A Very Special Letter for the Woman in Your Life

By: Dr. Don VerHulst 

Did you know that, according to the National Institutes of Health, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States? I posted this H-E-A-R-T message last year on Valentine’s Day. This year, I am asking that you men out there make a point of sharing this information with the special women in your life—your wife, mother, sisters, or daughters. Then, support them in making lifestyle choices that will keep their hearts healthy.

To all of you women readers out there, I know you are so busy taking care of others that you don’t often take care of yourselves. Please read this and take it to H-E-A-R-T. After all, the best way to take care of your family is to be healthy and alive!

H-E-A-R-T

H - Healthy foods and nutrients. Base your diet on complex carbohydrate foods like whole grain breads, pasta, rice, and cereals release energy slowly to the body. In addition, these foods are loaded with fiber that cleans out bad fats and detoxifies the body. Plus, they contain minerals which are literally essential for each beat of your heart. The next most common components of the heart-smart diet are fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans.

E – Exercise. Consistent, moderate exercise is one of the best ways to keep off those unwanted pounds of fat. Did you know that excess fat requires miles of extra blood vessels, which in turn make your heart have to work that much harder?  Exercise also reduces the number of times your heart has to beat to pump blood throughout your body.

A – Antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radical damage that ages the cardiovascular system. Antioxidants like Vitamins A, C, E, and the trace mineral, selenium are found in those heart-smart fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

R - Restrict fat and sugar. Saturated fats (fatty dairy products, fatty meats, and fried foods) and simple sugars (especially those in junk and processed foods) can do serious damage to your cardiovascular system.

T – Temperance. Temperance is self-control. A little bit of fatty foods or sugar isn’t going to harm you, as long as you are in control and can stop eating it after a little. The same goes for most other lifestyle choices. Temperance also speaks to being even-tempered. Ask the Lord for help in maintaining a calm and undisturbed mind. According to scripture, these are the life and health of the body.

Maintaining ideal weight is one more way to take care of your heart. If you need a little boost with this, I recommend Ultimate ThermoFit™. The super thermogenic benefit of pepper extract along with the fat burning potential of raspberry ketones will fire up your metabolism for an effective calorie burn.