Taking care of your heart leads to an abundant life

By Annettee Budzban

Annetteebudzban@aol.com

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you.”

— 3 John, verse 2

A good friend of mine shared the excitement that her pregnant daughter heard her baby’s heart beat for the first time.

Imagine the delight in hearing the thump, thump, thump, of that precious, first vital sign of life!

It’s a pivotal moment because the heartbeat is the core of life. The heartbeat is what pumps our blood through our veins and arteries. The blood carries oxygen to other organs to keep them alive and thriving.

The heart is the central organ to our being. That is why a healthy heart matters.

Since God created us spirit, soul and body, He desires that we take care of each aspect. I’d like to share a few tips that encompass each of the matters of the heart.

Experts remind us we can implement a few things in our lives to keep our physical bodies healthy.

Ÿ Exercise at least three times a week for a period of 20 minutes or more at our target heart rate.

Ÿ Practice smoking cessation on a permanent basis to increase the flow of oxygen to the blood and to keep vital organs healthy.

Ÿ Including some water consumption into your liquid intake each day can help flush toxins and fat from your body.(When on fluid restrictions, check with your doctor what would be healthy amount for you to drink).

Ÿ Eat a balanced diet of salt, sugar, cholesterol, and fat to promote strength and vigor. Overdoing any food group is not healthy.

Ÿ For spiritual heart matters, we need to communicate daily in prayer with our Lord.

Ÿ We can learn to forgive others, so that our hearts can be cleansed from the sin of unforgiveness, which blocks our ability to properly relate with God and others.

Ÿ We can nourish the heart of our soul by learning not to allow negative emotions to rule our lives.

Ÿ We can use self-control to overcome outbursts of anger, self-pity, gossip, or a judgmental attitude toward one another.

Ÿ We can combat some of our harsh treatment toward one another by speaking truth in a loving way.

I believe that as we learn to guard our hearts by tending to these matters, we are choosing to build a healthy lifestyle which leads to an abundant life. Changing a few habits can help us have a healthier and happier summer.

Ÿ Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted by email at Annetteebudzban@aol.com.