Jennifer Scott RHN
February is the month we celebrate love and all things heart-centered for Valentine's Day. It is also Heart Month in Canada, a time to raise awareness about cardiovascular health and take actions to support your heart.
Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death for Canadian men and women, but with a three-prong approach of diet, exercise and stress management in many cases it is preventable.
Since Valentine’s is about love, I thought it would be interesting to research if love can have an actual physical impact on heart health, and here are the surprising facts!
Feelings of love create calmness and peace which can have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, healthy blood pressure reduces risk of stroke. Try it out, many pharmacies have free blood pressure stations.
Hugging a friend, family member or pet boosts levels of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that helps us relax. Studies have shown that hugs can buffer us against future conflicts, which can help lower blood pressure and heart rates.
Volunteering can create healthy bonds and good feelings. Science has shown people who volunteer have lower mortality rates and those with chronic illness also feel less pain when helping others.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has been tracking two groups of men since 1938, has found stable relationships at midlife are a better predictor of being healthy and happy 30 years later than cholesterol levels.
While love can have positive effects, it is important to acknowledge that emotional stress, such as heartbreak, can negatively impact heart health, too. Broken heart syndrome is a real medical disorder; it's usually a temporary condition where after a stressful incident the heart will have sudden enlargement and be very ineffective at pumping.
If you are looking for other ways to create more love in your life you might be interested in a concept scientists call the 3:1 positive ratio which shows that we need three positive experiences for every negative to helps us thrive emotionally and physically, which help us manage stress more effectively.
Positive experiences can include options such as practicing compassion for yourself and others, expressing appreciation and gratitude, paying it forward with small acts of kindness, introducing more laughter and lightheartedness to your life, or admiring nature such as a sunset or sunrise and other forms of beauty such as art.
Anything positive that produces feel good chemicals in the brain has the net result of improving heart health.
And it's not just love for others, it's also self-love that is beneficial. Loving self-talk is correlated with greater weight loss success and even a modest weight loss, such as 5 to 10% of your total body weight, is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars which reduce the risk of heart disease.
Exercise is also vitally important to cardio health and engaging in regular exercise or activity you enjoy can increase endorphins and increase feelings of peace and wellbeing.
When it comes to nutrition to support heart health a whole food, minimally processed diet that includes plenty of colorful vegetables and fruit each day, heart healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts and seeds, and moderate amounts of high-quality plant or animal protein are most cardio protective.
If this seems like a lot to incorporate for February try making 2025 your year of heart health and make small changes each month that will add up over time. Tiny victories are a great way to move you forward in a way that feels achievable!
My favorite small way to support my heart health in February is by sipping hibiscus tea with a pinch of saffron, the beautiful deep red colors make the perfect Valentine’s Day hot beverage. A study from Tufts showed that three daily cups of hibiscus tea significantly lowered blood pressure in prehypertensive adults better than placebo.
In the health of a population, a five-point drop may lead to 14 percent fewer stroke deaths, 9 percent fewer fatal heart attacks, and 7 percent fewer deaths overall each year. Hibiscus also has fat reducing effects and studies have shown those drinking the tea lost more weight than a placebo group.
The presence of crocetin in saffron, a compound known for its antioxidant properties, helps reduce bad cholesterol levels, which indirectly lowers your chances of having heart attacks. Saffron's antioxidant content also provides added heart protection. Saffron can also increase emotional well-being, which has been shown to help people reduce emotional overeating.
This February, take small steps to support your heart. Whether it’s adding a cup of hibiscus tea to your routine or simply hugging a loved one, every action counts in the journey to better heart health.
With love,
Jennifer Scott RHN | Weight Loss & Wellness Specialist | Honey & Ginger |
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3120182/#:~:text=Overweight%20and%20obes e%20individuals%20are%20frequently%20encouraged%20to%20lose%205,disease%20( CVD)%20risk%20factors.
Effects of Crocus sativus on glycemic control and cardiometabolic parameters among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: a systematic review and metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials - PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24848002/ A review on phytochemistry and therapeutic uses of Hibiscus sabdariffa L - PubMed
Comments