If you are concerned about your heart s health, it is important for you to make some dietary modifications. Simple changes in your everyday diet may offer benefits, which help in preventing future heart problems. If you suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol or have atrial fibrillation.

Here are some tips regarding the best diet for protecting your heart:

Believe in the food hype: Having healthy meals is certainly beneficial and makes a big difference to your heart health. Consuming meals which contain vegetables, grains, low fat dairy and lean meat will allow you to live a longer and healthier life.
Avoid crash diets: A crash diet may be effective, if you want to fit in a dress within one month. However, for improving your heart health, undertaking different fad diets is not useful. Meals in which a certain type of nutrients such as carbohydrates or fats are ruled out are not beneficial as well. You should have a sensible approach towards your diet and focus on food products such as vegetables, whole grains and lean meat.
Do not overeat: Overeating will lead to weight gain and commonly, many people get heart attack after taking a big meal.
Eat less salt: You should consume less amount of salt in your diet and do not eat more than one teaspoon of salt a day. Avoid any food item which contains high amounts of sodium. Salt is responsible for increasing blood pressure.
Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine: In case you suffer from atrial fibrillation, you should avoid caffeine and any other stimulant as they tend to trigger the symptoms. You must drink moderately as consuming more than one drink a day increases your risks of having heart problems.
Choose meat wisely: You should avoid red meat, which contains large amount of saturated fats as these are not good for the heart. You should choose the leanest cuts of meats and trim all fat from it. You should opt for cuts such as flank, rump roast, tenderloin and sirloin. Pork tenderloin, chicken and turkey breast are other alternatives.
Add fish to your diet: Fish is essential for improving your heart health. Try to avoid having deep fried fish and choose grilled fish or roasted fish, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Consume fishes like tuna, salmon, trout and sardines.
You should also add whole grains to your diet. They are effective in controlling blood sugar and lower the chances of diabetes. Hence, the risks of heart diseases are less if you do not have diabetes. Whole grains also help with weight loss, which is beneficial for the heart.

7 Tips for a Healthy Heart

Cardiomyopathy is a serious heart disease. It is a disease associated with the heart muscle or myocardium. In this disease, the heart muscles get weak and fails to pump blood to the organs of the body. It has several categories. The categorization depends upon the range of factors. In this disease, irregular heartbeat is observed. These irregularities can lead to heart failure or attack or can trigger problems in the valves. It is important to take care of your heart to avoid such a condition. It is also advisable to see a doctor as soon as the symptoms are noticed to avoid greater damage.

Types of Cardiomyopathy
This disease can be divided into four categories. These are as follows:

Dilated Cardiomyopathy: It is the most common type. It occurs at a time when the heart muscle gets too weak to pump blood properly. The muscles of the heart get thinner and weak. In fact, this also leads to the expansion of the heart chambers. In common terms, it is also referred to as enlarged heart. In most cases, this is inherited or caused by some coronary artery disease.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: This is genetically transferred to the patient. In this condition, the heart walls get thicker and this hinders the smooth flow of blood. It is one of the most common types of Cardiomyopathy.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD): This is a very rare form. It can cause sudden death, especially in young athletes. In this disease, fat and fibrous tissues are responsible for replacing the muscles in the right ventricle. This leads to an abnormal rhythm.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: It occurs as the ventricles of the heart get stiff and are unable to relax. This prevents them from getting filled up with blood. Under this situation, you might have to go for a heart transplant.
Other Types: Some of the other types include Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (the one which occurs after pregnancy), Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy (happens due to excessive intake of alcohol) and Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.
Treatment of Cardiomyopathy

The treatment of Cardiomyopathy depends upon the extent of damage caused. It might not require treatment if symptoms are not very troublesome or prominent. It may be dealt with certain lifestyle changes, adjustments and medications, in cases those needs to be addressed.

Tips to deal with Cardiomyopathy
1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by getting an adequate amount of night sleep. Go to bed early and wake up early too.
2. Don t spend long hours in watching television or work till late night
3. Eat a lot of fresh and green-leafy vegetables daily.
4. Avoid the intake of spicy, oily and fast foods.
5. Consume home-cooked food only. Avoid eating out at restaurants or street-side joints.
6. Don t drink excess coffee, tea or aerated drinks.
7. Don t consume alcohol or smoke up cigarettes.
8. Don t live a sedentary life and be a couch potato. Workout and exercise on regular basis.
9. Avoid emotional outburst and try to keep a control over your reactions.

Cardiomyopathy - Tips To Help You Deal With It!

What Happens When the Electrical Activity of Your Heart Changes?

The heart's electrical conduction system plays a very important role in cardiovascular functioning. Also known as the atrioventricular (AV) conduction system, it regulates and controls the timing of the heartbeat.

How does the heart's electrical conduction system work?

There is a collection of electrical cells in the upper right atrium of the heart known as the sinoatrial (SA) node which acts as a natural pacemaker and generates electrical signals. These signals travel through specialized electrical pathways and stimulate the muscular walls of the heart to contract in a rhythmic manner. This gives rise to the heartbeat that pulses at a specific frequency every minute.

What is the effect of fluctuations in electrical activity on the heart?

The standard heart rate in human being ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. It slows down when a person sleeps and speeds up when one experiences physical or emotional heightening. These fluctuations are triggered by the brain or other systems of the body and signal the SA node to generate charges more rapidly or slowly. This leads to spikes and drops in the heart rate, depending on the nature of the situation.

What happens when there is dysfunction in the heart's electrical activity?

When the heart's electrical conduction system does not function properly, it leads to the occurrence of a condition known as arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm. This happens when electrical impulses are generated in an irregular manner and causes tachycardia (rapid heartbeats) or bradycardia (slow heartbeats) which takes place in jarring infrequent tempos.

What causes fluctuations in the heart's electrical activity?

There are various kinds of triggers that cause the heart rate to fluctuate. The exact nature of fluctuation also depends on the type of trigger. A few everyday examples of these causes are as follows:
- Exercise and strenuous physical activity increases electrical activity as the heart is required to beat faster so as to increase the supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles.
- Sleep and rest reduce heart rate as the body is not needed to exert itself.
- Release of adrenaline into the bloodstream causes the heart rate to spike up.



What Happens When the Electrical Activity of Your Heart Changes?

Congestive heart failure is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscles. Simply referred to as heart failure, congestive heart failure can be life-threatening. It does not mean that the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart pumping power is weaker than normal. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body s needs. Over a period of time, the reduced ability of the heart causes the organs to receive less amount of oxygenated blood.

Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure: In the early stages of congestive heart failure, you most likely won t notice any changes in your health. If your condition progresses, you will experience gradual changes in your body. The hallmark and the most common symptom of congestive heart failure is shortness of breath and it may occur while you are at rest, doing any activity that exerts your body, when you are lying flat or while getting up from sleep. Some of the other most common symptoms of congestive heart failure include a persistent and unexplained cough, swelling in the legs, ankles, abdomen, or hands, tiredness, changes in thinking and memory, nausea, rapid heart rate, and dizziness or light-headedness.

Causes of congestive heart failure: Congestive heart failure is most likely to occur in people who have other conditions that weaken the heart. The risk also increases by several lifestyle factors that are bad for the heart. Risk factors for congestive heart failure include congenital heart defects, high blood pressure or cholesterol, obesity, asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, heart infection, reduced kidney function, a history of heart attack, irregular heart rhythms, abuse of alcohol and drugs, smoking, and old age. Though there are over a hundred other less common causes of heart failure, the exact cause of congestive heart failure is often idiopathic or unknown. Congestive heart failure might also exacerbate by unhealthy lifestyle habits. Specific habits such as smoking, excessive use of alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise, high salt intake, noncompliance with medications, and other therapies may increase the risk of congestive heart failure.

Diagnosis of congestive heart failure: A doctor or cardiologist will perform a physical exam. This may involve listening to the heart for abnormal heart rhythm. Some common tests that are done to help with the diagnosis of congestive heart failure include an electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, series of blood tests, echocardiography, stress test, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cardiac catheterization.

Treatment of congestive heart failure: The goal of treatment for congestive heart failure is to have the heart beat more efficiently so that it can meet the energy needs of the body. Specific treatment depends upon the underlying cause of heart failure. You and your doctor may consider different treatment, depending on your overall health and how far your condition has progressed. There are several medications that can be used to treat congestive heart failure. ACE inhibitors open up narrowed blood vessels to improve blood flow. Vasodilators are another option if you cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors. Beta blockers can reduce blood pressure and slow a rapid heart rhythm. Diuretics reduce your body s fluid content. A surgery such as angioplasty is recommended if medications are not effective on their own.

Congestive Heart Failure - Signs & Symptoms You Must Not Ignore!

Your diet plays a major role in the health of your heart, so eating healthy should be somewhere on the top of the list for keeping your heart healthy as well. There are numerous heart disorders that occur due to unhealthy food patterns and consumption. Lifestyle factors are the major causes of heart disease, and diet occupies an almost compelling spot when lifestyle factors are taken into consideration. Here is a list of foods that keeps your heart healthy:

Salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for your heart to function optimally. Fishes such as salmon and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which lower the risk of heart diseases such as arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and atherosclerosis (accumulation of plaque in the arterial walls).

Oats: Like oats and milk for breakfast!? Congratulations! You are in luck; oatmeal has soluble fibers which help in lowering bad cholesterol levels. Just make sure that there is no added sugar in your oatmeal, as it will defeat the entire purpose.

Blueberries: Blueberries are rich in antioxidants that reduce the risks of heart attack and also decrease your blood pressure. So go ahead! Toss some blueberries in your oatmeal to get your daily dose of antioxidants which are such pre-requisites for supreme health.

Dark Chocolate: This will probably bring a smile to your lips. Dark chocolates contain polyphenols, a type of flavonoid, which is very good for your heart. Dark chocolate is known to reduce the risks of strokes and heart attacks. Watch the portion size as no matter what its benefits are, dark chocolates are still rich in calories.

Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits such as lemons and Indian gooseberry are rich in compounds that lower cholesterol levels in the body. Tip   Start your day with a lemon juice and warm water. This betters your metabolism and also keeps your heart in fine shape.

Soy: Lo Behold Vegetarians! (and non-vegetarians as well). Soy is a protein rich food that is so good for your heart. It also contains heart-healthy fats and fibers that help bring down and normalize cholesterol levels.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in an antioxidant called  lycopene , which is very effective in getting rid of bad cholesterol. It thus helps in keeping your arteries healthy and reduces the risks of heart attacks.

Nuts: Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are rich in Vitamin E which helps in lowering bad cholesterol in the body. Avoid nuts that come with added salt.

Foods That Help You Maintain A Healthy Heart

Coronary artery blockage is the most common heart disease and also causes of premature death in the present era. Comparatively, male sex is more prone to the Arterial Blockages than females. Heart muscles need a regular blood supply, oxygen molecules and nutrients to function properly. Heart muscles need a regular blood supply, oxygen molecules and nutrients to function properly. Coronary arteries are those which supply blood to the heart muscles, any blockage in the coronary arteries causes decreases the supply of blood to the heart muscles. Coronary artery blockage is caused due to the build-up of the cells, fat and cholesterol which is called as plaque, which leads to lack of blood supply to the heart muscles.

When the person is active and takes too much stress, the heart needs, even more, blood supply, but when the coronary artery is blocked then there will be a lack of blood supply to heart muscles, such a condition is known as ischemic heart disease. Common symptoms of ischemic heart disease are

Irregular heart rhythm

Shortness of the breath

Angina pain

Tightness in chest

These symptoms take time to appear, but with the gradual decrease in oxygen supplied by the blood the muscles of the heart can get damaged, sometimes even permanently and that is what happens in a heart attack. If someone is suffering from ischemia since long, then it can lead to irregular heartbeat and heart failure.

Tests conducted for detecting coronary artery disease:

Electrocardiogram

Exercise Stress

Nuclear Scan Test

Stress Thallium Test

Cardiac Catheterization

You doctor based on your medical history and symptoms will refer a particular test.

Treatments

If the coronary artery disease is diagnosed, then there are a number of ways it can be treated including lifestyle changes, medication, procedure or surgery

Lifestyle changes: It includes daily exercise, changes in the diet and strictly no smoking

Medication: In the allopathic system of medicine, medication can only help treat the symptoms of blocked coronary arteries, it cannot fix them.

Ayurvedic Approach: The way of understanding of medoroga prakarana according to yogaratnakara and other acharyas are unique. Even stoulya and medoroga is caused due to medo vruddi. Our acharya explains stoulya prakarana and medo roga prakarana in separately. It indicates that Stoulya includes fatty deposition in the adipose tissue. Likewise Medo roga including fat molecules and plasma cholesterol in the blood. Due to the more quantity of the fat molecules and plasma cholesterol in the blood, it can cause several disorders including coronary artery blockage, gallbladder stones, PCOD, Hypothyroidism, X-syndrome etc.

Clinically sometimes a person may be lean but can suffer from coronary artery disease or gallbladder stones, hypercholesterolemia, higher plasma cholesterol levels. Sometimes, we can t find these conditions in obese persons, but they are more at risk of suffering from these problems.

Ayurvedic Medication:

Line of treatment:

Hrudya vati 1000mg 2 times a day before food can be helpful

Anarsha Kshara 3 pinch before food.

Sukha virechana Churna 1tsb after food will surely help

Note:

At the plaque formation stage in arteries and before the thrombus (blood clot) formation, plasma cholesterol management is required and for this Hrudya vati is highly recommended
With the help of above mentioned ayurvedic medicines, we can easily treat coronary artery blockage of 10 to 100%, without any stent or bypass surgery
Anupana: Water, Honey or Ghrutha
Other indications

Prevention of heart attack

Increased blood cholesterol (Lipid Profile Abnormalities)

Gall Bladder Stones

PCOD

Hypothyroidism

Metabolic X-Syndrome.

Conclusion

Coronary artery Blockage is caused due to Medo Vruddi in the blood that may accumulate in the coronary artery vessels. And, will eventually cause ischemia in the heart muscles i.e. craving of the oxygen supply to the heart muscles. That may produce the symptom like irregular heart rhythm, shortness of the breath, angina. After that, it may lead to thrombus formation and can cause myocardial infarction.

Serological Study: Sometimes 100% blockage with cholesterol, fat molecules and cells i.e. Plaque may not show any symptoms, but sometimes even 20-30% of blockage can show all the symptoms. So in the higher cholesterol level or in the hypercholesterolemia conditions and in the early stages of the Plaque formation, one should take medication.

Scientific study:- By observing different scholar s scientific study of all the ingredients of Hrudya vati with respect to regularization of cholesterol level and break down of Plaque formation, we concluded that Hrudya Vati is the drug of choice for the coronary artery blockages.

Animal experiment: Also for further study we conducted an animal experiment on mice in Govt M-Pharma College Bangalore. Experiment result shows serum cholesterol level becomes normal. So that it can prevent the coronary blockage, and reverse the coronary artery blockages.

Clinical study: Through the Clinical study we observed that at the stage of plaque formation in the coronary artery and other arteries can be removed permanently that is 100% by advising Hrudya Vati. 

No need to go for any stunt or bypass operation. With this medication can clear the pathway of the blood vessels, also prevents the blockages & heart attack. In case, there is a family history of heart attack and your blood cholesterol is high, it is advisable that you take at least one course of Hrudya vati, once a year. So, everyone must try to understand the condition of the coronary artery blockage and prevent further complications based on the evidence.

Ayurvedic Treatment For Coronary Artery Blockage Without Surgery!

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