June 2020 – Cardiac Wellness Institute

With the ongoing pandemic and the enforced lockdown, many of us are increasingly concerned about maintaining healthy eating habits. And those of us under treatment for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney problems and other chronic conditions are likely to be more anxious about staying safe and healthy during these uncertain times. As a dietician, I can reassure you that eating a healthy diet is the most important thing to keep all our parameters under control while staying home. Taking care of our heart health begins with getting the concept of healthy nutrition right!

Ideal nutrition not only has an effect on our physical health but it also affects our mental health. We need to figure out how to eat in order to keep our immunity intact, how to manage healthy meals with limited ingredients on hand, how to cook when some of us may not be very experienced cooks and also how to be disciplined about our diet and health goals.

Purchasing and storing fresh fruits and vegetables can be challenging during lockdown. But whenever available, it is important to include adequate fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.

Tips to eat healthy during lockdown

We can store dried goods like beans, pulses and grains such as lentils, peas and legumes for longer periods of time. They are nutritious as well as affordable. Include dhal, sprouts or sundal in your everyday cooking
Include dried fruits, nuts, rice flakes and puffed rice instead of biscuits, chips and fried foods
Limit the intake of highly processed drinks, snacks and ready-to-eat meals
Try to avoid high fat, high salt foods like pastries, pre-cooked and packaged foods
B vitamins are present in green leafy vegetables, beans, eggs, poultry and fish
Eat a good source of protein every day (e.g. fish, meat, eggs, nuts, beans, tofu)
Consume 2 servings of dairy every day (e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt or dairy alternatives such as soya milk)
Eat at least five portions of fruits and veggies every day
Boredom may lead to mindless snacking on unhealthy foods; so make a daily plan to keep yourself busy and follow it
Limit the intake of added sugar in the form of sweet beverages and desserts
Include anti bacterial and anti microbial foods to improve immunity level, eg: turmeric, lemon, ginger, garlic, green tea
Try to minimize consumption of coffee and tea, especially during this lockdown, as this can help you sleep and focus better
As we are spending more time inside than ever before, and many of us do not have access to an outdoor space, vitamin D deficiency is common; sunlight is the best source of vitamin D and the morning and late afternoon hours are ideal for some sun exposure in your garden, terrace etc.; a daily supplement of Vitamin D or fortified foods can be consumed if sun exposure is not possible

Eat a balanced diet

Eating a well balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, plant (pulses and legumes) and animal proteins (lean meat, fish,poultry, eggs) and healthy fats (nuts and oil seeds) is the best option to getall the essential nutrients for good health and optimal immune function.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the most important foods for supplying our dailyrequirement of vitamins, minerals and fiber. We should aim to eat 5 portionsof fruits and vegetables every day. Different colored fruits and vegetables provide phytochemicals and antioxidants, which are essential forgood health.

Stay hydrated

Keeping hydrated is essential for overall health. We can add watery fruitsand vegetables (bottle guard, pumpkin, cucumber, muskmelon, watermelonetc.) to maintain fluid level in the body. Try to consume as whole fruits insteadof fruit juices.

Get enough sleep

Adequate sleep is as important as a healthy diet. Make sure you get the recommended 6-8 hours of good quality sleep every night.

Keep healthy snacks around

Keeping healthy and nutritious snacks nearby will ensure you don’t head straight to the fried, baked and preserved foods.

e.g. Nuts and dried fruits, sprouts or sundal, fruits, vegetable salads, soups, smoothies, butter milk, tender coconut water, seasonal fruits

Practice personal and food hygiene

Good hygiene is important when handling food to prevent the spread of virus. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food. Wash unpacked products of fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water.

In conclusion, eating a healthy diet should be a priority at this time. Make sure you shop smartly for the essential ingredients; take adequate preventive measures before stepping out, during shopping and after returning home with the products. Following personal hygiene measures and maintaining social distance remain the best means of avoiding infection. There are lots of different nutrients that are involved with the normal functioning of the immune system. So, we would encourage maintaining a healthy balanced diet in order to support the body’s immune function. In addition to exercising regularly and quitting smoking and drinking, maintaining a healthy diet plays a crucial role in preserving our physical health and emotional wellness.

A positive attitude, adequate nutrition and regular exercise are a great way to offset the anxiety, worries and uncertainties during this quarantine period. If you or your loved ones have any special dietary requirements or disease condition and would like professional advice on how to eat healthy during this pandemic, please feel free to email me on tharani@cardiacwellnessinstitute.com.

Hello everyone! Hope you are safe and healthy in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. In continuation with our previous blog post that focused on performing aerobic exercises at home (click here to read about fitness at home) we will enlighten you about what is strength training, why it is important and how to go about becoming physically stronger.

You may be familiar with the names Karnam Malleswari and Gurdeep Singh, weightlifting champions in the female and male categories respectively, who have made India proud in the global arena! While competitive bodybuilding and weightlifting are not for everyone, toned up muscles and a sleek core are some things we should all work for.

What is strength training?

Strength training or resistance training is a form of physical activity designed to work our muscles against resistance in order to improve muscle strength, power and endurance. There are multiple ways of doing strength training, such as:

Use of free weights such as dumbbells and barbells
Use of machines/equipments that consist of adjustable weights
Use of resistance bands
Use of body weight

Benefits of strength training

Improves strength, power and tone of the muscle
Improves flexibility and functioning of joints
Aids weight loss by increasing calorie expenditure
Helps in increasing bone mass and density thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones)
Also improves posture, mobility and balance

Impact on heart and lung health

Regular strength training exercises help prevent and control diabetes, hypertension, abnormal cholesterol and obesity, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and liver damage. There is also a direct connection between better muscle strength and improved heart function. That is why cardiac patients are now advised to engage in resistance exercises on a regular basis, so that not only their arms and legs but also their heart muscle will work more effectively and more efficiently.

As medical literature has proven that individuals with chronic lung diseases benefit from a combination of breathing retraining, aerobic exercises and strength training exercises, we teach these exercises to our patients with asthma, bronchitis, and even those who have had heart and lung transplant to improve their breathing efficiency and reverse their muscle wasting.

Body weight exercises

**Half Squats**
Stand tall with feet apart;
out stretch your hands and slowly squat down halfway. Keep your knees in line with your toes and your back straight.

The Lunge | OrthoVirginia — **Lunges**
Stand tall with feet apart and extend the left leg forward; slowly go down until your right knee nearly touches the floor and come back up; repeat the same on the other leg in an alternate manner.

4 Effective Leg Toning Exercises | WW USA — **Calf Raises**
Stand tall with feet minimally apart, raise your heel and balance on your toes for 2 to 3 seconds and slowly come down.

**Modified Push Ups**
From a face-down position with your hands shoulder width apart and from a half kneeling position, lift your toes up and slowly go down until your chest is 5 cm above the ground and come back.

Tips for body weight training

Start at a lower level of 8-12 repetitions (1 set) and try to do 1-2 sets
Focus on the quality of the movement throughout the regime
Avoid holding your breath while performing these exercises
Take breaks of 30-60 seconds in between each set and 2-3 minutes between each exercise

What is core strength?

Additionally, adequate amount of time should also be devoted towards strengthening your core, that is, your abdominal and lower back muscles. Core strength will improve your fitness level, enhance your aerobic performance and prevent low back pain and flabby tummy or potbelly.

Core strength exercises

7 best body weight exercises to train your core at home - YP ... — **Abdomen curl ups**
Lie flat on the ground with your knee bent as shown; keep your hands by the sides of your head to maintain your neck in neutral position. Slowly come up as you breathe out and go back down as your breathe in, feeling the tightness in your abdomen.

**Alternate/Both Leg Raises**
Lie supine and keep your hands to the side; now slowly lift your legs high up without bending your knees as you breath out and slowly lower your legs down as you breathe in.

Free Workout: Transform-Wk1W1: Power · WorkoutLabs Fit — **Modified Plank**
Lie prone on the ground and position your upper limb with elbow support and lower limb on your knees with toes lifted up and maintain this position for a few seconds.

**Modified Side Plank**
Lie on a side and semi flex your knees and with the elbow support lift your upper body and maintain in that position for a few seconds.

The abdominal exercises can be done for 10-12 repetitions per set for a minimum of 2 sets and the plank hold for 10-15 seconds per round and minimum of 2 rounds.

Tips for core exercises

For abdominal exercises, remember to breathe out as you come up and breath in as your go down and avoid breath holding
In planks, see to it the position is well maintained and focus on breathing throughout the duration
Focus on the quality of the movement and do it at an appropriate pace for a better rhythm

Some of the prerequisites one should have in mind prior to performing strength training are:

Perform on a non slippery, safe surface to avoid injuries
Adequate warm-up and cool-down should be done for better performance
Allow adequate rest of 24-36 hours before performing the next session
Beginners may experience muscle soreness; application of ice packs on the localised area will help in relieving pain and discomfort

Performing these exercises at home will not only make you fit and healthy but also provide you with the confidence that exercise is simple and fun and can be done without any fancy equipment!

Exercise your way out of the COVID-19 crisis

Today, all of humanity is doing one of these three things: trying not to contract the infection, fighting the infection actively or coping with the post-infective period having survived the infection. Exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and keeping up the positive attitude are 3 things that will help all of us irrespective of which phase we are in. Let us support one another and get through this crisis together!