Are you in love with your heart?

Are you in love with your heart? Yes or no? Do you take your heart health for granted? You might have great genes in your favor, but it’s up to you to take responsibility and do what you can to keep your heart in the best shape possible. Living a heart-healthy life doesn’t come by chance.

I know, you’ve heard or read the following tips before, but do you really understand how important your heart is to living your best life? Your heart is a four-chamber muscle which, in short, receives de-oxygenated blood after it has circulated through the body then pumps the blood to the lungs where it receives oxygen and the blood then comes back to the heart and the aorta pumps the oxygenated blood out to the body so all of our organs are able to function. If our heart isn’t in its best shape, it can’t function and literally, the rest of our body shuts down. The good news is… We can make changes to decrease our chances of having an unhealthy heart!

Three actions to take to show you love your heart

1. Move 
2. Decrease stress
3. Implement a healthy eating lifestyle

Yes, there are many actions to take to live your best life and love your heart, but today I’m focusing on moving, decreasing stress, and implementing a healthy eating lifestyle.

Move

So many people – adults and children – sit at a computer working all day or doing homework, binge watch favorite shows, or play video games for hours. Do you love yourself enough to stand up and move so your heart is healthy? The American Heart Association recommends people exercise for 40 minutes three to four times a week. Doing aerobic and dynamic resistance exercises can also lower blood pressure. So, if you can sit at your computer all day, binge watch your favorite show or play video games for hours, you can certainly take 40 minutes a day a few days a week to exercise. Find your groove and move – walk, hike, bike, swim. Find a buddy to do it with you – your spouse, your BFF… If you haven’t been moving, start slow and please see your doctor before you start any exercise program.

Decrease stress

This is a huge, huge action for me; I admit it. I allow stress to take over many times and it’s something I work on, on a daily basis. Stress releases certain hormones which can increase blood pressure. There are three types of stress – acute, episodic, and chronic. Figuring out how to relieve stress is imperative for heart health. Stress affects our lives every single day; we make the decision how we react. Some suggestions for relieving stress, and what I’ve implemented in my life are meditating, writing in a journal, going to yoga, and finding people who are positive influences. It’s a work in progress so be kind to yourself.

1. 1. Meditate/be grateful – I read an inspirational passage every day from “Jesus Calling.” Each day is a brief paragraph which makes me remember I can’t control everything, it’s okay for me to say, “Jesus Help Me,” and it’s okay to be happy. There are many ways to relieve stress and meditate; Dan Harris has a 10% Happier practice, there’s Depak Chopra and Oprah’s meditation practice. Every day I also write down three things I am grateful for; you wouldn’t believe how it works to relieve stress and focus on what is good. I make it simple; I’m grateful for my house, my health, my family, the trees and the sunshine. My point is it doesn’t have to be hard.
   2. Yoga. I just started a yoga class two weeks ago and I’m a believer; it works. It’s a gentle yoga class where the focus is on relaxing your body and being in tune with it. I’ve worked out a few knots in my body, I’m aware of my breathing and how to reduce stress by the breaths I take. 
   3. Do what makes you happy; hang with people who have a positive attitude. Who in your circle is positive no matter what? Who makes you laugh? What makes you smile and feel free – a funny movie, a book, painting, running, singing your favorite song out loud? 

Implement a healthy eating lifestyle

Yes, we all like to snack, go to parties, celebrate the holidays… by implementing a healthy eating lifestyle we have choices… Having an 80/20 regimen of healthy eating (while exercising, decreasing stress – again, it’s a holistic approach), allows us to decide when we want to take a break and at the same time know it’s for this day or  a special occasion and then go back on the wagon.

For me, I know I could never, ever give up bread or potatoes forever, but, because I’ve implemented a lifestyle of 80/20, I can decide when I want to splurge. I’ve also noticed since I’ve started this attitude, if I say I want to have a dessert on the weekend many times I feel so great I pass on the dessert. I’m also a food snob so my motto is, “if it isn’t worth the calories, I’m not eating it.”

You can choose what works for you, but the main thing is to choose healthy eating habits and what you like because it is a lifestyle, not a diet. 

The way I handle stress is my biggest drawback to loving my heart. My goal is to work on decreasing my stress and learning effective ways to handle it. I love my heart and I’m doing everything I can to live a heart-healthy life. What steps are you taking to love your heart?

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