Mimi Guarneri, M.D.: Medical
Director of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine says, “Make
a commitment to your heart.”
—Mimi Guarneri, M.D.
What's really important in life? Most people will say it's their health
and their families.
They’ll say this while they are chasing their schedules, eating
on the run and feeling anxious about the commitments they can’t
make. The first commitment we should all make is to ourselves. If we
experience joy and have a purpose in life, we are taking care of our
hearts and our souls. This is where heart disease prevention truly
begins.
By now most people know that heart disease can be prevented by eating
the right foods, getting regular exercise, managing stress and embracing
some kind of spirituality or mind-body discipline. Most people also
know their basic numbers – blood pressure, weight and cholesterol.
It’s not enough. We need to look beyond the results of the annual
physical exam to discover our own risk profile for heart disease. I
suggest you take the “Learn and Live” quiz on www.americanheart.org to
uncover your personal risk factors for heart disease. The American
Heart Association also offers excellent information for women at www.goredforwomen.org.
When you live your life from the heart, you are also taking care of
your heart.
Every February, during National Heart Month, we are encouraged to
love our hearts. This is a great message because it reminds us
that heart disease is as much about our emotional well being as it
is about our physical health.
Here are eight great ways to love your heart naturally:
1) Get moving: Take a walk, go dancing, use the stairs, hop
on a treadmill, do whatever it takes to keep you motivated and active.
2) Eat healthfully – food is medicine: Eating the
right foods can decrease inflammation, lower blood pressure and improve blood
flow to your heart. (See Heart-Healthy Nutrition Tips Article)
3) Breathe deeply: It connects the mind and body, lowers
heart rate and improves blood pressure.
4) Think positive: You can reduce stress just by thinking
of someone you love. Positive imagery can work wonders to evoke calm.
5) Explore spirituality or meditate: Recite a mantra or
prayer to lower your blood pressure.
6) Keep a journal: Put your thoughts on paper. It can help
you better manage your emotions.
7) Practice mind-body exercises: Yoga and tai chi are excellent
examples.
8) Pursue the joy of living: Follow your passions, make
time for the people and things that matter most to you and find new ways
to serve others.
Lastly, I encourage you to read our newsletter, Empowering Health
and Healing, at www.scrippsintegrativemedicine.org.
We hope it inspires you to stop running around and start paying attention
to your life, your dreams and your emotions. What’s important
in your life is ultimately what’s important to your heart.
Blessings,
Mimi Guarneri, M.D., FACC
Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine
Empowering Health and Healing
www.scrippsintegrativemedicine.org
1-800-SCRIPPS for more information
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