The Heart Knows – Do You?

            When someone talks about heart problems or you feel your heart racing when you're under stress, where do your thoughts go?  What do you do? 

            The heart is an amazing organ and with the help of the circulatory system it keeps us going day after day.  Here's some fun facts about the heart:

·         One drop of blood has about 250 million red blood cells.

·         The body holds about 5 liters of blood in the average adult.

·         There are approximately 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the adult body.

·         It only takes about 1 minute for a red blood cell to travel from the heart, through those 60,000 miles of blood vessels, and back to the heart.

·         A red blood cell has a life span of around 120 days.

·         The heart begins to beat on Day 19 after conception.

Everyone knows that if your heart stops beating you die.  But did you know that anything that enters the blood stream does directly to the heart – even before it gets filtered by the liver?  That means, if you are eating foods that were grown through conventional farming means chances are they contain a wide variety of herbicide and pesticide resides before they make it to the store.  Pesticides destroy neurotransmitter activity and affect, in a bad way, how the nervous system talks to the heart and lungs synchronizing the heart rhythm and breathing together.

The foods that go to the processing plant first, contain those residues and then are subjected to the addition of all kinds of artificial flavors, colors, and ingredients before they hit the shelves.  When you eat any of these foods or products, those same toxins are transferred into your body and ultimately to your heart.  So what can you do?

·         Eat organic foods.

·         Read the ingredient labels before you buy a food product.

·         When there are several products to choose from, pick the one that has the fewest ingredients.

·         Schedule a trip to a local gym or spa that offers an infrared sauna.  Sweating is the body's way of eliminating these toxins.

Take care of yourself first.  I know that's hard to hear, especially for those who are responsible for others.  But remember, if you fail to care for yourself – will you have anything worthwhile left to give to others?