FOOD FACTS BY NAMITA JAIN
I am 63 yrs old. I recently visited my cardiologist for a
health check up and after certain tests Doctor has told
me that working efficiency of my heart has gone down to
natural ageing process. Could you please tell the diet
which I can follow to keep my heart young and healthy?
Ageing is a natural phenomenon and the heart functions
begin to slow down with age. The aging process reduces
the heart muscle strength. So its pumping power declines
and the maximal heart rate (the highest number of times
your heart can contract in a minute) also decreases.
Follow these dietary guidelines to achieve above goals for
healthy and fit heart.
Eat a heart-healthy diet with reduced amounts of
saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in unrefined,
complex carbohydrates. Includes complex carbohydrates
in the form of oats, jowar, bajra, wheat bran, wheat flakes,
whole grain cereals, husked pulses, nuts, brown rice.
Eat small frequent meals as it reduces the burden on the
heart. Have 3 major meals and 2-3 small meals of healthy
snacks.
ยท Limit the cholesterol in your diet to 300milligrams or
less, a day. Eggs, meat and dairy products are major
sources of cholesterol. One egg yolk contains about 220
milligrams of cholesterol.