February is heart month! What are you doing to love on your heart? Studying Anatomy has shown me that our heart is quite amazing. Our entire body is! It’s so incredible, but I feel we take it for granted. Sometimes until it’s too late.
It doesn’t take a lot to start to take care of your heart and you know the things, but here’s a little reminder.
If you are smoking - QUIT - last night during Intermission at the symphony, I went outside for some fresh air - but outside is where the smokers go… so my air quickly turned into something else. I was a hobby smoker. I smoked when I drank. The last time I bought a pack of cigarettes I was in my 20’s and I did that because when I looked at the price and thought I was basically paying this to kill myself that was enough for me to stop. I may have had one or two more after that point… but it’s been at least 15 years, if not longer since I smoked. Oh - this includes Vaping too.
Drink more water - You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces a day. Are you? I know it’s hard to drink more water. In the mornings I start off with freshly squeezed lemon in my water, because it’s hard for me to drink it first thing - but it is exactly what our body needs after sleeping. You can also infuse your water with herbs, fruits and veggies. Try to drink a full 8 ounces before each meal, but also try not to drink a lot before bedtime so you don’t get up to You pee in the middle of the night - You heart needs it’s rest too!
Exercise - It’s said you should get 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week. Break it down to 30 minutes a day. MINIMUM. The programs I use start at 10 minutes and go up to over an hour. But at least 30 minutes a day and your heart will love you. If you are in an office or sitting most of your day - get up every hour and walk around. Sitting is just as bad as smoking!
Eat well - STOP EATING OVERLY PROCESSED FOODS! You know this already! The internet is literally screaming it at you every time you get online. (like I just did) Shop your store perimeter - spending lots of time in the produce section. Try a new recipe - get a new veggie and see what happens, you might just surprise yourself. You should get 6 servings of fruits and veggies a day, 4 veggies and 2 fruits - at the minimum. If you are vegan it should be 6 servings of veggies - I admit it's hard, but I am working on it! We can work together to get a meal plan in place that suits your lifestyle - it should not be overly complicated! This also includes eating Fat - Healthy Fat! Be very careful of diets that encourage eating fat - there are healthy fats avoid the unhealthy ones like crazy!
Go for a wellness check - Are you going to the doctor at least once a year for blood work? I found out a few years ago my thyroid level was off. It was because I was deficient in iodine. So that’s why I eat oatmeal! Do you know your thyroid helps with bone homeostasis? If we have too much calcium in our blood stream the thyroid releases a hormone to get it back to normal. See how important our body is? How much it works together?
Allow yourself to destress…. Whatever that may be. To be honest, for me it’s mindless TV and a walk in nature and so many other things. You have to find what works for you and allow yourself to destress. (Exercise helps with this too, but sometimes when you are stressed, the last thing you want to do is exercise. Maybe just give it a try).
Your heart is ready for you to show it some love!
Thank you for reading!
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