From the Cath Lab to the Cloud Forest — A Cardiologist’s Reminder on Health

From the Cath Lab to the Cloud Forest — A Cardiologist’s Reminder on Healthy Living

By Dr. Keyur Parikh

Chairman, Marengo CIMS Hospital, Ahmedabad, India

Senior Interventional Cardiologist, practicing since 1985

From April 8 to April 30, 2026, I will be traveling across some of the most extraordinary and ecologically diverse regions of Ecuador — beginning in the Andean Cloud Forest, then moving into the Amazon Rainforest, followed by the Galápagos Islands, and concluding with the high-altitude environment of Cotopaxi National Park.    

As a cardiologist, I often remind my patients and colleagues that health is not built only in hospitals. It is built in daily life — through movement, discipline, prevention, adaptation, and our connection with nature.

This journey is, in many ways, a living classroom. Ecuador offers dramatic shifts in altitude, climate, and terrain: the cool freshness of Quito at altitude, the mist-laden biodiversity of Mashpi Cloud Forest, the heat and humidity of Yasuní in the Amazon basin, the sea-level natural laboratory of the Galápagos, and finally the demanding high-altitude environment of Cotopaxi, where elevations can rise well above 4,500 meters.  

For me, this is more than travel. It is a reminder of how adaptable the human body can be when supported by good cardiovascular fitness, healthy habits, and an active lifestyle.

What this journey reminds me about healthy living

1. Stay physically active

Regular walking remains one of the simplest and most effective exercises for heart health. You do not need sophisticated equipment or a gym membership to begin protecting your heart. Consistent walking improves circulation, supports blood pressure control, enhances stamina, and benefits mental well-being.

Whether one is walking through a hospital corridor, a city street, a forest trail, or along the deck of a ship, movement remains medicine.

2. Respect altitude and environment

Travel across Ecuador is also a lesson in physiological adaptation. Higher altitudes demand pacing, hydration, and gradual adjustment. The body performs remarkably well when we respect its limits and allow it time to adapt. This principle applies not only to mountain travel, but also to everyday health: progress should be steady, thoughtful, and sustainable.

3. Prioritize preventive health

The strongest protection against cardiovascular disease is rarely dramatic. It is built quietly over decades through good habits: physical activity, sound nutrition, restorative sleep, stress control, and timely medical check-ups.

Prevention is less glamorous than intervention — but it is far more powerful.

4. Spend time in nature

Nature is not merely beautiful; it is therapeutic. Time outdoors reduces stress, calms the mind, and helps reset the body. In an era of constant stimulation and screen fatigue, natural environments remind us to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with what is fundamental.

For the heart, for the brain, and for emotional balance, nature is often deeply restorative.

One enduring lesson

Whether in the cath lab, in a hospital corridor, in a city park, or on a mountain trail, the fundamentals of healthy living remain remarkably consistent.

Movement is medicine. Prevention is powerful. Health is a lifelong journey.

The Galápagos, forever linked with Charles Darwin, also offers a deeper reflection: life survives and thrives through adaptation. The same is true for us. When we learn to adapt wisely to our environment — physically, mentally, and emotionally — we give ourselves the best chance not only to live longer, but to live better.  

As I begin this journey through Ecuador’s cloud forests, rainforests, islands, and mountains, I do so with gratitude — and with renewed conviction that the principles of healthy living are simple, timeless, and available to all of us.

Walk more. Breathe deeply. Stay curious. Protect your heart.

Keyur Parikh