Lesley Rigsby RN: Heart Health
Heart Health
Are you aware that the heart pumps about 1.5 gallons of blood per minute? That is a total of around 2,000 gallons per day. By pumping blood through the body, it provides oxygen and nutrients to all tissues. So, it is easy to see how important it is to keep your heart healthy and working well. What are a few things we should do daily to ensure our heart remains healthy for years to come. Regular cardiovascular or aerobic exercise such as walking, running, biking or swimming will increase your heart rate, cause you to breathe faster, and widen your capillaries. This in turn causes more oxygen rich blood to circulate to your muscles. Next, eating plenty of healthy fruits, veggies, lean meat, and polyunsaturated fats, like oily fish will also give you the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fats needed to keep your heart healthy. But did you know that laughter and decreasing your stress level can also affect your heart health?
It is so important in this busy world we live in to take time to laugh. Laughter improves your heart health by reducing stress, lowering inflammation, and increasing blood flow. When was the last time you had a good laugh like the make you cry kind of laugh or laugh so hard your sides hurt? In Proverbs 17:22: It tells us, “A cheerful heart is good medicine”. Laughter reduces stress hormones like cortisol, activate the respiratory and muscular systems, release endorphins from the brain, which lower blood pressure, and boost your immune system-----WOW! Who knew laughter was so powerful.
Not only is it important to keep your heart healthy physically but also spiritually. Spiritual heart health is based on your relationship with the Lord. We should seek daily to know God and involve him in every aspect of our life. First, by reading and growing in His word. The more you read God’s word and study it the more you know it and it shows. 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is God’s word and is useful for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness”. Psalm 119:15-16: “I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word”. By growing in the knowledge of God’s word you strengthen your spiritual heart, and in return it can help protect you against attacks from the enemy. Next, pray to the Lord daily. Just as it is so important that we communicate with our friends and family to grow our relationship, we must also communicate with God through prayer. Prayer gives us a sense of peace, hope, strength and time to connect with the Lord, thus reducing our stress. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
So, let’s strive daily to change our habits to help empower us to be the best version of ourselves not only physically, but also spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Make time to work on your heart health today. I promise you want regret it!
Until next time remember, you are loved, you are special, and you are not alone.
Lesley Rigsby RN
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