Dr. Upasan Gupta

Following a healthy lifestyle that is armed with a well-regulated diet is the most important aspect of combating your cardio-vascular disease. If you think that it is going to be very difficult to achieve, then you will be happy to know that the reality is quite the opposite. You can achieve your goals by following short and simple steps that would help you to reap long-term benefits for protecting your cardio-vascular health.

1. Try to use the calories consumed: It is very important to know how many calories you are consuming in a span of 24 hours. The calorie and nutritional information given on the food levels are normally based on the 2000 calorie diet. But it is crucial to know that your individual calorie requirement is dependent on numerous factors, including your age, gender as well as level of physical activities. When you are aiming to restrict your weight gain, it is recommended not to eat more than you can use up in a day along with increasing the intensity and amount of physical activity so that it matches the amount of physical activity. You must try to incorporate either 75 minutes of hard training or 150 minutes of moderate exercise in a span of seven days in order to boost healthy weight loss.
2. Consume a wide array of nutritious items from all food groups: Though you may believe that you are eating a sufficient amount of foods, your body may not be receiving an optimum amount of nutrients it needs for proper functioning. Foods that are considered rich in nutrients must contain sufficient amounts of protein, minerals, whole grains and other variants of nutrients with low calorie content. These foods not only aid in reduction of weight but also trigger lowering of blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
3. Eat right: You must aim to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet besides whole grains, dairy products with low fat contents, legumes and nuts. It is important to stay away from red meat, trans fat, artificially sweetened beverages and sodium. Experts also suggest consuming less of food that has poor nutrient content in order to protect your heart.
4. Avoid smoking and alcohol: Simply exercising and eating a healthy diet is important, but you should not eliminate the adverse effects of smoking and alcohol consumption, which not only cast an impact on the health of your heart but also cause a variety of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. The medications and remedial measures vary greatly among individuals and thus, it is crucial to speak with a doctor for receiving personalized treatments.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Water is an essential ingredient for life. While you can live without food for some time, you probably will not survive without water for more than three days. Compared to other natural beings, humans are the only species who store water for drinking for continued periods of time.

The emergence of plastic bottles and its ill effects on health-
In recent years, the storage medium for water has changed from earthen or metallic pots to plastic bottles. However, this is going to have a negative effect on your body as plastic bottles contain many harmful chemicals such as:

1.BPA - Bisphenol A or BPA is a chemical that is used to make plastics clear and see through. This chemical is known to be a disruptor of endocrine related functions and can cause severe illnesses or conditions over long term usage such as:

a)Neurological problems
b)Birth defects in babies
c)Various cancers
d)Early or premature labor
e)Making young girls hit puberty earlier and many others

2.Phthalates - Another common ingredient used in the production of plastic bottle, this also inhibits endocrine functions and can cause the following disorders:
a)May reduce sperm count
b)May cause testicular tumors or abnormalities
c)Other gender development issues
d)It is also a known carcinogen as well

Copper as an alternative to store water
Copper is an essential nutrient for the body and at any point in time, the human body has about 0.9 mg of copper within it. This is required for the body as it helps make and repair red blood cells and is responsible for the health of the nerve cells. It is also required in the upkeep of the immune system.

Copper as a material for storing water also has its own advantages. Let's look at some of them.

1. It doesn't have harmful chemicals like the ones in plastic bottles- Copper is a metal and thus reacts to water in a very different way compared to plastics. Also it doesn't have the harmful chemicals as mentioned above in its production process and is automatically a notch up.
2. Copper has antibacterial properties- Storing water in a copper container overnight will kill harmful bacteria and thus it is good for your gastro-intestinal health.
3. It will provide the body its daily requirement for copper- The usage of copper bottles helps the body get its requirement of daily copper easily and thus helps the body to keep its immunity up as well.

Thus, it is always advisable to store drinking water in copper bottles or vessels as it will be far more beneficial than drinking water from plastic bottles.