3 Simple Steps to Heart Health for Men

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Heart disease – no one wants to deal with that but it’s become a huge issue lately. You can find any number of articles, stories and information about how to prevent heart disease, how to maintain good heart health, most of which look at it from a one-dimensional space – the physical. And although it is very important to take care of your physical needs there are other aspects that affect your physical health.

So here are three simple steps that most men can take on a daily basis to ensure that their hearts will remain strong and healthy for a long time. And with it, the bonus is that your wife, partner and family will be pleasantly pleased by your attention to your overall health.

  1. Physical well-being. The first and most obvious part of health is the physical aspect. And most men know that there are many ways you can stay healthy physically. But let’s review them anyway. Eating whole, organic natural foods and avoiding highly processed foods that contain large amounts of refined sugars, chemicals and bad fats.
    Exercising regularly to guild the immune system, keep the heart functioning at its peak and improve overall mood.
    Having regular check-ups with your doctor to keep track of your heart’s health.
    These are all great and very important ways to stay healthy from a physical standpoint.
  2. Emotional well-being. Did you know that your emotional health can be just as important for overall well-being as physical health? For men it may be very difficult to look at, talk about and express emotions, but by not doing so you are storing up a dangerous amount of suppressed feelings that can lead to stress and anger – even rage if not properly dealt with and acknowledged. They are very toxic and can affect your body in a very negative way.
    Louise Hay, in her book You Can Heal Your Life talks about the link between emotions and dis-ease. There are even scientific studies that confirm this connection. It’s not only the food we eat that contributes to dis-ease but the emotions that we “swallow” and hold in our bodies.
    It’s important to find safe and healthy ways to express and release the negative emotions that have been ignored and left to cause problems in all areas of your life.
    Feeling safe is a big factor in the ability to share vulnerability. Men, especially see vulnerability as a weakness. But it takes great courage to share your vulnerability with another person and for that reason I consider it a strength. So guys, you can add it to your list of manly characteristics and get healthy at the same time. Find someone you trust to create the safe environment for releasing toxic emotions.
    Physical detoxification creates a healthier foundation in your body to promote healing but don’t discount the benefits of emotional detox as well.
  3. Spiritual well-being. This has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with your connection to your higher self. This is the part of you that feels love, peace and contentment, the place where you can tap into your wisdom. It is the essence of who you are at your core.
    In the busyness of your day you may not take the time to tap into this amazing resource which can direct you when to say “yes” and when to say “no”, when to take care of yourself, when it’s time to turn the engine off and just relax and do nothing.
    One way to connect to the spiritual part of yourself is to practice meditation. The benefits of meditation are well documented. It can help you to have better overall health, increased mental focus, better memory, less, stress, lower cholesterol, less anxiety, elevated moods and much more. It’s simple to do and takes only 20-40 minutes a day to achieve results.
    There are many different styles and types of meditation so there is bound to be one that will suit you and your lifestyle.

Your overall health is affected by many factors and attention to these three steps can improve the quality of your life immensely if they are applied on a daily basis.

Small, gradual changes in your lifestyle can reap huge rewards in the long term when it comes to living a happy, long and healthy life. Look for ways in which you can make positive changes and watch how it can transform you and your life.

Bettina Goodwin
Bettina Goodwin is a Life Coach and Reiki Master who teaches heart-centered living to the modern urban man. Through her 8 week program she helps men understand the concepts of living in the moment with more meaning and to practice these concepts in their every day lives. You can find more information about her programs for men at www.thewisemansway.com