Love Your Heart
Today is Valentine`s Day, the most romantic day of the year and here's some good news for you and your sweetheart. Dr. Sameet Kumar, a clinical psychologist with Memorial Health Care System, says ``Your relationships can affect your overall health, especially your cardiac health.`` Dr. Melissa Tracy of the University of Miami Cardiac Rehabilitation Program agrees and recommends healthy Valentine`s Day activities like a walk along the beach with your sweetie pie as a great way for both of you to stay heart healthy.
Believe us, it`s not all in your head--or in your heart for that matter! Web MD reports that fifteen years after bypass surgery, 83% of wives who were self-proclaimed happily married women were still alive, versus the 28% of women in unhappy marriages, and 27% of single women. They also reported that a matching 83% of happily married husbands were still alive 15 years after their bypass surgery compared to the 60% of men who were in unhappy marriages, and the 36% of unwed men.
So remember that love really can help heal your heart, having a loving and supportive spouse/partner who makes you feel better about yourself is as important in keeping your heart in shape as your diet is. So, this Valentine`s Day, celebrate your love by sharing a toast of heart healthy wine, keep your romance alive--and make sure that the box of chocolates you buy are chock full of antioxidant rich dark chocolates.