HEART INTROSPECTION, HEALTH, AWARENESS
Quit playing games with your heart.
You should have known from the start.
The title refers to the 90’s super hit song from the album ‘Quit Playing Games’ by Backstreet Boys, Amusing as it sounds, this piece of information should cover the bottom-line understanding of how our behaviour and habits are linked to the modern-day rise of coronary diseases which are surging exponentially, risking every age group today. According to the statistics revealed by the health experts, South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are more prone to cardiovascular disease than any other region on earth.
Let's get back to basics.
Human habits have evolved throughout the centuries either by simplifying or making them convenient to satisfy their desires. All our habits are essentially revolved around our desires which are embedded within our genetics.
- Obtaining Food and water.
- Find a suitable mate and reproduce.
- Connect with other humans by bonding.
- Gain recognition and approval from others.
To satisfy the desire of connecting with other individuals and bonding, we use Facebook, finding a suitable mate and reproduce ‘Tinder’ is an option. Gain popularity and recognition, people use Instagram. Humans as a species are adding the modern solution to fulfil their desires which turns into a habit and their respective behaviour.
You are what you eat.
According to the reports by the U.S. Library of Medicine and the Nation Institute of Health, the high incident rates of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in this young, urban Indian cohort are likely to lead to a high burden of cardiovascular diseases(CVD) in this population in the future. Stunned? Let’s looking into our eating habits. To achieve the desire to find food and water, our ancestors had to hunt for food and find cues to determine the source of drinking water with greater physical effort. Gradually over time, we added a modern twist to delight our desire for food too, You just have to download an Application that would suggest you order the trending food which suits your craving, Simple as that.
Modern solutions can be a life-saver and a heartbreaker too. The only way forward is to take a step back, introspect our desires and consequences associated with our current food habits. You don't have to eat less, you just have to eat right.
Let’s introspect.
We have two lives, and the second starts when we realize we have one. A few years ago, two middle-aged men in their mid 30’s belonging to the same family in India, were asked about the chances of them getting cardiovascular diseases in the future, the answer was obvious. They believed that the main element for any heart-related disease is due to genetics passed down from their parents, confidently stating that their parents have no heart-related problems.
Cut to the present day. Both the individuals were asked about their chances of contracting heart problems, had a mild heart attack and would later go through the Angioplasty process. Although, the role of genetics indeed plays an important role. Research suggests that the heritability of Coronary Artery Disease has been estimated between 40% and 60%, based on family and twin studies, a method that yields high precision despite potential bias. On the contrary, for men from India, their lifestyle was the root cause for the problems related to their heart. When analyzing their daily routine, stress from work incorporated with dense calorie intake, smoking and drinking alcohol were the prominent reasons for rising heart complications.
The smart thing to do is to introspect our lifestyle, incorporate a particular diet, exercise routine and meditation which helps to prevent causes for heart-related issues like Obesity, Diabetics and Hypertension. Find a way to satisfy the desire for a healthy heart.
Serious talk.
Did you know? 1 person dies every 33 seconds in India due to a heart attack. If you think about it, only a few are aware of these statistics. The study suggests the increase in urban and socio-economic developments correlates to an increase in consumption of high-calorie intake, high-stress levels at work leading to increased hypertension. Along with a decrease in physical activity is the new formula for disaster.
The only way to tackle the heart problem is by focusing on awareness. Lessons about how the mechanism of your body, mind and habits collectively lead to your behaviour, In turn affecting your health should be made a priority to be taught at a very young age. It's us at the end of the day to get serious and adopt a lifestyle focused on overall health and quit playing games with our heart.
