* Little by Little* Monthly Newsletter for February 2013

Little by Little* Newsletter ...February 2013

 

Beings that Valentines Day falls in the month of February & my brother Dave went through open heart surgery recently, I got thinking about my heart...Did you know that not getting enough good rest/sleep can affect your heart? How many of you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night? Smoking is very harmful for your heart...Second hand smoke is just as bad, if not worse...I started smoking when I was 13 and have now been smoke free about 26 years...My parents never discussed with me how important these issues were, yet alone they never taught us kids how to eat healthy and to make good choices, or to even exercise...My Mom & Dads parents never taught them either...Then when my son Jason came along, it was the same with me as I never taught him about making good choices...Its time for us to teach ourselves all we can about living a healthy life, so that way we can teach others, whether it be a family member/children, or a good friend.

The average adult heart beats 72 times a minute; 100,000 times a day; 3,600,000 times a year; and 2.5 billion times during a lifetime

Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day...A kitchen faucet would need to be turned on all the way for at least 45 years to equal the amount of blood pumped by the heart in an average lifetime...Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles...The fetal heart rate is approximately twice as fast as an adult’s, at about 150 beats per minute...Only the corneas receive no blood supply

Why is High Cholesterol Bad?...Cholesterol can build up in arteries and cause all kinds of heart problems such as coronary heart disease, clots, heart attacks, and more. Cholesterol is actually good for the heart in normal levels. However, when there is too much for the body to handle, it becomes dangerous.

The Top 10 Best Foods For Your Heart...Oatmeal...Salmon...Olive oil...Berries...Spinach...Soy...Legumes...Avocados...Flax seed...Green onions

The reason berries are good for your heart is that they have anti-inflammatories, which lower the chances of getting disease and cancer.

Soy is great for the heart because it contains lean protein. Make sure you choose the most natural soy. Processed soy usually contains preservatives and salt, which is not good for the heart.

The best legumes are chickpeas, lentils, black, and kidney beans

Other good choices...Romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, arugula, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, turnip greens, basil, parsley, mint, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, leeks, spinach, zucchini, and Asian greens like bok choy, are the very best foods for your heart and blood vessels.

The Top Ten Worst Foods For Your Heart... Soda pop, french fries, potato chips, bacon, pasta salads, fast food burgers, granola bars, most chocolate cereal, doughnuts, and cheese.

You can still have some of these foods, just not in large amounts. If you need to have cheese, use a low fat cheese like feta and skim mozzarella. It's all about the choices.

The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day.

 

Some heavy snorers may have a condition called obtrusive sleep apnea (OSA), which can negatively affect the heart

 

   Laughing can be a great workout for your heart. Whenever you laugh, the blood flow in your heart is increased for up to 45 minutes, which in turn improves your heart health.

 

Friendship is a Priceless Gift
that cannot be bought or sold,
But its value is far greater
than a mountain made of Gold.

For gold is cold and lifeless,
it can neither see nor hear
And in the time of trouble
it is powerless to cheer--

It has no ears to listen
Nor heart to understand,
It cannot bring you comfort
or reach out a helping hand

So when you ask God for a gift
be thankful if HE sends
not diamonds, pearls or riches
But The Love of Real True Friends.
- Helen Steiner Rice -

 

The word * friend* means...One that supports each other!!!

So make sure you keep in touch with all your

friends this month...Take the time to show them how supportive you can be, as that's what friends are for!!!

 

In closing...Roses are Red, Violets are blue,

Some poems rhyme, Others don't...haha, Tammy Hoff