How To Have A Heart Healthy Diet And Workout? Dr. Madhu Mary Explains

Welcome to the Activ Living Podcast. This is a health and wellness podcast which can help you stay healthy during the pandemic and prepare for life after lockdown too.

Our special guest for this episode is Dr. Madhu Mary, a senior consultant in Preventive and Clinical Cardiology at Medanta Medicity. She explains that because the sedentary lifestyle and working from home during the lockdown, many people have been facing negative effects on their heart. This includes heart risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

‘Sitting is the new smoking’

Dr. Madhu explains how sitting for long hours slows down your brain function which in turn lowers your metabolism and affects your heart health as well. That’s why sitting is now considered as unhealthy as smoking.

She goes on to explain the concept of NEAT (Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis) which helps you burn calories without exercise. This includes steps like:

• Taking short breaks to walk or stretch
• Using stairs instead of the elevator
• Try using a standing desk.
• Grocery shopping or house cleaning

She explains how these small steps during the day can help you avoid some of the ill effects of sitting and working all day.

She also explains how you can adjust your diet for good heart health. According to Dr. Madhu, the total fat in your diet should be less than 30% of your total calorie consumption. Similarly, protein should be around 15% while carbohydrates can be 50%-60% of your diet. She goes to explain in detail how to maintain this level in your daily life too.

Spend 15-minutes listening to this highly informative podcast on how to keep your heart healthy during the lockdown. Stay tuned for more health updates with our Activ Living Podcast. You can also find regular and useful advice on fitness, nutrition and mindfulness on our blog.