Valentine’s Day & Your Heart

We’re not talking metaphorically; this is about your “beating wet pumpy thing” as a friend of this writer once put it!

Heart to heart

A dietician calls for us to take care of our hearts this Valentine’s Day, with ideas such as:

• Teamwork makes the dream work: support your partner’s health objectives by choosing gifts or activities that align with their goals, such as opting for new running shoes instead of candy if they aim to exercise more.
• Split up… Dinner: instead of consuming large portions individually, consider sharing a decadent meal to reduce metabolic load while still enjoying the experience together.
• A moving experience: plan active dates like hiking, dancing, or taking a walk, which promote both bonding and cardiovascular health. And if you can think of other perhaps “vigorous activities” you might enjoy doing together on Valentine’s Day, then that’s great for your heart too!
• Be aware of mutual health influences: recognize that partners can impact each other’s health behaviors and risks; making healthy choices together can strengthen both the relationship and individual well-being.
• No date, no problem: if you’re single this Valentine’s Day, consider connecting with friends, of if that’s not for you, perhaps treating yourself to a “self-care day” at home.

Read in full: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with actual hearts in mind, says dietitian

Related: Only One Kind Of Relationship Promotes Longevity This Much!

Playing the hand you’re dealt

We can make many choices in life that affect our health one way or the other, but there are some things we can’t control, and that includes a family history of some disease or other. In the case of a family history of heart conditions, all is not lost, and you can still play the odds:

• Diet: rich in fiber, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Go easy on sugary, salty, and/or processed foods. Yes, sugary too! Sugary foods can increase blood pressure in the same way that salt does, by forcing the same homeostatic response.
• Exercise: prioritize movement, as in those “active minutes” that your smartwatch tracks. That famous “150 minutes per week” is great; more is better.
• Sleep: get up regularly around the same time each morning, preferably early. You should get to the point whereby you wake up shortly before the time your alarm would go off, each morning.
• Avoid: smoking and alcohol. They are both terrible for heart health.
• Teamwork: work with healthcare professionals to manage your heart health; a personalized plan is best, and they are there to help.

Remember, genes predispose; they don’t predetermine:

Read in full: Expert explains how to improve heart health, even if your family has history of heart conditions

Related: The Whole Heart Solution: Halt Heart Disease Now With the Best Alternatives and Traditional Medicine

Not so sweet?

Chocolate is famously high in antioxidants, but that must be weighed against other factors, if for example you’re eating a product that, when all’s said and done and the ingredients list is read, is mostly sugar.

That can be avoided, though! If you do like chocolate, we recommend getting dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa; 90% is great if you can find it!

Even so, the saturated fat content means you still might want to make it a moment for intentional “mindful eating” of a square or two, before setting it aside for another day:

Read in full: Valentine’s Day and chocolate are a perfect match, but is it a healthy relationship?

Related: 10 “Healthy” Foods That Are Often Worse Than You Think

Take care!