A Healthy Heart from the Inside Out!

February is  American Heart month-so let’s explore the organ AND spirit of it.

Your precious, beating heart has been at your service since you came into being. It’s committed! Day in and day out it keeps you alive and provides you the gift of expressing who you are in the world. Have you ever closed your eyes and placed a hand over your heart to feel this miracle in action? We take our hearts for granted because we can’t see them. It comes naturally to pay attention to the aesthetic aspects of our lives, doesn’t it? When our skin breaks out we get a facial. When we start looking like a walking hairball we get waxed. But without our hearts we wouldn’t even be around to beautify for the people in our lives. Giving our heart theTLC it needs requires a commitment that is more than skin deep.

I suspect you don’t need the statistics. I could relay scary numbers about heart disease and its rampage on western society but let’s face it; you already know it’s a problem. I know MY eyes glaze over when I start reading percentages and too much clinical information. I prefer the bottom line-the practical information I can put into action right away. But you are resourceful…you have your iPhone apps and other means of unlimited access to a world of information that will tell you what to eat and what to do to keep your heart pumping strong. So I’d like to start with the question of WHY. Why be healthy? We go through life talking about all the things we need to do; “I need to exercise, I need to lose weight, I need to eat more vegetables.” But why? Besides the obvious reason of wanting to live longer, think about those you love, with whom you want to share the joys of life. Your family, a beloved partner, the children you have or will one day adopt…What would having a strong and vital heart allow you to do in life? Ten, twenty, even thirty years from now, how will the quality of your life be affected if instead of being on blood thinners and paying hospital bills you are participating in a triathlon, sailing around the world, or proudly witnessing your child (or grandchild) graduate from college?

Many of you hot, young folks out there probably feel like this subject isn’t relevant for you. Perhaps you are more focused on preventing STDs then on something you feel won’t strike till you are older. You have no symptoms and your lifestyle choices haven’t yet started showing up in the numbers during your checkups. Maybe you don’t even get checkups! Perhaps your cholesterol is only borderline high so you will deal with it later when it’s “an issue.” I would like to challenge you to start now. Sometimes it can be scary to see with honesty, but being educated and having a plan for self care and disease prevention will add quality years to your life that will be worth the unveiling of denial. Where can you start?

1) Be willing. Take a close look at the current risk factors in your life that include not only your lifestyle but your family history. This may include a checkup and some basic blood work so you have a baseline of information.

2) Be informed. At the end of this article you will find a few links to get you started in learning more about risk factors and creating heart health. Search for the support you need depending on your unique needs.

3) Be proactive. Once you are armed with the facts, decide what areas in your life need adjustments. Is it nutrition, physical activity, stress, smoking or other recreational habits?

4) Be holistic. What other areas in your life if nurtured would contribute to a satisfying, healthy existence? Explore meditation, hobbies, healthier relationships, spirituality, and personal values that support joyful, meaningful living.

5) Be connected. Ask your heart what it needs on a regular basis. Take a moment to breathe deeply, ask earnestly, and listen intently. The body is infinitely intelligent and will respond often with answers that your mind could not fathom. You may receive information like, “I need an apple, a hug, a run, a shot of wheatgrass, or I need to forgive.”

This miraculous heart of yours has more love to give, more life to live, more wisdom to share. It’s committed. Are you?



Click HERE for a heart health assessment by the AMA.

Other resource links:

 HEART HEALTH RESOURCES FOR WOMEN

HEART VITAMIN REVIEW SITE (just a place to start-I am not promoting any products)

Namaste,
Kendra

Eat The Rainbow!

In my last article we tackled the motivations behind your resolutions. For those of you who are still standing firm in your commitments, let’s take it to the realm of ACTION.


If you were to take note at the end of the day of all different colors you ingested, what would you come up with? Would those colors create a beautiful inspiring painting that you could hang on your wall? Would they be made up of neutral earth tones? Or would they be a collection of carnival colors, unnatural pinks, bright blues….you Slurpee drinkers, 7-11 snackers, and white rice-ers know what I’m talking about.

Have you ever heard this recommendation? Eat the rainbow!

There is a reason that Mother Nature created fruits and vegetables in rich and diverse colors, and why they are in season during different times of the year. We can TRUST nature to offer up the nutrition we need WHEN we need it. For example, orange and yellow foods tend to be high in Vitamin C and support circulation and immunity. During the fall and winter months we can most certainly benefit from the immune boosting, grounding, and warming properties of root vegetables like squash, pumpkin, and yams, which are plentiful during this time of year.

Green, red, orange, yellow, white, blue/purple…get ‘em all on your plate as often as possible. If you do this, your body will love you. Green foods like kale and broccoli are blood purifiers and contain calcium and magnesium which act as natural muscle relaxers! Instead of a cocktail to wind down, imagine having a green smoothie instead! All the benefits, no negative side effects. Red and purple foods like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and dark berries offer antioxidants and support heart health, memory, and reduce free radical damage. White foods like garlic, onion, and jicama help to reduce blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

My favorite way to meet the rainbow requirements is to make salads with LOTS of activity. Here is an example of one of my faves:

Start with 2 cups of leafy greens (multi-colored leaves are great)

Add at least one ingredient from each of the colors, for example, choose from:

Beets, cherry tomatoes, red or yellow peppers, jicama, onion, raw zucchini or squash, berries with deep color, beans like kidney or chickpea, seeds like pumpkin or sunflower, (raw, not roasted) raisins or dried cranberries, sprouts, a healthy fat source like olive oil or avocado. Add your favorite protein such as chicken, tofu, or extra beans.

The great things about eating salad: the possibilities are endless, you can change the ingredients according to your mood and what is in season, and they take awhile to eat. Ever notice how you can mindlessly stuff your face with a processed food-like substance and it pretty much slides down your throat with very little chewing necessary? Salads not only support variety, but the act of mindful eating. They require you to slow down and chew. You get to enjoy your meal and notice when you are starting to feel full. Colorful salads are NUTRIENT DENSE. Very little calories for the power boost they give your cells. Please do not make the mistake of eating an iceberg “wedge” with blue cheese dressing and bacon as a rainbow salad! (although these are one of my favorite indulgences I will admit)

Fill your pantry with some basic ingredients that will make for a colorful salad, and keep some mixed greens and fresh veggies on hand. Make sure to use as many organic ingredients as possible. Do not ruin the healthy benefits of your masterpiece with dressings that contain high fructose corn syrup, food coloring, or ingredients you are unable to pronounce. It is best to make your own dressing or buy a less processed dressing at a health food store. I personally have given up strongly flavored dressings because they diminish the robust flavors of my veggies.

I strongly suspect that if you add a daily salad to your diet you will feel more satisfied and energetic. If you have weight to lose, watch it start to melt away. Your bowels will move better, your skin will begin to radiate health, your eyes will sparkle, and people will stand in line to bask in the magnificence of your glow.



Recommended reading: Food Energetics: The spiritual, emotional, and nutritional power of what we eat, by Steve Gagne