How many times do you think our hearts beat in a day?
Keep reading, answer below ;)
Quick reminder for all you lovas out there, Valentine’s month is finally upon us. And as Cupid rolls into town this month in a candy red Tesla (#electricfeel #allthesingleladies), we find it very fitting that it’s also Heart Health month.
️Because we’re firm believers that knowledge is power, it’s time for some real talk.
The not-so-good news
Contrary to what you might think, heart disease affects more women than men. Surprising as this may sound, heart disease and stroke kill more women worldwide than do all cancers combined — whoa. Also not-so-good, according to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, heart disease and stroke cost us 33,000 beautiful Canadian women lives per year. Some studies have shown that women are most likely to die following a stroke :( Not cool.
Doc, please tell me there’s something good coming out of all this…
The good news
We can change these statistics.
In our books, prevention is the best medicine! Here are three tips to protect your love machine — a.k.a. your heart.
Step 1 >> Eat better. Don’t even get us started with how we need to change our eating habits. We’ll certainly hit you up with a future email about this, but for now, here’s an easy list of action items you can take now. Like right now…or at least at your next meal.
- Decrease intake of animal-based products. FYI: we’re huuuuge fans of plant-based diets.
- Listen to your body’s hunger and satiety cues.
- Decrease your intake of processed AF foods; think sausages (yup, even the veggie ones), chips, cookies and frozen meals like pizzas. Home-made is your new middle name.
Sorry, not sorry about that last point, but we’ve got to move away from the quick fix lifestyle that many of us lead. It’s all good though, a gradual start in the right direction is all that you need — plus, that’s why we have cheat days ;)
In short, remember this: fruits and vegetables are your and your heart’s bestest BFF ever #bestfriendnecklace. And though the recommendation of aiming for 7–10 portions of fruits and veggies per day may seem sky high, the more you focus on making this recommendation come true, the more it becomes a habit and ends up replacing the less optimal choices. Trust us, it’ll feel oh so good when these healthy options take over your life ;)
Step 2 >> Hit the road jack. Get moving :) Most women should aim for 2.5 hours of sweaty physical activity every week — that’s only 30 a day. C’mon, we can do this!
And if you’re feeling adventurous, throw in two sessions of strength and flexibility sessions per week. If you’re new to getting down and sweaty, no prob. Start slow, and increase frequency and intensity over time ;) Sweating is caring.
Step 3 >> De-stress. We know, it’s hard to not stress. Heck, just thinking about not stressing is stressful.
A good way to start is to try and pinpoint the things that are causing you the most stress. Identifying the problems that may cause undue stress is a good way to compartmentalize the good from the bad. Be it from a family member, spouse or friend, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s proven that overall happiness and a strong sense of emotional vitality help lower your risk of heart disease. Plus, sometimes, it feels really good to get something off your chest.
If you’ve never tried yoga or meditation, now is the perfect time to give them a fair chance. Our personal fav way to de-stress is with Calm. This fantastic app got us hooked on guided meditations and sleep stories (many of which are free) :) We aren’t exaggerating when we say this: honestly, the app has changed our lives for the better, forever.
Heart disease has been around for a loooooong time (scientists even found signs of it in the hearts of 3,000 year old mummies, whaaa?). But this doesn’t mean that we can’t encourage each other to take action and to make it a thing of the past. This month of February, give yourself the challenge to get your heart healthy.
Fun fact: the average heart beats 100,000 times a day. Truly amazing :)
