My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:26
As a Biblical reference, the heart is the seat of emotions, thoughts, motivations, courage, action, and sincerity; the very center of the human spirit. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus tells us that “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) The Concordia Self Study Bible (NIV) lists 286 references to the heart in the concordance.
Modern society still alludes to these ancient ideas with phrases such as “heartfelt” and “heart of gold”, and the annual activities surrounding February 14. Yet science has shown that the brain is the organ which controls the things we once thought belonged to the heart.
The heart is still extremely important and is the source of many of our health issues. More Americans die from circulatory problems than any other cause. February is American Heart Month, and the Health Ministry encourages you to learn more about the positive effects that result from good nutrition and exercise. Nuture your spiritual heart through the words of our Lord, and your physical heart through good habits. Your body, mind, and spirit will thrive.
LIFE’S SIMPLE 7
Making small changes every day can add up to big improvements in your overall health. Life’s Simple 7 outlines a few easy steps you can take to live a healthier lifestyle. Two of these steps, Get Active and Eat Better, can help jump-start your whole health journey. Making choices that help you eat smart and move more can also help you lose weight, control cholesterol, manage blood pressure, reduce blood sugar and stop smoking!
Get Active
Try to get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of both), preferably spread throughout the week. Even short bursts of exercise can be beneficial, and all those little steps will lead to big gains in the long run!
Eat Better
Eat a colorful diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. Try to limit sugary foods and drinks, fatty or processed meats, and salt.
Lose Weight
Burn more, consume less. Healthy eating and physical activity can help you lose weight more easily and keep it off.
Control Cholesterol
Your body makes all the cholesterol you need! Eating smart, adding color and moving more can all help lower your cholesterol!
Manage Blood Pressure
Stress and poor diet have both been linked to high blood pressure.
Reduce Blood Sugar
Cut out added sugars by checking nutrition labels, limiting sweets and sugary beverages, and choosing simple foods over heavily processed ones.
Stop Smoking
Not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health.