Former supermodel and actor Milind Soman is also known for a lot of athletic achievement. His long-standing relationship with marathons and fitness goals aren’t unknown to anyone. He has been seemingly constantly uplifting the bar to fitness and promoting a healthy lifestyle both in his personal life and on his social media platforms. His resilience, sheer determination and commitment towards a healthier lifestyle has inspired millions across the nation. Whether it’s going for a run in minus degrees or opting for a full-fledged marathon on a hot summer day, even at 54 Milind Soman is an inspiration in every shape and form. Here are a few tips from the athlete and supermodel himself to stay fit and achieve your fitness goals :

Wake early and start your day with nuts :

The actor has always been vocal about his love for an early waking up culture and then his affection towards nuts. He recommends every one of his followers to religiously intake a handful of nuts every day. For the marathon man, almonds have been the choicest form of nuts. A great source of all essential nutrients like protein, vitamin E, they are everything you need to get closer to your health goals. Also nuts are rich in energy and hence what better way to kick start your day?

Train your mind to embrace positivity and be fit :

The marathon man, Milind believes that we are never too old to learn something and appreciate the beauty. He took up. endurance running at the age of 38 and hasn’t stopped ever since. He emphasizes strongly on the fact that no amount of physical fitness is perfect without mental fitness. Resort to yoga, meditation and everything in between. The goal is to find peace, balance and everything in between while you slowly reach your body goals. Making your mind stronger and balancing your health is all it should be centred around.

Conscious lifestyle choices are everything: 

Dedicate few hours a day to yourself while you work on yourself. Opt to take the stairs instead of the lift. Opt for having a tasty salad instead of the plate of pancakes. Whatever you choose, choose wisely as these small choices are what shall determine the result of your motivated time to enhance yourself.

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Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disorder of insulin resistance — a reduced sensitivity to the action of insulin — which leads to high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Approximately 12% of American adults have T2D, and more than one-third of Americans have prediabetes, a precursor to T2D. This is a major public health concern, as T2D dramatically increases risk for heart disease, including heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure.

The development and progression of T2D is affected by many factors. Some, such as a person’s race/ethnicity, age, and gender cannot be modified. Others, including body weight, exercise, and diet can be changed.

Can lifestyle changes help reduce heart disease risk if you have diabetes?

In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) published “Life’s Simple 7,” which they defined as “seven risk factors that people can improve through lifestyle changes to help achieve ideal cardiovascular health.” The Simple 7 touched on smoking status, physical activity, ideal body weight, intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure.

Subsequent studies found that people in optimal ranges for each of these factors had lower risks of heart disease compared to people in poor ranges. But given the significant increase in heart disease risk in those with T2D, it was not clear if the impact of these modifiable factors would hold true for the T2D population.

Recent study suggests lifestyle changes do benefit T2D and prediabetes

A recent study published in JAMA Cardiology looked at whether the ideal cardiovascular (CV) metrics covered in Life’s Simple 7 translate into improved CV health for those with T2D or prediabetes. The results were exciting, and consistent with other large population-based studies. Patients who had five or more ideal CV measures had no excess of CV events compared with people with normal blood sugar levels. CV events measured in the study included death, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Each additional ideal health metric was associated with an additional 18% drop in CV event risk for people with T2D, and an additional 15% drop for those with prediabetes.

This was a prospective, observational study, examining the association of risk factors only. It was not a randomized trial looking at an intervention. As a result, we cannot draw conclusions about cause and effect. Nonetheless, this is the first study to show a positive association between ideal lifestyle factors and CV health in people who are at high risk for CVD due to T2D. These results showcase the importance of our lifestyle choices, suggesting that meeting ideal health metrics can help reduce risk of CV events.

Life’s Simple 7

So what are the lifestyle and metabolic health goals should you strive for, whether or not you have diabetes?

1. Manage blood pressure. 120/80 mm Hg or lower is best.
2. Control cholesterol. Aim for total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL.
3. Reduce blood sugar. Get your HbA1c (an average measure of blood sugar over the past three months) under 5.7% if you have prediabetes, or below 6.5% if you have T2D.
4. Get active. Your goal is 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity.
5. Eat better. That means at least 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day.
6. Lose weight. You want a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25.
7. Stop smoking. You’ll reap CV benefits, not to mention lowering your risk for cancer, COPD, and much more.

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Washington D.C. [USA]: Overworked office going people who spend longer than usual hours at the workplace are more susceptible to the onset of hypertension, a study reveals. A considerable proportion of such individuals may also suffer a hidden form of hypertension, also known as masked hypertension, which as the name suggests may go undetected in clinical settings.

High blood pressure affects nearly half of Americans aged 18 and older and is a primary factor in more than 82,000 deaths per year. Approximately 15-30 percent of U.S. adults have a type of condition called masked hypertension, meaning their high blood pressure readings are normal during health care visits but elevated when measured elsewhere.

The new study, conducted by a Canadian research team, enlisted more than 3,500 white-collar employees at three public institutions in Quebec. These institutions generally provide insurance services to the general population.

Compared with colleagues who worked fewer than 35 hours a week, working 49 or more hours each week was linked to a 70 per cent greater likelihood of having masked hypertension and a 66 per cent greater likelihood of having sustained hypertension- elevated blood pressure readings in and out of a clinical setting.

The people working between 41 and 48 hours each week were linked to a 54 per cent greater likelihood of having masked hypertension and a 42 per cent greater likelihood of having sustained hypertension.

The findings accounted for variables such as job strain, age, sex, education level, occupation, smoking status, body mass index, and other health factors.According to lead author Xavier Trudel, Ph.D., assistant professor in the social and preventive medicine department at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, “Both masked and sustained high blood pressure are linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk.”

“The observed associations accounted for job strain, a work stressor defined as a combination of high work demands and low decision-making authority. However, other related stressors might have an impact,” Trudel said.

The authors noted several strengths of the study, including its many volunteers, accounting for multiple factors that can impact blood pressure, repeated testing over several years, the use of wearable monitors instead of relying on workers’ reports of their blood pressure readings; and the use of the same monitors for all blood pressure measurements.

“People should be aware that long work hours might affect their heart health, and if they’re working long hours, they should ask their doctors about checking their blood pressure over time with a wearable monitor,” Trudel said. (ANI)

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Ischemia is a condition in which the blood-flow (specifically the oxygenated blood) is restricted or reduced in a part of the body. Cardiac Ischemia is the name for decreased blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle. This is a heart problem caused by narrowed heart arteries, also known as coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease. This can ultimately lead to a heart attack. Ischemia often causes chest pain or discomfort known as angina pectoris.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death in Western countries and is also increasing steeply in developing countries. This is based on atherosclerotic process, which contributes to plaque formation (deposition of fat) in the inner layer of medium and large arteries. This further leads to arterial narrowing causes ischemia, which occurs initially with exertion but may eventually occur at rest. Atherosclerosis commonly begins in your childhood and slowly progresses throughout life due abnormal lifestyle. Angina pectoris is the main presenting symptom, as a result of ischemia. Angina is typically described as painful pressure, which can radiate to the neck, arms, back, and upper abdomen.

Contributing factors to the disease: smoking, Hyperinsulinemia/ diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, family history, sedentary lifestyle, inflammation, stress, etc.

Diet remedies

Diet plays a pivotal role through the regulation of blood lipids and by influencing endothelial function and the underlying inflammation. Based on several studies it is being found that a low-fat plant-based diet, combined with regular exercise and a healthy overall lifestyle, can prevent, delay, and even reverse the progression of atherosclerosis, with subsequent reduction in cardiovascular disease. The key remedies include :

•Controlling dyslipidemia– Saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol in the diet increase concentrations of LDL cholesterol, while soluble fiber tends to reduce them. Controlling blood lipoprotein concentrations with a combination of diet, exercise, and medication is best option to follow.

•Controlling hypertension- High blood pressure is a major risk factor for CHD. Overall dietary and lifestyle changes helps in reducing total and LDL cholesterol.

•Controlling blood sugar levels- Diabetes is a major contributor of coronary disease and, in turn, CHD is a leading cause of death for people with diabetes.

•Improving antioxidant status- Dietary antioxidants, folate, magnesium, and other substances in foods may reduce the burden of LDL and improves endothelial function.

•Reducing inflammation- Inflammatory processes in atherosclerosis is increasingly apparent. Loss of excess body fat reduces C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation.

•Avoiding animal-fat and protein products– Dairy products, meat, and eggs are the primary sources of saturated fat and cholesterol which should be avoided. Low-fat plant-based diets are also highly acceptable to patients, provided they are prescribed along with basic diet instruction and support.

•Avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils- They contain trans fats that increase LDL cholesterol and can reduce HDL cholesterol. Trans fatty acids act like pro-inflammatory marker similar to those of saturated fat and adversely affect vascular reactivity, reducing arterial flow-mediated dilation.

•Increasing fiber-containing foods- Soluble fiber mainly found in oats, barley, and beans, is particularly heart-friendly. Fruits and vegetables are also sources of soluble dietary fiber and pectin, and are associated with reduction in atherosclerotic progression.

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