Heart Healthy

On this last day of February, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the concept of being “heart healthy” that’s been thrown around for the past 28 days. I do love that we highlight this important way of living, but my hope is that we all continue to live “heart healthy” all year long!

It goes without saying that this one organ is pretty stinkin’ important. Of course, it’s critical to care for the whole body, as all of our organs depend on one another to function effectively, but the heart deserves special attention and love. With small changes like replacing bad habits with healthier alternatives, your heart will thank you by improving your overall well-being! By taking care of this kind-of-a-big-deal organ and adopting a healthier lifestyle, you will reduce the risk of certain diseases, improve your mental health, boost energy, lose weight (if this is your goal), and much, much more.

The other day, I was with an old friend who has recently lost a significant amount of weight. She did it the right way, slow and steady, which for the most part is the key to keeping weight off for good.  After telling her how proud of her I am and complimenting how fabulous she looks, I asked: “Don’t you just feel so good?!” Her answer is what has become a major concern of mine recently, because I have heard it many times. She responded “You know, I actually didn’t feel that badly before - but yes, it’s nice to feel better in my clothes, etc.”

This response has had my brain reeling ever since. It reminded me that while many people don’t feel badly or unhealthy being overweight in the present moment, what’s to fear lies in the long term. As we all know, being overweight and living an inactive lifestyle creates the opposite effect of the benefits I mentioned above - among many other detriments. Please remember that we have been given one body to live in and it’s truly our job to take care of it. Our health is our wealth – for real! We are all working hard at our jobs, raising families, and caring for family/friends, and an unhealthy lifestyle only detracts from all this work. While life is totally unpredictable and we will never know what might come our way, by practicing educated and intentional self-care, you give your body it’s best shot!

Coco Chanel said it beautifully:
“Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside”

Happy heart healthy month always and forever!