WEEK 3: HEART HEALTHY

HEART HEALTHY MONTH

What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you see a heart? Love, Valentine, red & pink? In February, we celebrate Valentine's Day, but also heart health. I think that heart health is physical and emotional and I have come across that recently as I've been trying to lose weight and be healthier/happier!

American Heart Association has a lot of wonderful information about keeping your heart healthy and what you need to do in order to maintain a healthy heart.  According to http://www.heart.org/, heart disease is the #1 killer of women over 20 yrs old; 1 woman dies every min from it.  Pretty much: if your heart doesn't run correctly, then you are dead. That seems very simple to me, and yet I don't always watch what I eat and dont' eat certain foods that would increase my chances of not having heart disease. So yet another reason to "stay on track" with my weight loss/be healthy goal! 

According to the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, the general health benefits of exercise include:

• Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
• Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of premature death
• Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
• Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
• Reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
• Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones and joints
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Improve psychological well-being
• Enhance work, recreation, and sport performance

So let's take care of hearts!!!

Because Valentine's Day is approaching next week and everyone is celebrating this coming weekend, I would like to say that before you can be loved by someone else, YOU MUST LOVE YOURSELF FIRST!  Of course, God loves you and will always be with you, but I'm talking about all you single women that are looking for love.  One thing that I am learning as changing my ways is that as I haven't loved myself enough to workout or give myself "quiet time" to think/ponder life goals.  Sometimes I get so frustrated with the way I look and know that I did this to myself; I don't want anyone to give me a compliment or touch me. This is the emotional side of losing weight. I promised myself today that besides the physicals side of exercise and eating right for "heart health", I am also going to work on my self-esteem an loving myself for who I am. I know who I am on the inside, so now I am going start loving the outside as I slowly transition into a new person! BTW- since the last time I blogged I have lost 3 more lbs!!!! =6lbs in 3 weeks so far....

Happy Valentine's Day to all; know that I love you and YOU ARE WORTH IT!