Our hearts
can’t survive without love. But February isn’t just about teddy bears and
chocolate – it’s also National Heart Month (movement devoted to longer
living and healthy hearts).
Check out
this year’s praiseworthy finds:
Laughter aids blood flow
Feeling overtired?
Try laughing more. When we giggle we stretch our face and body muscles. Blood
pressure and pulse goes up and we breathe faster – sending more oxygen to the tissues.
Next time
you’ve got time, pop in something humorous. People who love to laugh will say
effects are similar to a mini-workout sesh – minus the heavy lifting.
Yoga can reduce irregular heart beat
Immersing
yourself in downward dogs definitely has its perks.
Multiple
studies show yoga lowers blood sugar levels and cuts anxiety. Plus new
research has labelled rigorous yoga key to slashing irregular heartbeat episodes in half.
The study
follows 49 new yogis with atrial fibrillation but no
physical limitations, and the results are heart
pumping.
Broken heart syndrome
Don’t worry.
You can’t die of a broken heart, but you sure can feel the symptoms of a
breakup.
Broken heart syndrome is real. And
happens during a period of intense stress – like a breakup, divorce or loss of
loved one.
The bad
news:
1) Symptoms
can be painful – sudden intense chest pain (body’s reaction to stress hormone
surges), irregular heartbeats and or cardiogenic shock are all possible.
2) Women are more susceptible than men. Research shows females are 7 to 9 times more
likely to fall prey to heart break woes.
But the
good news is: Broken
heart syndrome is treatable. Most people who experience it make full recoveries
in just a matter of weeks. Plus it’s much like chicken pox – once you get it,
there’s a low risk of it ever popping up again.
Chocolate is good for the heart
It’s a sweet
tooth’s dream come true. Chocolate is good for you! In fact, it’s loaded with
antioxidants, and was just associated with a 37% decrease in heart disease risk.
However,
like all things good: “A little goes a long way” – Too many candy bars still
spells trouble, empty calories and unnatural sugars. To really benefit – keep
sweet indulgences to once a week.
Drinks matter
Bottoms up. Though research
flip-flops on alcoholic unions – moderate drinking (one drink a day for women
and up to two for men) is good for you.
Yet it does still depend on
how you drink it… For one thing, never binge drink, unless you’re
gunning to shoot up the blood pressure and put yourself at risk for holiday heart.
Instead, sip
a glass of wine or enjoy your favorite beer at dinner – the ethanol in alcohol
can actually increase your lifespan.
