#ChhoteKadam to a Healthier Heart

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According to the statistics released by W.H.O. on World Health Day, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now  the leading cause of death globally. About 38 million  people die every year from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) which includes cancer, heart diseases and stroke, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases .Out of the these ,82% premature deaths occurred in developing countries like India .
                                               

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But all is not lost yet , here is the silver lining to this dark cloud .

Recent findings from the World Heart Federation reveal that even small lifestyle changes like being active, eating better, and staying happy can make your heart up to 50% healthier.

This rang a bell with me and as I hold the finger of my young one , I make a  promise to myself to make changes to my lifestyle and stick around even after twenty years to see my kids blossoming .

 1. Being Active  – I have made it mandatory to walk at least 10,000 steps every day- come what may ( this I manage with little help from my fitness app ) .
An inactive person takes just about  3,000 steps or even less just in their daily activity of moving around the house. A daily average of 10,000 steps is equivalent to approximately five miles of walking during the day.This is approximately equal to the minimum daily exercise that is  recommended  by most health organisations to reduce health risks.
                                               
                                                 

2. Eating Better – I would sometimes skip a proper breakfast and scrimp on salads and fruits out of sheer laziness .Now I make it a point to stock up my pantry with seasonal fruits and vegetables and make sure I have at least two fruits everyday and have salads with my meals .I also ensure that I have my daily quota of protein through sprouts , milk, eggs, soy and nuts .A protein rich breakfast  helps in a getting a leaner , meaner body .

3.Staying Happy – Being a health professional the above two ( staying active and eating better ) were easily taken care of since we keep enforcing this to our patients that they should have at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily and should exercise for at least 20-30 minutes daily ,but it is the third part of the getting healthier programme i.e. “Staying Happy ” which is the most difficult to implement because this means changing your attitude to life situations and dealing with conflicts and unfavourable conditions in a different manner .

Here is how I am trying to achieve that .

Saying “thank you ” – Gratitude towards people around you can actually make you feel better and create an atmosphere of positivism .It helped in  reducing my cribbing and made people more empathetic towards each other .Appreciating people and the efforts they make for us is important .

Loving yourself – Being a perfectionist , I always find faults with myself and keep criticizing myself and pushing myself .I identified this negative trait which I earlier thought  was my competitive streak and remodelled my behaviour .I try to be kinder to myself if I fail and take things more easily .I do push myself but in positive manner , reinforcing my belief in myself and my abilities and if things do not work out to my expectations , I try to accept them and move on .

These are my little steps to a healthier me … what are yours ?

“I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association with BlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart.”

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