10 Tips To Live A Heart Healthy Life Physically and Emotionally in Mid-Life
Stretching Does Your Body Good
Stretching makes you stronger! Yes, it helps with flexibility as well and it gets your blood flowing. Stretch about 7 10 minutes every morning when you get out of bed. Here is a really simple stretch routine that you can try"
The Leaning Tower - Leaning first to your left . try to elongate your body by creating the greatest amount of distance possible between your left pinkie and your left heel. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch sides.
The Pecs Flex - As you lift your hands as high as possible, with your arms behind you, squeeze your shoulder blades together and open your chest.
The Hippie - Pretend your head weighs 500 pounds, and let it pull you down. Bend on knee and hold for 15 seconds, then change legs.
Count Your Steps
One way to ensure that you are getting enough exercise is to count your steps. The number of steps you walk each day. Taking 10,000 steps a day can go a long way in having a slimmer frame, a toner body, and overall better health. You can keep track of your steps through several apps or pedometers. One of the best ones (Oprah loves it) is the Omron. It's very intuitive, easy to read and stores information for up t a week. If you happen to have a smartphone you may have a health app already on your phone. Generally speaking, these health apps also track your steps, but you do need to have your phone with you so that you can get an accurate accounting. You can focus on increasing your steps by making a few easy changes in your daily routines.
- Park further away whenever you go to the grocery store, mall, church so you can have a nice brisk walk to and from your destination
- Walk around your house for twenty minutes (sounds crazy but it does add to your steps)
- Take the time to do a quick walk around the block in the am and then again in the evening
10,000 steps equal about 5 miles. It sounds like a lot but if you make the conscious decision to keep track of your steps you will find that you it is not as difficult as you might think to get those 10,000 steps daily.
Eat Heart Healthy
Certain foods are good for increasing blood flow and keeping your arteries healthy. There are four foods you should always incorporate in your diet to maintain your heart and arterial health.
Wild Salmon - rich with Omega-3 which helps with arterial health. Wild salmon also lowers triglycerides that cause plaque buildup and helps reduce the thickening of platelets.
Tomatoes - are great for those who suffer from hypertension which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Some patients saw a 10 point drop in their blood pressure when eating tomatoes and using tomato extract.
Garlic - Can protect against hardening of the arteries a condition that can lead to heart disease and stroke.
Find Your Peace
Take the time out in your busy day to just be quiet. Either meditate, pray, or just be quiet. Taking time to slow down and quiet our minds, focus on just the breath, and allowing our bodies to relax is good for our blood pressure, focus, and concentration, and reconnecting with our mind, body, and spirit.
Curb Your Cravings
It is a common occurance to have cravings during the course of the day. Many times cravings can be indicators of something else. PMS, menopausal, and postmenopausal, can cause all kinds of cravings from salt cravings to sweet cravings. There are many ways to curb cravings so that you don't have unwanted weight loss. Try this quick snack when you have a salt craving:
For Salt Cravings: Put a quarter cup of popcorn kernels paper lunch bag and fold over the top. Microwave on high for about two minutes or until the kernels stop popping. The coat with olive oil spay, sprinkle on garlic salt, nutritional yeast, or cinnamon. And guess what your cravings will disappear. the good news is that 3 cups of popcorn is only 90 calories, while 9 potato chips is 90 calories.
For Sweet Cravings: : Try Greek Yogurt with Blueberries. The blueberries are great for your immune system and the Greek Yogurt is great for your gut health and a good source of calcium. If you don't do dairy try some dark chocolate with 70% cocoa. Dark chocolate is great for the immune system, it does give you an energy boost as well as well as stop sweet craving.
Increase Your Sleep
Most of us could benefit from more sleep. Here are some ways to increase your sleep which will ultimately rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit.
- Books On Tape - Going to sleep listening to affirmations, scripture, or something inspiration is a great way to not only go into a deeper sleep but to also help your mind to focus on positive thoughts.
- Make The Room A Few Degrees Cooler - Your body will want to hibernate more in your blankets and you may find that your sleep is deeper. Also cut off all lights including any digital lights.
- Bed Time Tea - in the morning make a tea with dried chamomile flowers letting them steep for an entire day. It is a powerful natural sleeping aide. Drink a cup before going to bed.
- Lavender Essential Oil - use Lavender Essential Oil under your nose and on the base of your feet. You will find yourself in a deeper more relaxed sleep.
Also try this bedtime yoga movement:
Minutes: 5:00-7:00
- Sit up comfortably on your heels.
- Roll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the bed in front of you.
- Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you.
- Hold the pose and breathe.
Purge Your Pantry
If you are ready to live a more heart healthy lifestyle, take a look at your pantry and make a decision to get rid of all those foods that aren't heart healthy. You don't have to have a perfect pantry, but you do want to get rid of anything that you know does not meet your health needs and requirements. The goal is to go for a healthy pantry that stocked with foods that are healthy that you enjoy!
AND you may want to do this:
Rather than- Vegetable oil try oil that is low in saturated fat. Olive oil is great as well as any of the seed oils (avocado, grapeseed, almond) Coconut oil can be okay as long as you do not have high cholesterol. coconut oil, olive oil (great for a quick saute),
Rather than - foods in a box - try cooking things from scratch. ie- fresh sauteed green beans rather than canned green beans. Frozen vegetable are great as well especially for your favorite vegetables that may be out of season. Most canned goods are high in sodium and even the low sodium ones can still have a good amount of sodium.
Rather than - processed sugary cereals - try steel oats, Kaishi Brand Cereal (which has whole grains and not processed grains), Muesli, Granola (which is usually sweetened with honey not sugar)
Here is a great list I use to help stock my pantry.
Use Herbs Instead of Salt
Instead of shaking salt on all your food, try using herbs to flavor them instead. For breakfast, use cinnamon, cardamom and ginger for a sweet and spicy flavor. For lunch, use Italian seasonings, sage, black pepper, and/or cayenne and turmeric. For dinner, try some garam masala, pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme. Mix these up however you like, but use them more often; they’re some of the best ingredients that provide antioxidants, mood-boosting benefits, and even anti-cancer benefits. They also reduce blood pressure levels, unlike excess salt that can lead to hypertension (chronically high blood pressure).
Instead of shaking salt on all your food, try using herbs to flavor them instead. For breakfast, use cinnamon, cardamom and ginger for a sweet and spicy flavor. For lunch, use Italian seasonings, sage, black pepper, and/or cayenne and turmeric. For dinner, try some garam masala, pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme. Mix these up however you like, but use them more often; they’re some of the best ingredients that provide antioxidants, mood-boosting benefits, and even anti-cancer benefits. They also reduce blood pressure levels, unlike excess salt that can lead to hypertension (chronically high blood pressure).
Drink Green Tea and ... Coffee!
Coffee and tea are two of the most amazing sources of antioxidants in our diet, so long as they’re sustainably (preferably) organically sourced, so they’re produced without pesticides. These two beverages boost mental health, liver health, and promote a healthy heart. The key is to leave out the sugar and milk, which takes away most all their benefits. Coffee is even being studied most recently for its healthy effects on the longevity and cancer prevention, while tea has been a long-standing healing remedy for years. Enjoy 1-2 cups of either in the morning and even again in the afternoon before 3 p.m. if they’re caffeinated.
Coffee and tea are two of the most amazing sources of antioxidants in our diet, so long as they’re sustainably (preferably) organically sourced, so they’re produced without pesticides. These two beverages boost mental health, liver health, and promote a healthy heart. The key is to leave out the sugar and milk, which takes away most all their benefits. Coffee is even being studied most recently for its healthy effects on the longevity and cancer prevention, while tea has been a long-standing healing remedy for years. Enjoy 1-2 cups of either in the morning and even again in the afternoon before 3 p.m. if they’re caffeinated.
Wake Up with Water
It is refreshing to wake up first thing in the morning and drink a glass of water. It helps to wake up the brain, energizes you, and also gets your metabolism going. It is also a great idea to add a bit of lemon (good for detoxing), and key lime is great for waking up the neurotransmitters in our brains. If you want to add one more key component add a slice of cucumber and ginger for maintaining alkaline levels and burning a bit of fat as well.
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