Ms. Edwina Raj, Head of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Aster CMI Hospital

Heart disease and stroke in women are in the rise due to various changes in diet and lifestyle among women which we have observed in recent times such as smoking , uncontrolled blood sugar levels , early menopause, obesity , high blood pressure, sedentary life , lack of physical activity , increased level of stress , anxiety due to multitasking lifestyle and history of hysterectomy or removal of uterus. Other commonly observed behaviour among most women that I have observed in most women like neglecting their health, eating leftovers, lack of sleep, not reaching out to healthcare professionals for regular check-up rather self-administer fad diets, eating junk or fast food to save time, beauty dysmorphia, stress eating or eating disorders are quiet.  

Women should start focusing on their health at early years of their life and gradual drop in saviour hormone oestrogen increases the risk of heart disease and stroke but due to drastic change in women’s lifestyle we have observed young women succumb to heart attacks . Hence it is crucial to start healthy lifestyle and practice heart friendly diet that aids in preventing the risk of heart disease and stroke

Women are always considered as nutritional gatekeepers of every family and important to change their approach towards health before it’s too late:

• Consider low sodium or low salt foods; check food labels while you are shopping and cut down sodium through various sources like salted foods, adding soda/Chinese salt (mono sodium glutamate) while cooking, restrict intake of papad, jam, jellies, sauce, taste makers and ketchups.  Less than one teaspoon of salt to be consumed in a day.
• Restrict your intake of trans fats such as bakery goods and check for word trans fat, hydrogenated fat on food labels avoids them.
• Follow a Mediterranean style of eating which is strongly recommended as per research data which emphasizes on the adequate intake of vegetables and fruits daily with whole grains such as unpolished rice, millets, quinoa, oats, whole wheat, lentils and beans. 
• Includefish and skin out chicken than red meat lamb, beef, pork etc.
• Add a handful of nuts such as walnuts, almonds , pistachio and oilseeds like chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc.
• Include combination of vegetable oils which are absolutely cholesterol free to strike the right balance to get your essential fats daily (zero oil diets are not recommended)
• Limitadded sugars, jaggery, sugary beverages, sodium, highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates like polished rice, maida, saturated fats, and fatty or processed meats.
• Fruit is a common dessert instead of sweets.
• Include reduced fat dairy or plant-based milk daily to keep your bones strong.
• Use good fats.Extra-virgin olive oil, rice bran oil, gingelly oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, olives, and avocados are great sources of healthy fats for your daily meals.
• Potassium rich foods help to regulate your blood pressure and keep your heart muscle healthy therefore include green leafy vegetables, fruits, millets and nuts regularly.
• There have been studies to maintain adequate levels of Vitamin B12, other B vitamins to keep your arteries and nerves healthy but everyone’s health and body is unique therefore I recommend you to visit your Cardiologist and a Registered Dietitian to seek personalized advice.