Matters of the Heart
Valentine’s Day is here and time for us hapless blokes and ladies to go to the local florist to buy a beautiful bunch of red roses for our loved ones.
This may all seem a little contrived but I believe this ritual to be important to show a bit of appreciation for the love and care we afford each other over a very busy year.
Perhaps the most important thing that we can do for each other is to look after our health and be there for our loved ones.
This is where looking after our heart, the muscle that keeps pumping life around our body is so important.
The beautiful thing about looking after your heart is that you look after the rest of your body at the same time by doing the same things.
When you stop smoking to improve your heart health you not only decrease the risk of a heart attack but decrease the risk of a stroke and many types of cancer.
The list is quite short on what you can do to improve your heart health: stop smoking, healthy eating, become more active, lose weight, reduce alcohol consumption and get your blood pressure, cholesterol and chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes, mental health) under control.
Every small improvement is a positive step to good heart health.
My suggestion is to pick one and work with it.
You may choose losing weight which involves eating more vegetables and fruits, reducing sugar and calorie intake with a bit of daily exercise thrown in.
Focus on one, before working on another, or you will end up being overwhelmed with everything and give up.
For those wondering what the first step is to a better heart, my suggestion would be to go to your local GP and have a complete health check-up.
Not only will you know what your baseline levels are but it will provide a baseline to work off and make you accountable and provide motivation for your heart health goals.
For further information or to discuss anything about heart health, talk to your local pharmacist, GP or preferred health care professional.