Everyone knows Valentine’s Day is about sharing the love in your heart with others. But how much do we know about the health of our own heart? Too often we take the 24-7 beat, beat, beat for granted, starting our days without giving it a second thought.
Did you know that during an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times? And the average heart beats about 100,000 times each day and pumps about 7,200 litres (1,900 gallons) of blood? It is miraculous when you think about it.
So, for a muscle that works as hard as it does, be sure to ask what can you can do to support its health.
Here are some simple actions to promote a healthy lifestyle and benefit heart health:
Indulging in chocolate?—Make it dark: Scientific studies have shown that cocoa, found in dark chocolate, is a good source of flavonols, which have antioxidant activity to help cells resist damage. Research has indicated that consumption of dark chocolate can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The highest level of dark chocolate consumption (5+ times per week) was associated with more than 50 per cent lower prevalence of coronary heart disease compared with those who did not consume chocolate.
Manage stress levels: Health professionals recognize that stress carries negative health consequences, one of which being heart disease. In 2010, a survey found that 23.5 per cent of people aged 15 and older reported that most days were ‘extremely or quite a bit stressful’. Consider taking a holistic approach to stress management, consult your health care provider and research the benefits of magnesium citrate, an anti-stress mineral and valerian, an anti-anxiety herb. Both are safe, effective natural health products found at natural health food stores.
Use tomatoes in your romantic Valentine’s dinner: They are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and fibre and are high in lycopene.
The combination of nutrients in tomatoes has been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease.
