Expert’s Corner : Dr. Ashish Contractor

Simple heart tips:
Taking care of your heart is as simple as ABCDEs.

A: ACTIVITY. It’s important to be as physically active as you can throughout the day. Try and get in 10,000 steps. Simple tips: use the stairs instead of the elevator, park the car a little further away, and stand more often during your office hours

B: BLOO D PRESSURE. This is known as the silent killer, since you rarely get any symptoms if the values are high. Get it measured-don’t assume it’s normal. An ideal BP is less than 120/80 mmHg

C: CHOLESTEROL. This is the fat in our blood stream which clogs up in the heart arteries. Keep your total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dl, and your LDL (bad) cholesterol less than 100 mg/dl

D: DIABETES. Rotarians are sweet people, but make sure you keep your blood sugar under control. An ideal non-diabetic fasting blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dl.

D: DIET. Eat in moderation from all food groupsavoid fad diets. Adjust your caloric intake to maintain a healthy weight (BMI-body mass index, less than 25 kg/m2)

D: DO NOT– smoke. Smoking and tobacco consumption greatly increase your risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer.

E: EXERCISE– Aim to get in 30-60 minutes of exercise per day, such as a brisk walk. Please remember, this is in addition to being physically active through the day. Many of us go to the gym, but spend the other 23 hours being as sedentary as possible.

S: STRESS AND SLEE P– Aim to get in 8 hours of sleep at night and work at keeping your stress under control. Fellowships with Rotarians have shown to be highly effective means of reducing stress and leading to happiness.