Heart diseases are no longer considered the disease of an affluent but affect all groups of people in the society and the main culprit for this shift is changing lifestyle, urbanization and faulty eating habits. Socially we are people of the 21st century but genetically we remain citizens of the Paleolithic era (marked by the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago). And that’s the main reason for rapid rise of lifestyle related diseases in India.

There are many factors which can cause heart troubles, some are termed as “modifiable”, like intake of high fat foods, physical inactivity, obesity/ overweight, smoking, high blood pressure, stress to name a few and other factors are termed as “non-modifiable”, like age, gender and history of heart disease within the family.

Studies have shown that up to 80 percent of coronary heart disease, 90 percent of diabetes and about one third of cancers can be avoided through a “change in lifestyle”. The best way to conquer heart diseases is through modifications in your lifestyle. This can be achieved by eating a variety of foods, restricting your total fat intake, fried food items and refined carbohydrates and limiting the intake of alcohol, caffeine and salt.

The goal of preventing heart diseases can be achieved by adhering to the above mentioned guidelines and by including high fiber foods in the diet and by introducing some form of activity in the daily routine.

Self help is the best possible road to health. No one except you is more interested in your health. So follow these simple rules to prevent heart diseases.