World Heart Day: How do you keep your heart healthy? Celebs share

JYOTHI VENKATESH 

The heart is the most important organ of our body, but do we take care of it as we should? On the occasion of World Heart Day, which is observed every year on September 29, we asked some celebs about their mantra for a healthy heart. Here's what they had to say:

Jasmin Bhasin: The heart is the most important organ of our body and to keep it healthy I eat good fat, healthy fats, omegas so that my good cholesterol is always high and my bad cholesterol is always low. To keep my heart happy I eat whatever I feel like and do things that make me happy. Just keeping your heart healthy is not enough, you need to keep it happy as well.

Dhruvee Haldankar: Live healthy and you automatically have a healthy heart. Exercise frequently, have a low sodium diet, and learn to use your heart to love and spread its warmth.

Khusbhoo Kamal: Being an actor I have to follow diet and exercise to keep myself fit and healthy but at the same time we have to take extra care of our heart because if this organ stops your life ends. One should have oil that contains no cholesterol or less cholesterol. You should run daily because when you run your heart pumps faster and it is also a type of exercise. Avoid eating oily food. We shouldn’t take our heart for granted because if we take it for granted, then it will take our life for granted. So if you want to live a longer and healthy life, please take care of your heart.

Delnaaz Irani: I am on the heavier side so I make it a point to do my walk daily, I also go for a Zumba class or a dance class when I get time. Cardio is very very important where you get your heart pumping, when you burn calories the heart remains healthy. I walk every single day as my dad had heart problems, so we are all told to be careful and we do take our precaution, like not eating oily stuff, once in a while it’s ok, but not always. I prefer home-cooked food. People do neglect the heart and concentrate more on other organs of the body, it’s not right. I do my bit by doing exercise and not consuming any extra fat.

Savi Thakur: I am very particular about my diet. I always eat healthy. And never skip my workout. But as you know workout won’t help you if your diet is not clean. Our heart is the most important organ of our body, therefore we should all do exercises like running, yoga, weight lifting, skipping, and always eat a healthy balanced diet like oats, brown rice, brown bread, eggs, chicken, milk, nuts, etc.

Bhavesh Kumar: I don't only take care of my heart but my body and soul too. Coming from a sports-orientated family, since childhood, I have been trained and guided to take care of myself. When I am not shooting, I have many classes and workout regimen to stay fit. I also take taekwondo and yoga classes for my health. Also coming from Haryana all the people are fond of Makhan, butter and milk, etc but I control myself from that.

Vijayendra Kumeria: I usually eat healthy food and avoid oily junk food. Having a lot of greens is good for your heart. I keep myself active with exercises and do some cardio almost every day. Of course, the heart is your vital organ but a lot of people ignore its well-being. One just needs to take care of their eating habits and do some cardio exercises and I think that's not a very difficult task.

Saanand Verma: I am very conscious about taking care of my health and my heart, so I always park my car half a kilometer away from the place where I am going and walk till the destination. Though I am not regular because of my hectic schedule, I always try to do some cardio. Be happy that's what I feel because if I am happy my heart is also happy, so stay happy. Do some skipping, jogging, do any physical activity. Rather than playing video games, you should play kabaddi, cricket, or anything in which your heartbeat increases. I always avoid lifts and use the staircase to stay in shape and healthy.

Shilpa Raizada: Taking care of the heart is very important. I try to avoid any negative energy and try to be happy. I eat healthy food, oily food is a big no for me and I do yoga daily.

Aneesha Madhok: I take care of my heart with love. First and foremost, life can be hard but I don’t give my body stress or get angry. I don’t believe in getting angry. Getting angry is the worst thing one can do to the body. I believe that love is the answer to all problems in life. September 28th was a Jewish holiday called Yom Kippur and I fasted. The journey brought me to a state of gratitude where I reflected on how I can be a better person and content within myself without other people and food. When we learn to love ourselves truly, only then can we learn to love other people truly. Most people get attached to other people and simple things like a break-up make their heart cry. The only way to keep your heart happy is to be connected and not attached. This way no break-up or rejection can break your heart because your love for you is immense and every other love is only a cherry on top. Aside from the cognitive realm, I take care of my body by doing yoga and dancing. My heart is happiest when I am dancing. And as far as diet is concerned I believe in intuitive eating - which is eating what your body craves. I love fruits and Persian food with lots of rice. So overall lots of water, love, food, dancing, and hugs.

Srishti Jain: I believe being mentally fit has also become a huge necessity in today’s time. With everything going on, I make sure along with physical fitness I also meditate and keep myself positive and free of negative thoughts to ensure that I have a healthy heart. I’m quite the 'Jain' in this respect, I don’t usually eat anything post 7 p.m., eating three hours before going to bed is considered healthy. I think we all take our body and heart for granted, but I’ve realised investing in your health today ensures a healthier tomorrow.

Vikas Sethi: World Heart Day on 29th September is a gentle reminder to each of us to take care of our hearts. It is important to take care of our hearts, both by physical exercise and as well as emotional well being. It's ok to seek the support of your near and dear loved ones. I try and stay positive through difficulties. Do not take your health and heart for granted. Stay blessed!

Jhanvi Sethi: World Heart Day on 29th September is an important day for us to focus on health. As a co-founder of MyZindagi Foundation I feel it's an important day for us to take care of our mental health along with the physical health of our hearts. It's ok to seek counseling support. Do not take your health and heart for granted. Stay positive!

Shivani Gosain: I try my best to not take extra unwanted or unimportant stress. I do not follow any diet. I just prefer homemade healthy food, which keeps me and my immunity strong. I keep myself active the whole day doing house duties, distress myself by playing with my pet, playing with my sister's babies and I try to do yoga/exercise thrice a week. We all know that a healthy mind and body will keep our heart healthy but still, we all take it for granted.

Rajesh Kumar: There is a kriya (yoga) where I have learned how to make the heart breathe. It’s Shakti Chalan Kriya, taught by Sadhguru (Isha Foundation) which helps a lot to keep the heart ticking right. Apart from regular exercise, I also have less oily food. Apart from that being happy is the best way.

Pranitaa Pandit: For a healthy heart I try to eat good, healthy food. I include lots of green vegetables in my meals and instead of binging on fried snacks I eat fruits. I prefer less oil in my food. Most importantly, I exercise regularly. Even when I am not well I make sure that I at least walk for half an hour. And I guess that keeps me and my heart happy.

Rohit Choudhary: We cannot take the health of our heart lightly. It helps our body function. Its like an engine, so if it it's not healthy how will the other organs survive. I want to spread this message globally that a lot of deaths happen due to heart diseases and only a few changes in your lifestyle can keep it healthy. You should try to eat less fatty food and also those food items which can shoot up your cholesterol level. Avoid alcohol, junk food, oily food. It's all in your hands, and healthy food and work out can keep it healthy for a long time. You don't necessarily need a gym for work out, you can easily do yoga, or jogging. A disciplined life will result in both inner and outer fitness of your body. Please adopt a healthy lifestyle for a healthy heart.

Aashish Mehrotra: In the initial part of my life I did not give any importance to my heart in terms of an organ or that it should be healthy. But five-six years down the line, I realised you should do everything to keep it healthy. I do some breathing exercises and I do follow a diet. I try and keep my cholesterol level in control so that it doesn't affect my heart in any way. If your heart is not healthy, you will feel exhausted all the time, and you also increase the risk of a lot of diseases. So it's very important to keep it healthy and happy. Thinking good, positive thoughts also affect the heart in a good way. So I aim to keep it not just healthy, but happy too.