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Seven Ayurvedic Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy
Vasu Nargundkar
The statistics are frightening:
- Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women
in the United States.
- Every 20 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart
attack.
- One in four Americans has some form of heart disease.
- Every 34 seconds someone in the United States dies of heart
disease.
- Heart disease takes more lives than the next seven leading
causes of death combined.
Yet, both modern medicine and ayurveda concur that there are things
you can do every day to keep your heart healthy. Here are some
suggestions to get you started. Pick one or two and start with those
if you like, then add a couple more every few weeks until you are
naturally living a heart-healthy lifestyle. Bonus: Not just your
heart, but your entire physiology will thank you.
Soothe away stress
According to ayurveda, a holistic approach to heart health requires
you to nourish the emotional heart as well as the physical heart.
The heart is not just a pump?ordf;it's the fountainhead of all
emotions,
whether it's joy and exhilaration or sadness and frustration.
Mental
and emotional stress disrupts the emotional heart. A number of
ayurvedic herbs, including Arjuna, Brahmi and Ashwagandha, are
renowned for their positive influence on the mind and emotional
heart.
Cultivate the positive
While warding off excess stress is essential to prevent the emotional
heart from wasting away, actively seeking mental and emotional well-
being can help the emotional heart flourish. Ayurveda talks about
ojas, the substance that maintains life. The finest by-product of
digestion and the master coordinator of all activities of mind and
body, ojas leads to bliss, contentment, vitality and longevity.
Inner strength and poise and the cultivation of positive attitudes
and emotions increase ojas. Spend time everyday on those activities
that give you this contentment and happiness. Listen to soothing or
uplifting music, enjoy serene natural beauty, practice uplifting
aromatherapy and sip relaxing herbal teas. Maintain a positive
attitude and walk away from situations that distress or anger you.
Eat right
Arguably the most critical step you can take towards heart health is
to eat a heart-friendly diet. For a society used to fast food and
eating-on-the-go, this is also arguably the most difficult step to
take and maintain. But there are small things you can do to make
your diet more heart-healthy?ordf;eat more servings of fresh fruits
and
vegetables, start your day with stewed apples or pears, include
soaked blanched almonds in your diet, dress your veggies with fresh
lime juice and eat heart-friendly spices such as fresh-ground black
pepper and the antioxidant power-spice turmeric. Choose fresh foods
over processed foods or leftovers, light foods over rich, deep-fried
ones and warm cooked foods over cold, heavy foods.
Eat mindfully: How you eat is as important for heart health (and
overall health) as what you eat. Eat moderately?ordf;the ideal
ayurvedic "portion" is what fits in your two cupped palms.
Don't
skip meals, because eating three meals at regular times each
day "trains" your digestion to anticipate and digest your
food.
Stimulate a sluggish digestion with a slice of fresh ginger dressed
with a pinch of salt and limejuice. Have lassi, made by blending one
part fresh yogurt with three parts cool water, with lunch. Spike it
with roasted ground cumin and fresh cilantro for flavor. Don't
tax
your digestion by eating late at night or eating a heavy meal at
dinner.
Cleanse ama from the physiology: Arterial plaque is ama?ordf;toxic
matter
that builds up in your blood vessels because your physiology cannot
get rid of it efficiently. Ayurveda recommends a program of internal
cleansing with every change of season to help your body flush out
ama. Other things you can do to clear out ama?ordf;drink lots of warm
water through the day, go to bed by 10 p.m. to help the body cleanse
itself during the natural purification time and eat a lighter diet
high in fiber and antioxidants from fruits, vegetables, whole grains
and nuts. Avoid drugs, alcohol and smoking.
Exercise moderately and regularly: You don't have to do a
strenuous
workout five times a week. The key is regularity. If you follow the
ayurvedic principle of balaardh?ordf;exercising to half your
capacity?ordf;you
can exercise every single day without straining your muscles.
Walking is excellent exercise for everyone and excellent therapy as
well. The early morning is ideal for taking a 30-minute walk. It
will not only help your heart, it will prepare you for the day by
charging up your circulation and your metabolism.
Get your zzzs: Research studies have linked sleep deprivation to
blood pressure problems, depression and other factors that increase
the risk of heart disease. Ayurveda considers sleep just as
important as diet in maintaining health. Practice good bedtime
habits?ordf;favor restful, calming activities as bedtime draws near to
help disconnect the mind from the senses. Keep your bedroom clear of
distractions?ordf;television, computers, other work-related material.
Maintain a temperature that's comfortable. Stay away from
stimulants
in the evening. Go to bed by 10 p.m.?ordf;early to bed and early to
rise
still works to keep you healthy and energetic through the day.
Note – This ayurvedic information is education and is not
intended to
replace standard medical care or advice.
Copyright Vasu Nargundkar, 2002
About the Author: Vasu Nargundkar is the editor of Total Health News
and other ayurvedic newsletters published by Maharishi Ayurveda. For
a wealth of information on ayurveda and a complete line of ayurvedic
formulations, or to subscribe to free e-mail newsletters, please
visit http://www.mapi.com.
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