Dr. AB Gopalamurugan of MGM Healthcare answers some of the most common, popular, and hilarious questions we found on Google on heart health. If you are in Chennai and are experiencing a heart ailment, call MGM Healthcare’s heart emergency number – 4200 4200.
Video Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:01 Can Chicken Biriyani cause Heart Issues?
02:38 I am a 70-year-old heart patient, can I eat oily food?
03:53 Can I smoke just two cigarettes a day?
04:33 Can my heart be healthy if I don’t exercise?
05:48 How do I reduce stress in my life to have a healthy heart?
Treating the heart is not an easy job anymore. Many things can go wrong, so multiple specialists and departments are needed to work on it. MGM Healthcare in Chennai has all these departments and experts, making it the one stop destination for all heart ailments.
Q: Can Chicken Biriyani cause a Heart Problem?
This depends on the quantity you eat. If you eat a normal serving – one or two cups it is no problem. If you eat 1 or 2 kgs of it, it’s a big problem. Moderation is key.
Where you get the Biriyani matters too. Homemade Biriyani is harmless and good. While ordering from a restaurant, it is better to make sure only fresh and unadulterated ingredients are used.
The larger point here is about having a balanced diet including fresh vegetables and fruits.
What kind of meat is safer and what isn’t?
I have a simple theory: The meat of any animal that has more than two legs is not good for your health.So Fish – great! It is very good for you, especially fatty fish. They are rich in omega-3 fats that are good for your heart. Chicken is alright too.
Mutton, Beef or Pork – all these animals have more than two legs. So obviously, not good. They are high in bad cholesterol.Not everything from the sea is good for you either. Prawns are very fatty and high on bad cholesterol too! And if you think about it, each prawn has more than 20 legs!
Q: I am a 70-year-old heart patient, can I eat oily food?
This answer is sure to make your families angry, but I owe you the truth. Even if you are a 70-year-old heart patient, it is okay – YOU CAN EAT OILY FOOD!
What you eat at 40 has an impact on your health when you are 70. What you eat at 70 would take 20 – 30 years to affect you. The most important thing to be kept in mind is portion control. You can have a plate once a week but balance it out with fruits and vegetables without fail.
Not all fat is bad fat. In fact, our bodies are made of fat. What matters here is the kind of fat we eat. It is best to go for a moderate quantity of high quality fatty food.
Q: Can I smoke just two cigarettes a day?
Why just two? Wouldn’t it be better if you smoked at least 10-15? If you are planning on giving up your life, you might as well make some profit for the tobacco companies in the process.
Ok, seriously! Smoking is an absolute NO. If you are a smoker, please stop right away.
Here’s the good news: the minute you stop smoking the risk of you getting heart disease decreases. From that moment deposition of plaque reduces, blood clotting comes down and blood becomes thinner. You live longer and healthier. This is the incentive for you to stop smoking immediately.
Q: Can my heart be healthy if I don’t exercise?
The answer is simple. If you keep sitting without any physical activity, you can’t get fit and have a higher risk of cardiac problems.
It is also not necessary to hit the gym everyday. Even smaller everyday activities that have you moving around will keep your heart healthy.
Stand and walk more. This reduces the risk of diabetes and heart problems. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is always a good idea. You can add more steps to your day by walking to the store near-by.
There is no lazy way or shortcut to getting fit. Diets like Keto or Paleo can help with short-term weight loss but are not going to be good for your health in the long term.
Instead of looking for such hacks, having a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables & recommended meat along with good physical activity is the best way to get heart-healthy & fit.
Q: How do I reduce stress in my life to have a healthy heart?
If you know of a way, please share it with me too!
In reality, nobody is stress-free.Everything that happens around us can cause stress. We must learn to deal with it.
The best solution to stress is getting good sleep. Having a hobby also can help you cope with stress better – something that relaxes you.
Spend more time with friends & loved ones. Yoga, meditation and having a good laugh also are excellent stress-busters.
My favourite way to deal with stress is by putting the phone away. Stress hormones are activated every time you get a notification. The light from your phones also affects your sleep. The content we look at & post can also induce a lot of stress.
It is my proposal to make World Heart Day, World No Phone Day. This is the best treat we can give our ever-beating hearts.
#WorldHeartDay #Heartproblem #HeartDay