats are often found in packaged foods, snacks and fried fast foods.
3. Eat right to stay fit - Fruits and vegetables are amazing foods, good for everything from your brain to your bowels. Listed below are some healing foods-
Onion: An anti-bacterial agent, containing flavonol quercetin that helps lower the blood pressure and hypertension.
Garlic: Garlic helps in alleviating blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. It prevents blood flow obstruction in the arteries and act as a blood thinner.
Amla (Indian Gooseberry): Amla has been proven to be very effective in lowering blood pressure.
Green tea: Green tea is known to be best anti-oxidant that has refreshing effects on the body.
Lemon: Very effective in reducing high blood pressure levels. It helps in softening the blood vessels and remove any rigidity that can obstruct the blood flow.
Honey: Honey has a smoothening effect on body and help to relax the walls of blood vessels and hence controls the blood pressure levels.
Nuts: Walnuts, almonds and peanuts are good for heart. Instead of munching on chips and cookies, eat them, top them on your salad and other dishes.
4. Don't drink your calories – You don’t realize how many calories add up in tea and coffee that you like to sip throughout the day. Cutting every little helps.
5. Be smoke-free – If you do, quitting to smoke is the first thing you should do, to protect your heart from adversities.
6. Relax and be positive – Meditate, be happy within yourself, acknowledge the blessings in your life and keep positive emotions. Anger, worry, and enmity lead to high blood pressure and heart diseases.
7. Adopt Ayurvedic way of living –Ayurveda believes that if we do not follow the proper rules of eating, then the food generates “ama”, which are like toxins detrimental to overall health. Ayurvedic perspective says, “ama” is the root cause of most of the diseases. Ayurveda gives prime significance to diet and lifestyle, “we are what we eat”.
It is not possible to prevent every ailment, but an Ayurvedic approach can certainly help improve overall heart health by lowering your risk of heart blockages considerably.
Two such magical formulas that can significantly make a difference are, Arjuna and Ashwagandha.
Arjuna
As the name suggests, a life saver, Arjuna is a restorative alternative to promote cardiovascular health. Arjuna is associated with improvement in symptoms and signs of heart failure, decrease in left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic volume indices. Arjuna has the exceptional ability to balance all three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Healing Benefits of Arjuna -
1. Strengthens the heart muscle
2. Regulates heartbeat
3. Reduces cholesterol and blood pressure.
4. Prevents arteries from hardening.
4. Eases blood flow in the coronary artery and reduces chances of clot formation.
5. Acts as an anti-oxidant regulates diabetes.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a stress buster and immunity booster, thereby healing an overworked heart. Ashwagandha slows down the circulation of adrenaline, which is the stress hormone that can impair the heart health.
Also, ashwagandha has a cooling effect on the nervous system and is useful to treat anxiety and insomnia.
Healing benefits of Ashwagandha Churna -
1. It rejuvenates, reduce stress and treat insomnia
2. It reduces drowsiness and muscle fatigue
3. Strengthens the immune system and overall sense of well-being.
4. Helps to maintain cholesterol levels.
Conclusion
According to Ayurveda, these two lines can explain it all.
“If food is wrong, medicine is of no use
And if food is right, medicine is of no need.”
Make a healthy choice!
