The cardiovascular system and our “heart-beat” is the center of the interwoven fabric of our physiological, emotional and spiritual existence. It is the pump and complex conduits through which the blood of our life flows carrying sustenance via the blood to our cells.
Our heartbeat is so central to our perception of “being alive” it is even used to characterize the essence of the emotional relationship between a man and a woman. The terms “mi Corazon,” or “my heart,” is synonymous with “my love.” Probably the most used phrase between lovers is, “I love you with all my heart.” Those words and the emotions expressed actually affect our heartbeat and it’s rhythm. Some of the most poignant love songs speak of the heart and the blood. Johnny Cash’s “Rose of My Heart” and “Flesh & Blood,” Johnny Rodriguez’s “Love Me With All Your Heart” or Don Moen’s “Mi Corazon” express the essence of love, leaving no doubt as to the depth of emotion being experienced.
Regardless of how we view the phenomenon of “love” as it relates to our heartbeat, if we want to live a long and healthy life our cardiovascular system must be healthy. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths worldwide, making up about 30 percent of the total. Although brain activity has become the ‘measurement of life’ to mainstream medicine, death is only definitive when the heartbeat ceases. Cardiovascular disease is the one, which can result in an unexpected and immediate death. Ironically, it’s also the easiest life threatening disease to prevent.
To maintain good cardiovascular health, put aside stressful situations in your life and don’t take on more of life than you can handle.
Keep your body hydrated with water and consume alcohol only in moderation, even red wine. Smoking may do more heart damage than any single thing. Eliminate processed food from your diet and eat fruits and vegetables, fish, range fed meat, and wild game. Symptoms of this disease can range from a shortness of breath to angina pectoris (chest pain) and heart arrhythmias. Angina is generally caused by a lack of blood flow to the heart and breathlessness due to a lack of blood-flow in general. Arrhythmias often indicate mineral imbalances or deficiencies.
Usually ignored by mainstream medicine in favor of drugs is the fact that there are vitamins and minerals essential in preventing and healing cardiovascular diseases. Angina and arrhythmia are often caused by a deficiency of magnesium, calcium and iodine since they are essential to heart muscle relaxation and contractions. Antioxidants like selenium, alpha-lipoic acid, and CoQ10 are essential for protecting and healing the heart. Grape seed extract can reduce unnatural blood clotting. Vitamin C is important for regulation of blood pressure. Digestive enzymes in high doses on an empty stomach can enhance circulation and dissolve plaque and reduce inflammation in the arteries. Silver, a natural anti-bacterial mineral can be helpful in stopping H. pylori arterial infections.
Our heartbeats are equivalent to our time in this life. Every beat is the ticking of our body clock marking that passage of time as our lives move from conception to physical death. Author Henry van Dyke wrote, “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” Take care of your heart so you can take care of those you love.