Taking Care Of Your Heart Long After Valentine’s
Valentine’s season is more or less over and what a time that was. Whether you spent it with your significant other, your best friends, or even all alone, it is always nice to remind ourselves what truly matters and appreciate the things that make us happy.
We had time to take care of matters of the heart including our relationships with ourselves. Now that the chocolates are gone and the flowers have started to wilt, it is time to take care of your actual heart.
Let’s take a closer look at exactly why the heart is so important and what steps you can take to nourish and care for this muscle that beats for you day in and out.
Is the heart the most important organ in the body?
It is difficult to crown any one organ or system as the most important as they all bring something to the table. However, if they were to be ranked, the heart and cardiovascular system, in general, would probably be pretty high on the pecking order.
The heart is easily the hardest working organ. It literally never stops working and can beat about 100,000 times per day and about 35 million times a year. It beats whether you are awake or asleep, active or just chilling, eating or crying, and whatever else you may be doing.
The heart’s job is pretty simple and straightforward. It is the pump that transports blood to all parts of the body. While this function may be straightforward, there are a lot of factors that influence just how effective it is at its job. This includes things like diet, activity levels, and even psychological well-being.
For some perspective on what really matters, here are 5 lifestyle changes that you can make to improve your heart’s health and functionality.
- Eat less…There are several foods the heart can simply go without and others that are best kept in moderation. When it comes to heart health it’s best to gravitate to a low-sodium diet as sodium has an impact on blood pressure. What’s the best approach here? Well, fun fact, a majority (roughly 75%) of sodium intake comes from processed foods. So the simple solution, limit your intake of processed foods.
Eat less red meat. We’ve all heard it before, but that doesn’t make it any easier to do. Here’s a great strategy, when you are ready for a juicy steak opt for a high-quality, organic, grass-fed option. Or better yet, go harvest your own wild game. Why? We’ll naturally high-quality meat costs a bit more which means that you naturally buy and consume less. Not to mention it tastes better and is free of added hormones that do your body no good.
Reduce trans fats. When it comes to heart health and health in general there are good fats and bad fats. Trans fats fall in the bad category. They are often found in processed snack foods like microwave popcorn and chips, fried foods, and some baked goods. In a perfect world, we’d avoid these altogether. But, this world is not perfect so start where you are and at a minimum reduce them with the goal of eliminating them.
- Eat more… This isn’t all about elimination. There are plenty of foods and fats that nourish and support the heart. So, in general, eat more whole foods including a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole-grain, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Focus on increasing Omega 3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are considered good cholesterol and can be found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna, eggs, avocados, chia seeds, olive oil, and Organic wild microalgae®.
Add some fiber. Do you know what the best source of fiber is? Plants that come out of the ground. We are talking about whole fruits and vegetables, legumes and so on. Not only do they support healthy cholesterol but they are loaded with a variety of micronutrients that support your entire body.
- Be active. More specifically, do a little cardio and get that heart rate up. This doesn’t mean that you have to go run miles or carve out hours of your time (but you can if you’d like). Rather, work movement into your day. You could carve out 10 minutes for a HIIT workout, take 5 minutes to jump on a rebounder, go for a brisk walk, work 30 minutes of daily exercise into your schedule… the options are endless. It’s a matter of starting where you are and going from there.
- Let stress go. Believe it or not but stress could affect your heart health. Psychological unrest affects everything from blood pressure to your heart’s rhythm. As such, taking care of your mental well being could do wonders for your heart health.
Try meditating or yoga, which will help you improve your mindfulness and establish a peaceful baseline. You should also try getting enough sleep and surrounding yourself with a positive support system.
- Nourish your heart. Just like the rest of your body, your heart requires the right nourishment and nutrients to function at its best. That’s where CoQ10 comes in. More specifically, Ubiquinol, the bioactive form of CoQ10. Ubiquinol is a naturally occurring fat-soluble substance that resembles a vitamin. It is found in tissues that require the most energy such as the heart, liver, and kidney. Unfortunately, the natural production of this important antioxidant slowly declines around the age of 30, meaning it becomes important to supplement it.
This powerful antioxidant promotes a healthy heart and a strong cardiovascular system and can be found in New Earth’s Energize.
Support and Nourish Your Heart
February reminds us just how important and special the heart is. And, yearlong support and care are essential for this muscle that continues to pump blood through the body. It doesn’t take very much time, just consistency. Being conscious of what we put in our bodies, how we move our bodies, and supplementing for added support can make a world of difference when it comes to heart health.
So, toss the junk food, load up on whole foods, move that body, and put Energize to the test risk-free with our 90-day money-back guarantee. Your heart will thank you.
At New Earth we are on a mission to positively impact the health of every body and soul we come in contact with. We specialize in producing third-party certified, organic whole food supplements including a variety of probiotics, and digestive support. Our supplements feature a rare, yet highly, nutritious superfood, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA). Also known as organic Wild Microalgae®, AFA is a unique type of blue-green algae that is available in many forms including algae tablets, algae pills, and algae powders all designed to help you on your journey to holistic wellness. The best part? We offer a 90-day money-back risk-free guarantee on all of our products. Visit our website to learn more.
