7 Heart Healthy Tips You Can Start Now

The heart is an intricate vital organ responsible for circulation of blood and distribution of nutrients throughout the body. The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart and a complex network of blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries). Heart disease affects millions of people and some much prematurely. The good news is that you can achieve heart health by incorporating some easy steps into your daily routine.

1. Structured Exercise – Thirty minutes of exercise is recommended daily, many people prefer to work out in a gym. If you choose not to, you can still work out at home – run on a treadmill or use a stationary bike while watching TV, or do squats and lunges while cooking in the kitchen.

2. Meditate – The link between stress and heart disease is well-established; it is important to mentally and physically wind down. It is important to put in 100% at work and all other activities, but it is just as important to take some “alone” time each day. Sit with your eyes closed for about 20 minutes twice daily, and let go of all your stresses. I recommend vedic meditation, which is a transcendental technique. You can also give your self a quick massage by lying on your back and positioning a tennis ball under the tense points on your back, and rolling gently up and down and side to side. Similarly, staring at a blue or green surface (like the sky or a lawn) for a few minutes, every few hours calms the eyes and the mind.

3. Breathe – An easy and instant stress buster is blowing up a balloon in slow, three-second puffs. This forces you to breathe deeper and slower, which the nervous system associates with a state of calm.

4. Seize every opportunity to workout – Routine household chores cannot be avoided – convert them into an aerobic workout! Vacuuming briskly, mowing the lawn, weeding the garden and walking the dog, are a great way to keep you moving, and are already a part of your life.

5. Watch what you eat –Being diligent with your food intake and ensuring you are basing your meals on good quality vegetables and proteins, consuming fresh unprocessed, organic foods as close to their natural state as possible is an ideal healthy heart diet approach, which will ensure quality of life far into your later years.

6. Healthy heart supplementation – Antioxidant nutrients are vital to ensure the body has the important building blocks for essential maintenance and repair of the cardiovascular system. Important heart nutrients include Coenzyme Q10, Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and magnesium at meaningful therapeutic doses. Be careful when choosing your supplementation, not all products are made equal. Seek professional advice and do not self-prescribe.

7. Practice forgiveness – emotions play a huge role in heart health as it is the centre of all emotions. This great quote illustrates my point: “To be unforgiving is like taking the poison yourself, and expecting the other person to die from it!” The origin of any negative emotion is the first target. Choose to change the way you look at people and situations and seek tools that will help you let go of negative emotions and feelings. Emotional freedom technique, a tool I teach in the practice is a great one!

These steps are a great starting point to adopting a lifestyle that will keep you fit and healthy from inside out!

© 2008 Gabriela Rosa and Natural Fertility & Health Solutions P/L

Keywords: Heart