Skipping meals, ignoring sleep and relying on low-fat products: 5 seemingly healthy habits that could be quietly harming your heart health

Many daily habits that are considered healthy may be silently harming your heart. Dr Mandal shares five practices that are not as heart-friendly as you think.

Everyone wants to keep their heart healthy. From swapping fizzy drinks for fruit juice to reaching for protein bars and sticking to daily fitness routines, we often make lifestyle choices that we believe are good for us. However, some habits that appear healthy on the surface may be doing more harm than good when it comes to heart health.

In a conversation with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sunil Kumar Mandal, senior consultant international cardiologist at Kailash Hospital, Greater Noida, highlights five habits commonly considered healthy that could have unintended consequences for the heart, explaining why they may be worth reconsidering.

Drinking fruit juices and smoothies

According to Dr Mandal, fruits are beneficial for the heart, but fruit juice is quite different. When you remove the fibre found in whole fruit, juice contains a high concentration of sugar that can rapidly increase blood glucose levels. He explains, “Prolonged high sugar levels are associated with weight gain, inflammation, and elevated triglycerides. Some bottled smoothies can contain as much sugar as a regular soft drink. Choosing whole fruit or making a smoothie at home with vegetables and protein is a healthier alternative.”

‘Low-fat’ and ‘sugar-free’ products

Food labels can be misleading. To preserve the flavour of fat free food, manufacturers may add more sugar, sodium or refined starch. Snacks that are labeled sugar-free often still have a lot of processing done to them and can cause a lot of cravings. Dr Mandal recommends, “When reading food labels, you shouldn’t just rely on the claims on the front. You should look at all the ingredients, the nutrition label, and the rest of the claims.”

Over-training without recovery

One of the best things you can do for your heart is exercise. However, according to the cardiologist, “Strenuous exercise with insufficient rest may overstress your cardiovascular system, lead to increased levels of stress hormones, and may lead to cardiac arrhythmia. For these reasons, you should exercise in moderation, trying to achieve a target of about 150 minutes of moderate activity per week and remembering to schedule days for rest and listening for warning signs such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and/or feeling faint.”

Fruit juice contains high concentrations of sugar and can raise blood sugar levels. (Unsplash)

Skipping meals to cut calories

Skipping meals is actually counter-productive for losing weight, and in some cases, even dangerous. Eating sporadically causes people to overeat later in the day. The cardiologist highlights that the body’s systems get out of sync, and blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar get elevated. Sustained healthy metabolic functioning relies on regularly eating consistent, balanced meals.

Ignoring sleep in favour of diet and exercise

Maintaining good eating and exercise habits does not necessarily guarantee the health of your heart, if you are also living with persistent stress and poor sleeping habits. Dr Mandal explains, “A number of studies indicate that sleeping less than seven hours a night contributes to higher blood pressure, weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease. Likewise, high levels of cortisol and adrenaline (which results from a lifestyle of stress) can induce a number of behaviours which are detrimental to your health, such as overeating and the avoidance of exercise.”

In addition to regular exercise and healthy eating, the cardiologist recommends ensuring that you sleep seven to nine hours and doing your best to live a life which minimises the stresses that are detrimental to the body. This could include a relaxing walk, a series of deep breaths, and even spending time with friends.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

Dr Sunil Kumar Mandal is a senior consultant interventional cardiologist at Kailash Hospital, Greater Noida. He holds an MBBS, MD in General Medicine and DM in Cardiology, with expertise in cardiovascular care and interventional cardiology.