World Heart Day: Read Dil Se! Pick these books for a heart-healthy life

On World Heart Day, we need to understand how our hearts function and how emotions such as grief and sorrow and stress directly impact the health of our heart. Further, we need to study our own triggers that set stress at an all-time high in our daily routine and re-examine our lifestyles and food choices more carefully than ever before. The world around us is undergoing a revolutionary churn that urges each and every individual to take care of their food choices and lifestyle habits.

According to Dr. Aziz Kothawala, Cardiologist at Saifee Hospital, “Taking the lives of about 17.9 million people every year, World Heart Day requires drawing people’s attention towards different preventive steps and changes in their lifestyles to minimize cardiovascular diseases including heart attack, inflammation of the arteries (peripheral vascular disease), acute kidney dysfunction, stroke, heart failure and so on.”

He further points out that at least 80 percent of premature deaths arising due to heart diseases can be avoided by controlling risk factors such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sanjeev Kanoria, Founder, Suasth Hospital cites a recent research conducted by the University of Frankfurt in Germany, where more than half of the COVID-19 patients were found to have constant cardiac inflammation.

World Heart Day: How your heart functions every day

To understand how your heart functions is essential to take care of your heart health.Your emotions are closely linked to your heart health, as are your daily lifestyle choices.

Undoubtedly, there is an urgent need for self-awareness about how the heart functions and why it is important to take care of it in every aspect of life – from the food you eat, the diets you opt for and the oil you choose when you cook your food to taking care of your mental health and physical health through exercise and yoga and meditation.

Doctors worldwide recommend that consuming a balanced diet is essential to live a heart-healthy life.

So, now we have put together this must-read list of heart-centric books that can take you closer to your heart than ever before and teach you how to respect your body’s smooth functioning.

Heart: A history by Sandeep Jauhar: Published by Penguin Random House India, the memoirs of a doctor blend along with his professional journey an in-depth look at what the human heart is, how it has been handled by medicine and how we can most wisely live with our heart in the future. How many of you would know that the amount of blood that passes through an average adult heart in a week could fill a backyard swimming pool?

As the author points out in the introduction of his book, the heart, unlike any other organ, is self-sustaining. A beating heart does not depend on a functioning brain whereas the brain and other vital organs, the author points out, cannot function without a beating heart.

Sharing his personal journey along with his professional milestones, the author shares how cardiology has been at the forefront of technological innovations spanning five decades.

This beautifully written and meticulously researched memoir will take you closer to your heart than before.

The Dry Fasting Miracle by Luke Coutinho and Sheikh Abdul Aziz Nuiami

Published by Penguin Random House India, Luke Coutinho urges people to return to their traditional roots through dry fasting as it builds the body’s immunity naturally.

Explaining the importance of fasting as a method of cleansing the body, the author charts out easy-to-do strategies that can be implemented in daily life.

The importance of intermittent fasting and its benefits are also well-researched and explained in the book. All information shared is supported with the latest medical research findings and the cultural aspects of several fasting traditions that highlight the benefit of fasting as a cleansing tool for the body.

The author shares details how the benefits of dry fasting have been most evident in cancer patients and those who were undergoing chemotherapy.

Eating at Work: Ishi Khosla & Nina Mehta

Given our stress filled lives, work-from-home routine and sedentary lifestyles, ‘Eating at Work’ by Ishi Khosla & Nina Mehta is ‘your guide to Smart Eating’. What you eat makes a big difference to your health. Also, medical professionals are unanimous in their viewpoint that an expanding waistline directly affects your heart health. So, making responsible food choices is essential for keeping your heart in a good condition.

For professionals who work on night shifts or have to travel frequently or any persons with sedentary desk jobs, the authors share easy-to-follow tips, easy-to-make recipes that you can whip up and small capsule-size nuggets of useful pointers that can improve your food choices and your health as well.

Published by Simon & Schuster India, the book shares actionable tips that can help you choose your food options smartly and wisely.

[READ: By choosing to tell Mohini’s story, I opted to go past the known narratives: Anuja Chandramouli]

Fight With Fat by Dr Kamal Mahawar

Self discipline lies at the heart of any successful weight management strategy. A balanced diet is essential for good health and the best fitness initiatives do not have to begin inside a fancy gym.

The UK based surgeon points out practical, easy-to-do tips. For instance, he asks: Does it cost anything to take the stairs or walk about or go for a stroll in the park for brisk walking or jogging?

In this book, he further states, “Just as your heart muscles and blood supply need time to develop, your leg muscles and joints need time …the trick is to start with short distances at a slower pace and then gradually increase.”

Instead of wasting money on sugar drinks, the best drink, he points out, is plain water.

Published by FingerPrint! Publishing, this book is packed with practical and easy tops to help Indians, particularly in their early 30s and 40s, to lead healthier lifestyles.