Did you know that heart disease claims the lives of men and women more than any other disease, and is even more deadly than all forms of cancer combined?
The simple truth is that our hearts need some help. And that’s likely why you’ll hear many of the leading natural healing experts recommend preventive remedies for heart disease such as: garlic, omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, magnesium, hawthorne berry, C0-Enzyme Q10, fiber and many more. But, in the bigger picture, our approach to stopping heart disease, before it ever starts, isn’t working very well. That’s why I think it’s time for some new healthy superfoods just for the heart! These may be a bit unexpected, but if you put your nutritional thinking cap on and give some of these a try, my heartfelt belief is that you’ll notice a big difference.
As always, please let me know what you think:
Healthy SuperFoods #1 – Openness
It seems like we’ve all learned at some point that an open heart is a good thing. If you haven’t learned this, then now’s the time. The heart loves spaciousness. Openness allows it to expand, to receive, to give, to exchange, and to circulate in an ease-filled way. For sure, we know that our coronary arteries can be blocked or clogged, so let’s give our biochemistry some help. The more we truly open to life, to truth, to love, to what’s real – the more our physiology will benefit. Great exercise and good food won’t guarantee heart health. But if you and I make sure that our hearts are indeed flowering wide open to the world, at least life will be a happier affair no matter what happens to the body. Do you know the places where your heart could be more open? And are you ready and willing to go there?
Healthy SuperFoods #2 – Heartbreak
We can probably all agree that having one’s heart broken isn’t something to get too excited about. Heartbreak may be one of the most poignant and difficult experiences we might ever have. People literally die from heartbreak, or spend years recovering from it. So why is heartbreak a super food? Well, it can make us stronger. It can also make us more human, more compassionate, and more wise. But that’s only if we choose to embrace this part of heartbreak that we might otherwise avoid. Pain is here to crack open the shell of our soul and expose us to the deepest and truest parts of our being. Some superfoods taste great and go down easy. Others make us work a little. Do the work. It’s worth it.
Healthy SuperFoods #3 – Risk
Life can be a gamble. And the heart just might be the biggest gambler of them all. You’ve likely had times when you were being called to take risks in the name of love. Maybe you loved someone who others thought you shouldn’t. Maybe you jumped into a relationship that had some dangers – but love insisted you dive in anyways. Maybe you loved someone who didn’t love you back in the same way, or chose to forgive someone who could still turn around and hurt you again. The heart asks a lot of us. To risk in love might be one of the greatest risks of all. And as you’ve likely heard, with great risk comes great reward. How is your heart asking you to risk more in love? What gamble is it asking you to take? And how lucky are you feeling today?
Healthy SuperFoods #4 – Awe
One of the great superfoods for the heart that seems to nourish it to the core is awe. This fascinating emotion isn’t well understood by traditional psychology, but this much we know – the feeling of awe enlivens us like no other. It’s a superfood you invite to the table. Awe is something we allow ourselves to experience. When was the last time you were awed by a sunset, the clouds, a rainbow, a flower, a smiling infant, a song, a beautiful smile? Awe truly is awesome. It makes the world a magical place. It’s a show-stopper. It reminds us that the heart can feel alive and healthy every day. It’s one of the most exalted states that the heart can find itself in. All we need do is notice the world. So what’s stopping you?
Healthy SuperFoods #5 – The Little Things
So much of the time, our health strategies focus on the big sweeping changes we plan to make – like radical shifts in diet and exercise – that we’ll stick to like never before. Humans have a fascination with big things. We like dinosaurs, big lottery payouts, big presents, hugely famous people, and big gestures from others that they appreciate us. Big is good, but small just might be the next big thing. Meaning the little things. The heart loves simple gestures of love, kindness, words of support, a simple gift, an unexpected compliment, and so much more. The heart enjoys its’ big moments, but on a day to day basis, it’s the little ways we feed our own hearts – and the hearts of others – that make a big nutritional difference. Yes, think big. But first, think small. What little things can you do that will delight the heart? And who’s heart is calling for your attention?
And finally: are there any new healthy superfoods for the heart that you’d like to add in to the mix? I‘d love to know…
Warm regards,
Marc David
Institute for the Psychology of Eating
© Institute For The Psychology of Eating, All Rights Reserved, 2018
