Everyone wants to keep their heart healthy. From swapping fizzy drinks for fruit juice to reaching for protein bars and sticking to daily fitness routines, we often make lifestyle choices that we believe are good for us. However, some habits that appear healthy on the surface may be doing more harm than good when it comes to heart health.
When you remove the fibre found in whole fruit, juice contains a high concentration of sugar that can rapidly increase blood glucose levels. He explains, “Prolonged high sugar levels are associated with weight gain, inflammation, and elevated triglycerides. Some bottled smoothies can contain as much sugar as a regular soft drink. Choosing whole fruit or making a smoothie at home with vegetables and protein is a healthier alternative. Food labels can be misleading. To preserve the flavour of fat free food, manufacturers may add more sugar, sodium or refined starch. Snacks that are labeled sugar-free often still have a lot of processing done to them and can cause a lot of cravings. Dr Mandal recommends, “When reading food labels, you shouldn’t just rely on the claims on the front. You should look at all the ingredients, the nutrition label, and the rest of the claims. One of the best things you can do for your heart is exercise . Maintaining good eating and exercise habits does not necessarily guarantee the health of your heart, if you are also living with persistent stress and poor sleeping habits. Dr Mandal explains, “A number of studies indicate that sleeping less than seven hours a night contributes to higher blood pressure, weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease. Likewise, high levels of cortisol and adrenaline (which results from a lifestyle of stress) can induce a number of behaviours which are detrimental to your health, such as overeating and the avoidance of exercise. In addition to regular exercise and healthy eating, the cardiologist recommends ensuring that you sleep seven to nine hours and doing your best to live a life which minimises the stresses that are detrimental to the body. This could include a relaxing walk, a series of deep breaths, and even spending time with friends.
For these reasons, you should exercise in moderation, trying to achieve a target of about 150 minutes of moderate activity per week and remembering to schedule days for rest and listening for warning signs such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and/or feeling faint.
Fruits are beneficial for the heart, but fruit juice is quite different, according to Dr Mandal. However, according to the cardiologist, “Strenuous exercise with insufficient rest may overstress your cardiovascular system, lead to increased levels of stress hormones, and may lead to cardiac arrhythmia.
