Hye there! Today I will be sharing with you on my thoughts regarding health. First of, let me share with you a story of a girl named Farah Nadia.
“Seeing
my father pass away from a heart attack has changed my attitudes towards heart
health,” said Farah Nadia. “I know that there is a very real chance that my
siblings or myself could develop the same heart disease risk factors, such as
high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure or even diabetes if we are not
careful.”
Farah
is right to be concerned – preventative heart care is not a top-of-mind
consideration for most Malaysian adults, as heart disease is usually perceived
as an illness that affects the elderly. Research has proven this is not the
case - in fact, Malaysians in their
thirties are now more likely to have arteries which are similar to a person
aged seventy years old due to their lifestyles. One out of two Malaysians are
suffering from high cholesterol. The sad conclusion is that Malaysians are
simply succumbing to heart disease at a younger age.
In
Farah’s case, the risk is even more pressing given that her father has passed
away after thirteen years of battling with never-ending coughs, feverish bouts
and breathlessness brought about by heart disease. According to the World Heart
Federation, “If a first-degree male relative (e.g. father, brother) has
suffered a heart attack before the age of 55 , you are at greater risk of
developing heart disease.” Risk factors can be inherited - familial
hypercholesterolemia refers to a build-up of low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol in the blood that can be passed down from one generation to
another, leading to the development of coronary heart disease.
To
encourage Malaysians to take action for their heart health now instead of much
later when the symptoms of heart disease have already manifested, brands such
as Nestle Omega Plus have made it their mission to be Malaysia’s heart health
advocate. Saturday Sept 3rd will see Malaysians young and old converge on Lake
Gardens (Perdana Botanical Gardens) for Walk-A-Mile, Malaysia’s longest running
walk for heart health advocacy, jointly organised by Nestlé Omega Plus and
Yayasan Jantung Malaysia (YJM).
“For
the past 14 years, Nestlé Omega Plus has reached out to Malaysians to take
charge and care for their heart through Walk-A-Mile in collaboration with YJM
and we look forward with great excitement to sharing heart healthy activities
with everyone at Walk-A-Mile. Caring for your heart does need to be a big
monumental step, simply taking the stairs or swapping sugary treats with fresh
fruits and drinking two glasses of Nestlé Omega Plus with added plant sterols
daily to manage cholesterol can improve your heart health,” said Ng Su Yen,
Business Executive Manager, Milks of Nestlé Malaysia.
Nevertheless,
for those of us that inherit these risk factors, heart health can still be
managed. For most of us, making a few simple lifestyle changes might be all we
need to avoid the development of heart disease. Heart disease manifests itself
in many different forms – a heart attack, narrowing of arteries, abnormal heart
rhythms, breaking down of the heart valve or heart muscle and degeneration of
blood vessels, amongst others. Collectively they are known as cardiovascular
heart disease, or CHD.
These
are the 3 key factors to manage your heart health holistically. Aim to get some
form of physical activity every day – the American Heart Association suggests a
combination of moderate and vigorous activity thirty minutes a day, five times
a week. Anything that makes your body move and burn calories is considered
physical activity. Walking more is a great way to improve heart health.
Even
if you don’t have any heart issues, it’s important to not miss your heart
health check-ups with your doctor. Ask questions about your numbers: blood
pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, blood glucose and weight. These numbers will
help to provide a benchmark for upcoming check-ups.
Eat
a balanced diet - at the dining table, aim to fill half your plate with
vegetables and fruits, consume milk with added plant sterols to block the
absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Plant sterols are especially
effective in lowering cholesterol levels – according to Heart UK, the
Cholesterol Charity, plant sterols can reduce cholesterol levels by up to 10%
when taken at optimal doses and as part of a diet low in saturated fat in just
over 3 weeks. They are considered to be the most effective single food that can
lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Plant sterols can be
found in small amounts in many grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and
seeds. However you may have to eat very large amounts of these items to have an
effect on your cholesterol, with Nestlé Omega Plus, you only need to drink two
glasses a day to manage cholesterol levels.
Now
28, Farah Nadia is clear of any heart disease symptoms but she has to be
vigilant as her father’s family tree has it – both her father’s elder sister
and younger sibling has heart issues. To make sure she stays free from the
onset of heart disease, she drinks milk with added plant sterols to block
cholesterol, gets regular exercise and has her heart health checked regularly
by doctors. “I’m not going to let heart disease happen to me, not when I’m able
to do something about it,” is her response to this turn of events in her life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After getting to know Farah's life story, it really opened my eyes, as my father's side of the family always had health complications, which I had lost a few relatives over it. I may look healthy, but I honestly have to say that I don't have a healthy eating habit, as I tend to stay away from vegetables.
Most likely, I will start consuming more vegetables from now on and of course, as the milk person that I am, I will definitely make it a habit to drink Nestle Omega Plus Milk!
Oh before I forget, I will also be joining the Walk-A-Mile marathon with my family. So hope I can see you with your family and friends on the 3rd of September at Perdana Botanical Garden!
Do make sure to practice a healthy lifestyle ya!
Till the next post, see you again!
Sincerely,
Absolute Yana
www.absoluteyana.com
Very good information here!! Yes it's too bad that sometimes it takes something drastic to happen to someone's family or relative in order to make a change. Glad to see you reflect on someone's experience and be able to make a change yourself. I also try to follow good diet, exercise, and yearly checkups (required for work). Awesome to see you take your family for the walk! Keep up the great writing Yana!!
ReplyDeleteThanks chris!! You should check this link too...
Deletehttp://thecoverage.my/entertainment/stories/from-the-eyes-of-a-daughter-every-childs-nightmare/
Really need to take good care of our health, especially important organs like the heart :)
ReplyDeleteYea...I had a mini heart attack when I thought my dad got heart attack... if you can you should check out this article that I wrote...
Deletehttp://thecoverage.my/entertainment/stories/from-the-eyes-of-a-daughter-every-childs-nightmare/
It is so scary and we are not so healthy.. heaven knows I am a walking timebomb myself... LOL
ReplyDeletehigh five kak! tapikan...the latest experience happened a day after i posted this..
Deletehttp://thecoverage.my/entertainment/stories/from-the-eyes-of-a-daughter-every-childs-nightmare/
it really crucial to take care of our health all the the time ! I know that if we not alert with our health , the consequence could be fatal ..
ReplyDeleteYea..it's scary to think that our body is like a time bomb...
DeleteIts never too late to start caring for your health. And i have to agree that consuming the right diet does helps :)
ReplyDeleteThat's true...
DeleteHeart disease is a top killer among men and women in Malaysia. We need to be more proactive in managing our health, from eating right to exercising regularly. Obviously, it is easier said than done!
ReplyDelete