Elaborating on the importance of meeting a cardiologist, she says, “They perform a battery of tests and don’t focus only on the lipid profile, they check on inflammatory markers, perform treadmill tests and consider facts like family history of cardiovascular diseases.” She explained that medication is suggested by the doctor once he considers the facts and tests. “The knowledge to interpret results isn’t with the common man” she adds.
“We build a compound wall around our house, similarly there’s a cell wall surrounding our cells. Each organ in our body is surrounded by a thin layer of fat. In the same way cholesterol is important for our body but it shouldn’t be more than the amount needed”she describes.
She also explained that the lifestyle choices we make plays a pivotal role in impacting the cholesterol levels of our body. “The main thing is alcohol intake. Fizzy drinks are added to alcohol and heavily fried foods like peanuts,chicken,fish, chips and other unhealthy snacks. This is very impactful as the body weight increases”,weighing in on the same she says, “Body weight should be in control according to our height.”
“Too much oily and salty food should also be avoided” she further adds that dry fish must be avoided at all costs. “Dry fish contains too much salt which is why, when people consume it regularly feel like adding more salt to regular foods”, she emphasises that this is the most important thing to remember to lead a healthy lifestyle. “Excess sugar must also be avoided. Sugar is like a drug addiction where the more you consume,the more you crave for it. Some people have the habit of having something sweet after every meal which becomes a habit”, she adds.
“All foods containing trans fatty acids and hydrogenated fat, food products specifically made for the bakery industry, contains hydrogenated fat. It’s extremely harmful to the body and must be avoided at all costs” A solution to this would be to eat home cooked food with regular cooking oil, she explains.
Family history is the key factor to high cholesterol. No matter how healthy a person’s lifestyle is, high cholesterol is unavoidable if there’s a family history of cholesterol issues. “Dyslipidemia is a scenario when a person has cholesterol due to their family history so it is advisable to discuss this with your doctor”
“Your stress management can cause a lot of damage to your hormones if it’s not managed properly. Poor stress management can lead to stress eating which would cause imbalance in the ideal body weight”, she adds.
“There is a myth that egg yolk causes an increase in cholesterol but it’s completely false” she says while busting the age old myth.
Talking about physical activities, she says, “If you’re active through the day you won’t have any health issues”, she also reveals that the most important thing is to have a healthy sleep schedule. “It is important to go to bed early and wake up early. Any exercise early in the morning where you catch fresh air and sunlight is very helpful”
As an afterthought she adds that the traditional Indian meals made with local ingredients when regularly incorporated in a diet will improve your health.
