Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the country. This along with diabetes, kidney diseases and certain type of cancers, are considered to be lifestyle-related diseases.
Now, let us try to assess if you are at risk to these kinds of diseases. Well, if you have an inactive or sedentary lifestyle and love to eat high calorie, high fat and salty food. Then the answer is, YES! You are at risk!
Healthy For the Kiddie! Genes also play a big role in acquiring certain diseases like heart disease but your lifestyle choices can either hasten or delay the progress or chances of acquiring the disease. If you are obese, most often than not, you have an unhealthy lifestyle and obesity is a risk factor in almost all lifestyle-related diseases.
Our heart is a hard-working specialized muscle that contracts regularly and continuously, pumping blood to the body and the lungs. Your heart beats to no one else but you, so if your heart matters to you, consider the following tips:
- Let’s Get Physical!
Use the stairs, walk briskly, dance or jump. Whatever it is, always remember that the more movement you make the more calories you burn. It is also advisable to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. It could be jogging, biking, swimming, aerobics, yoga or zumba! Studies suggest that exercise do not only help us burn calories but also prove that active individuals tend to develop less coronary heart disease (CHD) than their sedentary counterparts. If CHD develops in active individuals, it occurs at a later age and tends to be less severe. - Ditch the Dirt and Go Clean!
Clean living is indeed a very BIG word. Smoking cessation and avoiding heavy alcohol consumption will be a good start. But hey! Please be reminded that passive smoking (inhaling smoke from actual smokers), binging on alcohol even once a week or month and lack of sleep are included in the list of dirty habits. So if you want to start clean, stop smoking, drink alcohol in moderation and sleep for about 8 hours. - Stress- Is it a Deal or No Deal?
Stress is inevitable and each of us may have different stressor. A person good in math may find it exciting to answer a math problem and the opposite for a person who is good in music but not in math. What we need to do is learn how to deal with stress. A happy disposition and positive attitude often helps a person deal with stress. The body reacts to stress by releasing a hormone that causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up, and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions help you deal with the situation. The problems come when stress is constant and your body remains in high gear, off and on, for days or weeks at a time. Chronic stress may cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. High heart rates and blood pressure are conditions that may lead to a heart disease. - Practice Eat Well, Live Well.®
As the old saying goes, “You are what you eat”. Our choice of diet profoundly influences our long-term health prospect. All nutrients found in food are needed by the body but we must always bear in mind that moderation is likely needed in consuming anything. Having low-fat vegetable dishes in every meal is a good start of healthy eating. Decreasing fat and salt in the diet has always been recommended by experts.
But taking out fat and salt is like taking out the joy in eating healthy food because doing so will make food taste bland. Seasonings are very important in healthy cooking because they help replace missing ingredients such as fat and salt to deliver palatable dishes. Another tip is to replace some table salt with AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning; it has 40% less sodium as compared to table salt. Now, go ahead and whip up deliciously healthy recipes in your kitchen. We have lots of these kinds of recipes in our website just click on the link below:
Recipes:
Grilled Teriyaki Fish with Broccoli and Tofu Sauce
Filipino Ensaladang Pipino
References:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/107/1/e2.full
www.heart.org
www.doh.gov.ph
DISH OUT is lovingly served hot and fresh by Manelie Cruz, RND
Aside from the obligatory computer, Manel’s work implements include her trusty sianse and wok. She does not believe in fad diets and would often give pep talks to colleagues in need saying, “A good diet does not last for 3 months, it is one that you can keep forever.” She believes that the formula to eating well is to make nourishing food delicious and enjoyable. She is now on a mission to DISH OUT practical tips and great-tasting healthy recipes, hoping to contribute to your wellbeing.
Manel is Ajinomoto’s Senior Specialist in Culinary Nutrition, she ranked 4th in the National Licensure Exam for Nutritionist-Dietitian and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition & Dietetics at the University of Santo Tomas and in Culinary Arts for Nutritionist-Dietitian at the Center for Culinary Arts. She is also an experienced Culinary Nutrition spokesperson who had Food Safety Specialization at ServSafe Foodsafety Manager Certification and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Public Health.
