Health Inspired Dentistry Blog
Cleveland Health Coach Thinking About Your Heart
Wednesday, 28 February 2018
The heart is the most important organ in the body
Without our little hearts beating we would have no life at all. It is our driving force literally. How often do we actually think about how this miraculous organ works? People tend to think about their cars more than they do their hearts. If something goes wrong with your car, you have the option to fix or replace a broken part and the car runs like new again.
Not so much with your heart. If something goes wrong with your heart, it can become a lifelong, chronic and degenerative problem. The original equipment is best for optimal health because there is really no good replacement for the original equipment. The coronary arteries feed the heart. If these get blocked up through poor dietary habits we cannot get oxygen and nutrients through to feed the heart. This is the first step in the development of heart disease.
Stents and drugs can prolong health but not necessarily fix the source of the problem. There are always exceptions to the rule (congenital heart defects but for most people that is not the case). All is not lost though! There are really many things we can do to protect this precious and vital organ.
Here are some steps you can take starting now to prevent the number one cause of death for most Americans:
- Exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Include 2 days of some kind of resistance training.
- Reduce intake of saturated and Trans fats. These come from animal sources and processed foods.
- Increase intake of whole plant foods including fruits, veggies, intact grains like quinoa and steel cut oats,
legumes, beans and nut and seeds. - Reduce stress. Find outlets like meditation, yoga, relaxation exercises.
- Laugh! Spend time with friends and people who are fun to be with.
So next time you get in your car, instead of thinking about that oil change you need, think about your heart and give it the time and attention it deserves because it spends 86,000 beats a day thinking about you!
