10 Ways to a Healthy Heart

Happy February!
If you have any contact with media, you are aware of two things this month: Valentine’s Day and National Heart Month.

With heart disease being the number one killer in the nation, it is evident that our hearts need a little TLC! This issue is filled with lots of tips on keeping your heart healthy, happy, and singing for years to come!

Warmly,

Aimee Gallo

Steps You Can Implement Today!

Your heart is an amazing organ. Every day it pumps over 100,000 times, ensuring all areas of your body receive the nutrient-rich blood needed to function. It does this without any thought or effort on our part, without rest or pause, from about 22 days after we are conceived until the day we die. Our heart is immeasurably loyal and dedicated to us, yet we often give it little consideration until something goes wrong.
This month, honor your heart for all it has done for you! Implement one or all of the steps below to give your heart thanks for all it has done, and continues to do for you in your life.

1. Get Moving! Exercise encourages our heart muscle to get stronger, allowing it to pump all of that blood throughout our body with less effort. Don’t fret so much about time or intensity - just move more!
2. Eat Your Greens! Leafy green vegetables contain many heart healthy nutrients, such as folate, vitamin K, phytochemicals, and beta carotene.
3. Chill Out! Stress not only places a great deal of strain on our heart, but it increases the nutrient needs of our entire body, putting us at risk for deficiencies and increasing disease risk.
4. Reach Out and Touch Someone! Many studies have shown that those who receive caring touch have fewer heart problems than those who do not.
5. Get a massage! See numbers 3 and 4 if you need a reason!
6. Scare the vampires! Garlic is a powerful heart protector. Enjoy it as often as you wish!
7. Make Alpha Your Omegas! Most Americans are lacking Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Eat cold water fish several times a week, and take a fish oil or flax seed oil supplement to reduce inflammation (the initial step in most heart disease).
8. Stop Smoking! Whether first hand or secondhand, avoid this toxic exposure at all costs. Get the help you need if you are having trouble quitting. You are not alone!!!
9. Maintain a healthy weight. Less weight is less work for the heart, and excess fatty tissue increases inflammatory markers in the body, greatly increasing your risk of disease.
10. Express Yourself! Let yourself shine - express yourself by sharing your feelings with others, journaling, playing music, cooking, painting, or dancing. Your life is meant to be lived fully and exuberantly; doing so will make your heart truly sing!

More than Fish Oil and Aerobics Class

Most media dealing with heart health this month is focused on eating low-fat, healthy foods, increasing exercise, and visiting your health care provider for check-ups. A often neglected but equally important aspect to heart health is the quality of your life - the nourishing relationships you have, the smiles and laughter you enjoy, and how well you feel you can cope with the challenges life offers you. Taking care of your physical body achieves monumental progress towards a healthy heart, but if you do not enjoy that life no amount of salmon and Spin Class will give you true, vibrant health!

The following tips nourish your heart on a different plane - they give you the emotional joy to live your life with less stress and greater zest! Incorporate one or more daily and you will notice a significant increase of joy in your heart:

• Breathe. Take two minutes and focus solely upon your breath. Close your eyes, be still, and breathe as you normally would, feeling your lungs and belly expand. Work up to five minutes to achieve even greater stress release! This can be done anywhere, at almost any time.
• Create a Spa Day: No need for pricey spas - turn your bathroom into a candlelit pool, give yourself a facial, stare into a fireplace while drinking a tasty beverage; Practice the art of doing nothing.
• Get Outside! Visit a park or nearby forest and get some fresh air. Enjoy your coffee break outdoors and listen to the rain fall. Nature is instant calm. Even five minutes can awaken and refresh you.
• Just Say “No”. The world will not end if you delegate or refuse more responsibility. (I swear!) Everything can wait five minutes or even half an hour. It’s okay to just hang out for a moment.
• Only schedule 65% of your day. Seriously! Allowing yourself ample time to achieve what is on your list will reduce the stress hormones coursing through your body. If you have a tendency to overbook yourself, schedule several appointments for which you do nothing of obligation. Take a nap (!), go for a walk, read a book or trashy magazine. Who says you can’t??
• Have some fun! Fun can be spontaneous and should make up part of every day. Rock out to your favorite tunes in rush hour, play pranks on your loved ones, put on an evening gown or an Elvis costume to run errands!
• Turn off Your Cell Phone! Try it for an hour or two. If it is truly important, you will have voicemail waiting for you. Sometimes I will turn off or “forget” my cell phone for an entire weekend! It’s absolute BLISS!

In my experience, my clients have come up with amazingly creative ways to bring more joy into their lives and reduce their stress. What are some of your favorite ways to slow down and nourish your heart? Send me an email and I will share your favorite tips with other readers. Don’t be shy! I would love to hear from you!!

Lentils are a fabulous food. Like all legumes, they are rich in soluble fiber, heart-friendly B vitamins, and are a wonderful source of cholesterol-free protein. However, unlike their cousins, they require no soaking time nor do they cause as much gas as many other beans! This Indian inspired dish tastes wonderful over a brown basmati rice or folded into a tortilla with some crunchy veggies. If you do not feel like pulling out your blender or Vitamix, add extra broth or water at the onset of cooking, leave the lentils whole and enjoy a lovely Indian Lentil soup.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup brown basmati rice, cooked according to package directions
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeño chili, seeded, chopped

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and 1 minced garlic clove and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Combine 3 cups water, lentils, remaining 1 cup onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, turmeric, cumin and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer half of lentil mixture to Vitamix; purée until smooth. Return purée to same saucepan. Mix in sautéed onion mixture. Simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon rice into bowls. Spoon dal over rice. Top with tomatoes, cilantro and chili.
Per serving: calories, 410; total fat, 5 g; protein, 18g; fiber, 9g; cholesterol, 0. Serves 4.