“The heart is always ready to communicate with you.”

~ Howard Martin

 

A wish straight from the heart

by | Feb 16, 2021 | General Health

This is a love letter to your heart. You and your heart deserve it! Did you know this hard-working muscle can beat around 3 billion times over your lifetime?

Mismanaging forms of stress, negative thinking patterns, lack of movement, alcohol, and sugary treats put a tremendous amount of pressure on your heart, it could likely use a little support to keep it strong and supple!

Here are some eye-opening stats showing why that’s so important: Every 40 seconds, someone in the US has a heart attack, and every 37 seconds in the US, someone dies from cardiovascular disease.

It’s also the top killer in Australia, Canada, and many parts of Europe.

 

Plants: Eat more plants. It’s 100% the area most people can improve. Most  of us have an easy time including potatoes and corn into the diet, but those fibrous, nutrient dense vegetables can sometimes take the back burner. Try incorporating them into your meals and snacks. Start small, try adding an extra veggie or fruit every day!

Movement: Including cardio and strength training exercises can help keep your heart strong. It shows you care enough about yourself to put an effort into the joy and appreciation of moving. Start by including walks or activities you enjoy.

Snack Right: Adding raw nuts and seeds to the diet and replacing processed foods, is a sure fire way to ensure you feel satisfied and get a dose of healthy fats.

Sugar Check : Processed sugars are pro-inflammatory and create insulin resistance. A good place to start is checking in with sugary drinks. Do you have too much pop? What about lattes? Try drinking water, sparkling water, kombucha and herbal teas instead.

Gratitude: Take a moment to recognize the little and big things in your life you’re grateful for. Do this each day, and say it out loud. Feeling grateful is linked to better heart health.

Manage Stress Better: There is a growing body of evidence that emotions like stress, worry, anger and anxiety are contributing factors to hypertension.

These emotions activate the sympathetic nervous system. This process increases adrenaline, making your heart beat faster and causes your blood vessels to constrict.  It then prompts the hormone cortisol to constrict blood vessels, also causing salt and water retention in the kidneys. The end result of this dance, is high blood pressure.

I recommend getting more familiar with mindfulness, meditation, and heart math; where you can learn to harness the innate intelligence of your heart muscle.

Mindfulness: Maybe you’ve already heard this buzz word. It’s often associated with meditation practice, but it’s also about finding  moments in the day to be more present, on purpose. I love taking the mundane exercises of life and turning them into moments for being present. Next time you’re cleaning the house, cooking dinner, or having a shower try to quiet your thoughts and be truly focused on the task at hand. Feel the warmth of water, hear the sound of the chopping board. This form of mindfulness can help ease the mind of all its distracted, and often stressful thoughts.

 

This article is only the tip of the iceberg in taking back control of your health. Is your heart speaking to you, telling you it’s time to take some self care action? How about you book an appointment or learn more about my Loving Kindness Method

 

 

 

REFERENCES:
https://drhyman.com/blog/2018/05/22/30398/

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/spleen.html

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-simply-moving-benefits-your-mental-health-201603289350

www.bbc.com/news/health-11664660

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

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