October 11, 2025

Did you know your heart is like a slow cooker, reacting quietly to what you do every day? Dr Kunal Sood, an expert anesthesiologist, highlights six common habits that might be quietly punishing your heart. From October 10, in a popular Instagram video, he explained how simple routines can cause big heart troubles over time. First up, ultra-processed foods! Dr Sood says these shiny, packaged snacks are full of refined starches, sugars, and industrial fats. What’s worse? “About 70-80% of dietary sodium comes from processed foods,” he warns, grabbing your blood vessels in a tight squeeze with hidden salt and harmful trans fats. Then, sugary drinks are the sneaky villains. “A 12-ounce soda has about 35-40 grams of sugar that spikes blood glucose and insulin within minutes,” he reveals. This sugar surge messes with your body’s insulin and even makes your liver store more fat. What about sitting too long? Dr Sood shouts a big red alert: "Prolonged sitting reduces calf muscle pumping and blood flow, increasing venous stasis and clot risk." In fact, working a desk job for over 10 hours daily almost triples dangerous blood clot risks! Poor sleep is no friend either. When you skip good rest, your body wakes up its stress system. Dr Sood says, "Short or fragmented sleep activates the sympathetic system, raises norepinephrine, and blunts normal nighttime BP dipping," raising blood pressure and harming blood vessels. Vaping and smoking don’t get a free pass either. "Even one vaping session increases arterial stiffness and BP," he cautions. These habits damage the blood vessel lining and reduce nitric oxide, essential for vessel health. Last but not least, chronic stress is a silent heart assassin. Keeping cortisol high leads to sticky inflammation. Dr Sood explains, "Elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels promote endothelial injury and atherosclerosis." Worried yet? Don’t be! The good news is, knowing these traps lets you fight back. Cut down on processed and sugary foods, move around every hour, get solid sleep, avoid smoking and vaping, and handle stress with care. Your heart will thank you! Remember, this article shares insights but isn’t medical advice. Always check with your doctor before making big changes. So, what small change will you make today for your heart’s happy beat?

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Tags: Heart disease, Lifestyle habits, Ultra-processed foods, Sedentary lifestyle, Stress, Dr kunal sood,