MINDING WHAT THE HEART IS SAYING

   Our hearts are the most important muscle in our body.  By minding the advice of John Longhurst , MD, PhD, a cardiologist and the director of the Susan Samueli,Center of Integrative Medicine at the at the University of California, at Irvin.  Since the heart has no audible language voice, it must depend on the wisdom of well educated doctors to help strengthen its power Center.  Doctors use blood pressure numbers to signal danger when the heart lacks the energy for strength.

   The newest weapon in the fight against heart attacks is acupuncture.  Research suggests that weekly acupuncture sessions can slash systolic blood pressure by up to 20 points.  Electroacupuncture, uses battery-driven special acupuncture needles to produces results at par with prescription drugs.  Dr. Longhurst adds, “Just as you would with medication you need to continue getting regular treatments to see results – and this with very few side effects or risks. A flood of feel good hormones will short circuit stress, especially when as you gradually learn to choose positive thoughts that spark a flood of feel good hormones.”

   According to a study of the Institute of Heart, practicing positive emotion as well as positive refocusing is easy.  When you feel anxiety coming on, identify what you are stressed out about.  Then hold the thought in your mind like a freeze-frame of a movie.  As you do this, breathe deeply for several minutes and focus your attention on your heart beat.  Now identify a positive feeling such as an appreciation for a pet or a loved one.  “This calms our emotions and shifts your attention away from negative thoughts”, says Deborah Rozman, PhD, a behavioral psychologist.  Though it can be tough to let go of negative thoughts when you are fuming, regularly practicing this positive refocusing technique can result in fewer stressed out moments overall.  Even if you can’t find the recommended 10 minutes a day for positive thinking, a couple of minutes here and there helps.

   Tai chi is a form of Chinese art sometimes called Chinese Yoga) is more than just a gentle way to work out.  Practicing these ancient disciplines can reduce stress and have a powerful effect on metabolic syndrome – a cluster of five conditions that ups your risk of heart disease reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure and trims the waist size by at least an inch, according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.  These slow-mo sports can burn as many calories as intensive activities.