Ways to Love Your Heart During Heart Health Month
February is here, and with it, two dates we should take to heart: Heart Health Month and Valentine's Day.�With a nod to these red-letter February events, integrative physician and medical commentator, Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, shares a few top tips on "'Ways to Love Your Heart."�Many of these come from his popular wellness book "Real Cause, Real Cure" (Rodale Press) in which he highlights ways to prevent, control and even reverse heart disease.
"The heart is the most important muscle in the body," says Dr. Teitelbaum, "It needs regular TLC through simple lifestyle habits that anyone can adopt easily and pleasurably.� Show your heart some love this February and it'll thank you every other month of the year and beyond."
Share some dark chocolate with your sweetheart. Studies show that less than an ounce a day can lower systolic blood pressure by three to four points.� High blood pressure or hypertension is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Steal a kiss with garlic breath. Eating one to three cloves of fresh garlic a day is a good way to control high cholesterol, another major risk factor in CVD.� Crushing and adding a few garlic cloves into olive oil makes a yummy treat than can drop your cholesterol by 10 to 12 points.�
Go nutty. Snack on a handful of tree nuts daily.� Studies show that eating walnuts, which are rich in heart-protecting monounsaturated fats, can help lower blood cholesterol. The same is true of other tree nuts, such as almonds and macadamia nuts.� ���
Make a date with eggs. Contrary to popular belief, studies show that eating even as many as six eggs a day has no effect on blood cholesterol levels. In fact, one study shows that regular egg consumption lowers total cholesterol and increases "good" HDL cholesterol in a majority of healthy adults.�
Go on a fishing trip. The American Heart Association has endorsed the use of omega-3 fatty acids for secondary prevention of heart disease -- prevention of angina, heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events in people with diagnosed CVD. A high quality fish oil supplement, as well as fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, are all great sources of omega-3s.
These are just a few everyday ways to show your heart some love. For more tips, visit www.Vitality101.com.
