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Eat, Heal, and Travel Your Way to Heart Health

Every February, health-conscious people celebrate American Heart Month to reaffirm their commitments to physical activity and nutrition. Sadly, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but small changes can lead to improved heart health. You may heal your life by staying active, increasing healthy eating options, and meditating to control blood pressure. High blood pressure or “hypertension” can lead to numerous problems, including heart disease through hardening of the arteries, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and even kidney disease requiring dialysis. In honor of American Heart Month, and in an effort to help you improve your health, we’re offering quick tips for lowering your blood pressure through eating, healing, and traveling.

Eating:

For optimal heart health, experts suggest limiting fats/sugars/salts, while also adding more nutritious foods like vegetables and fruits to your diet. If you’ve never been a fan of healthy greens, try Googling recipes for preparing them in new, unique ways. You could roast vegetables with exotic herbs, or try grilling fruits like watermelon. Couple your fruits and vegetables with a variety of protein sources, such as lean meats as well as plant proteins including seeds, nuts, and beans. Eating for heart health can be a delicious way to add variety to your diet.

Healing:

We all know that physical activity is an important aspect of heart health. Also important is the action of taking time to be in tune with the rhythm of your heart and body. This could include adding meditation, breathing exercises, and other stress management techniques to your daily routine. For example, deep breathing in through your nose, holding the breath for 5 to 10 seconds, and releasing very slowly through your mouth can calm nerves and lower your heart rate.

Traveling:

Have you ever felt that warm, overwhelming feeling of calm while enjoying a spectacular sunset over the Gulf of Mexico? Perhaps you remember visiting the Grand Canyon and being mesmerized by the unbelievable depth and peaceful silence? You’re heart likely benefited from those distinct feelings of bliss. If you’re not able to travel during a stressful time, you could try visualization as a relaxation technique. Spend ten minutes picturing yourself in your happy place. Feel it, breathe it, hear it, and see it in your mind. Whether you imagine a luxury vacation being pampered at a spa or imagine sitting by a smoky campfire under the stars – your heart will thank you for taking time to mentally relax and lower your blood pressure.

We hope these simple tips will inspire you to eat well, live long, and travel far! Eating healthy and incorporating enjoyable activities into your daily life is a great start for heart health. Be sure to let us know via Twitter or Facebook how you like to maintain a healthy heart.