Healthy Hearts Beyond Valentine's Day

February 14th may be behind us, but there's still a heart that needs attention, especially if you're a woman age 55 or older, a man age 45 or older, or you have a family history of early heart disease. The bad news is that if you're in one of those categories, you're at higher risk of heart disease. The good news is that heart disease can be prevented. When all that's left of Valentine's Day is an empty box of chocolates and wilting red roses, Get Well Natural has a few recommendations for taking care of your physical heart so your emotional one is ready for next year.

Prevention is Key

Heart disease, including stroke, is the number one killer in the U.S. Doctors point to bad eating habits, being overweight, lack of exercise and smoking as the main contributing factors. To help keep your heart healthy:

• Control your cholesterol and blood pressure
• Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages
• Develop healthy outlets to help you manage stress

Heart Health: An Eastern Medicine Point of View

How do you slow down the progression of arteriosclerosis (stiffening of the arteries)? Is cholesterol really the "bad guy"? Chances are, if you live in the U.S., these questions may have crossed your mind. And they should, because according to a recent international study, patients in North America being treated for vascular disease actually had higher rates of strokes, heart attacks, hospitalizations and mortality.¹ In Dr. Graeme Shaw's article, "Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad and The Truth," he explains why cholesterol levels may become elevated in the first place and why a balance of organ energies is important. Another of Dr. Shaw's articles, "Healthy Hearts Live Longer," can help you learn how to maintain good cardiovascular health from an Eastern Medicine point of view. Plus, you can read about a 62-year-old patient who was able to bounce back despite a heart attack and history of coronary artery disease.*

1. Surprising Rate of Recurring Heart Attacks, Strokes Globally, ScienceDaily (Sep. 1, 2009), by researcher from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Presented the results of the study at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2009 in Barcelona on Aug. 31. A paper is being published simultaneously in the European Heart Journal

Increase Odds of Surviving SCA

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can happen so quickly that it's difficult to remember what to do. Victims of SCA may have no prior symptoms. They simply collapse and lose consciousness within moments. SCA affects more than 300,000 people annually, and only five percent of victims survive. To increase those odds, a victim must be defibrillated within the first ten minutes of SCA. Contact your local Red Cross to learn more about CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training events. And be sure you know the warning signs of a heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest (courtesy of The American Heart Association).*

Hearty Recipes

Healthy food doesn't have to be bland or unappetizing. Here's a list of tasty heart-healthy recipes that won't leave you searching the cupboards for something good to eat:

• Cinnamon rolls
• Corn tamales with avocado-tomatillo salsa
• Crispy potato skins
• Fettuccine with clams, basil, tomato, corn and garlic
• Herb-rubbed turkey au jus
• Pasta Primavera
• Sweet carrots
• Vanilla poached peaches

Do you have any delicious heart-healthy recipes you'd like to share with us? Visit our Facebook Fan Page or Twitter (@GetWellNatural) and leave us a link to the recipe or send us a message. We'd love to hear from you!