Okay, Earth’s Enrichers–We need to you to stand up, take your right hand and place it over the left part of your chest and repeat after us, “I pledge allegiance to my heart, the most important organ in my body. For as long as I breathe, I dedicate myself to its well-being in my pursuit of healthy living!” Give yourself applause!
To help you fulfill this pledge we will share a few heart healthy tips. First things first, what do you know about your family’s health history, particularly in reference to heart disease? This is a very important aspect of your health. It’s like your life’s cheat sheet. It gives you insight into possible health challenges in your future and time to conceivably avoid health issues that your grandparents or parents could not.
Did you know that most heart diseases are hereditary? This does not mean there is a 100% chance you will end up with some form of heart disease if it is found in your family’s history. It just means that there is a likely chance you’re a candidate and you may need to think about changes in your lifestyle.
When it comes to a healthy heart there are four things we want you to keep in mind: exercising, managing stress, making healthy food choices and finding a hobby.
When it comes to exercising for the heart, cardio and stretching are great ways to strengthen the heart. Aerobic exercises (cardio) like jogging, biking, swimming, or even power walking are great for the heart. It’s just like any muscle. The more you work out the heart, the better it gets. In fact, the stronger it gets. Cardio or staying active in general (with regular practice) could burn calories, lower bad cholesterol, and help reduce blood pressure. The lovely thing about cardio exercise is that you could start at any time (consult your doctor too). When starting off, it’s better to start out easy. Perhaps, one day start by walking at a certain speed for a certain amount of time and increase your goals over time. Stretching like yoga, is great for relaxing the body and helping to reduce stress. Stretching is also an opportunity to meditate, this could help you find solutions to your problems and also relax the tension in the body.
Unmanaged stress can contribute to heart disease. It has a tendency to raise blood pressure and increase cholesterol. Stress is a part of life and cannot be avoided; however you must manage the stress and not let the stress manage you. Stress affects your whole body, including your heart. If stress is unmanaged it could even lead to stress eating in some cases. Don’t give in. Stress eating is another factor that affects heart health.
Some foods are designed with the heart in mind. Take for instance, rich dark chocolate, has an ingredient that can help stave off heart disease (eat responsibly). Tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans are also great for your heart. It tends to lower bad cholesterol. Also, foods that have a lot of salt should be excluded out your diet. Salt is one of the main factors contributing to heart disease. Highly processed and fast food can contain high amounts of salt. Along with high amounts of salt, eating fatty foods should also be consumed at a minimum.
Monitor the amount of calories you have taken in during your day, especially if you aren’t physically active. Physical activity disposes any calories your body doesn’t need or is not using. Keeping track of your calorie intake will help you balance out your diet to take the unnecessary work off your heart.
This is probably most important or at least the most fun — find a hobby. Find something you enjoy doing and most importantly, make the time to do it. It will help you relieve stress. You deserve to engage in activities that are solely for enjoyment. Try new things to see what you really enjoy doing. Take a painting class. Have you always wanted to learn to play an instrument? Do it. You deserve it, even if it is keeping up with your favorite TV show or comedy. Did you know that laughter is good for the heart? It literally stops stress from eating away at your health.
Your body should be taken care of like a well-oiled machine. Your heart is the engine that helps keep the machine going. Give it what it needs to keep it running smoothly. Begin with small steps. On you next shopping trip, park further away from the mall. Walk a little more. Take the stairs. Try a cool yoga pose in the morning before going to work or class. Book a class or get a book for that hobby you have always wanted to try .Try making better eating choices. Chose the meal or snack with the less sodium. Chose the snack that has the nuts. Chose dark chocolate instead of the bag of chips. Go with the lean instead of the fatty piece of steak, no matter how hard that choice might be. Trust us, we know that’s a hard choice to make 🙂 but it’s all worth it in the end.
The EE 411: Good Choices
Here at EE we always encourage you to take care of your body and do your own research to help you give your body the best care possible. You deserve it. We encourage you to become more active in the pursuit of healthy living.
In the meantime here are some good choices we have come across when it comes to maintaining a healthy heart:
- Quit smoking and stay clear of second hand smoke. Cigarettes are the leading cause of heart disease.
- Avoid salt and fatty foods.
- Eat fish two to three times a week. The fatty acids (omega 3) in fish could help reduce heart disease, but consuming too much fatty acids could cause other health problems. Eat responsibly.
- Eat dark chocolate in moderation. No problems here.
- Go for the red wine. When consumed properly, it helps improve the level of good cholesterol and lower chance of blood clotting.
- Tree nuts are a better snack than chips.
- Laugh
- Find a hobby.
- Exercise
- Spend time with your pets. If you like animals pets can be another great means of relieving stress because they love you no matter what.
- Keep track of your blood pressure. It’s good to know where you stand in terms of health. It is also important to test your blood sugar sometimes too.
- Have some tea. Teas like Green and Black may be good for your overall health besides, it’s really good.
- Have some blueberries. They contain vitamin D and Fiber along with antioxidants. Considered great at fighting diseases.
- Start your morning off with oatmeal. It lowers cholesterol, helps your body detox, and reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Eat your spinach. The nutrients in spinach help protect against heart disease. It is full of minerals, fiber, and vitamins.
- Sleep! When your body is well rested, it’s one less cause of stress. A good night sleep is a key to a successful day.
(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments. Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog. More information about our company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!)
