Special outings, dinners, and gestures aren’t just for your significant other.
Most of us have an idea of our perfect date. Whether it’s a daydream (candlelit dinner atop the Eiffel Tower, anyone?) or tried-and-true formula (walk + dinner + Netflix), we’ve all put some thought into what the ideal romantic outing involves.
Now, what if you were to plan the perfect date not for you and bae, but for your heart?
Think about it. Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day, pumping eight pints of blood—along with oxygen and nutrients—to every nook and cranny of your body. It never rests. Your longest and most vital relationship isn’t with another person. It’s with your heart.
It’s time to normalize putting time and care into that relationship.
Why prioritize your heart?
To put it bluntly, heart disease is the number-one cause of death worldwide, and it’s the leading cause of death for men and women in America. (FYI, men typically develop heart disease 10 to 15 years earlier than women, meaning they’re more likely to die from heart disease in their prime.)
We all need to be vigilant about supporting heart health using every tool available—and yes, men may need an extra nudge to start early.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
Prove you’ve got the moves
Spoiler: The perfect date with your heart doesn’t involve binge-watching Yellowstone until midnight. To treat your ticker right, you’ll want to pencil in something more active.
While it’s long been believed that aerobic exercise like running or swimming is best for the heart, strength training is also essential. Yes, cardio improves circulation, which in turn improves blood pressure, heart rate, and something called “cardiac output." (Basically, how good your heart is at pumping blood around.)
But strength training (think lifting weights or doing exercises like push-ups) helps you build lean muscle mass and changes your body composition in ways that are good for cardiovascular health.
Aim to do cardio five days a week for at least 30 minutes, and strength training at least two non-consecutive days a week. (Yes, your heart is a little high maintenance.)
Spread some love around
The American Heart Association recommends something called “loving-kindness meditation” as a way to boost compassion and empathy while potentially reducing anger. (Intense anger has been linked to heart troubles, particularly in men.[1])
It’s simple—just take a few moments to send a kind wish to yourself and to others in ever-widening circles. Here's how that can look, for example:
- Direct the kind thought to yourself first: May I be healthy
- Then to someone you love: May Mom be healthy
- Next, direct the wish to someone neutral: May my neighbor be healthy
- Then, to someone difficult: May the new president of the PTA be healthy
- Now picture all these people together and think: May they all be healthy
- Finally, go global with this wish: May all beings everywhere be healthy
Cook romantic meals
An almond-crusted salmon fillet with beet mousse and a spinach and walnut salad? That’s a menu that’s sure to win over any date—including your heart.
Let's break down the meal and how it is great for heart health:
Salmon and other fatty fish are full of healthy type of omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA. When consumed in large enough quantities, EPA and DHA may help with balancing blood pressure, blood lipids, and more.
Almonds and walnuts are high in fiber and healthy fats that can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels.
Beets are high in folate, a B vitamin that’s essential to heart health.
Leafy greens like spinach are good for cardiac health because they are a good source of vitamin K, which helps keep your circulatory system healthy. Particularly your arteries.
Say “I love you” every day
Simple gestures that consistently demonstrate love are the lifeblood of any relationship. Leaving a sweet note in your loved one’s lunch or saying “I love you” before heading to work takes almost no time but shows your partner you’re present and committed.
What’s the equivalent for your heart? Committing to a daily supplement routine that supports heart health.*
Our range of One Daily Multivitamins contain effective doses and forms of minerals and nutrients for heart health, including B Vitamins.* Remember the heart-friendly folate in spinach? There’s plenty of folate in these multis, and it comes in a highly bioavailable form (Methylfolate). True Grace multis also contain an effective form of Vitamin K2, Menaquinone-7.*
Good news for guys: We recently expanded our line of supplements for men. Our new One Daily Men’s 40+ Multivitamin contains heart-healthy vitamins and minerals and Shiitake mushrooms to support heart health. (So does our One Daily Women’s 40+ Multivitamin.)*
Plus, our Highly Concentrated Omega-3 Fish Oil supports heart health—and specifically healthy blood lipid levels—by giving you 1,400 mg of EPA and DHA in their effective “true triglyceride” form.*
Ready to show your heart some love?
[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/anger-heartbreaking-at-any-age
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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