Let's Not Have a Heart Attack

Peter Sellers, actor, 54. George Carlin, comic, 71. Reggie Lewis, basketball player, 27. Tim Russert, journalist, 58. What do all these people have in common? They all died of heart disease. According to the Women's Heart foundation, a heart attack occurs every 20 seconds with a death about every minute. Time Magazine puts the death rate at one every 33 seconds. No matter what the exact number, we can all agree that Cardiac awareness is a good place to start. And not a moment too soon either- the range in ages above is 27 to 71; one is even an athlete. Nobody is immune, although there are things we can do to help prevent heart problems. Such as: 
 
Eat healthy and Exercise. A no brainer right? But you can still get heart disease! You can eat nothing but salmon and beans and run 3 miles a day, but if you're genetically coded for heart trouble, you may be in trouble at the very start. Sorry.

Get started early. Bad habits started as teenagers carry on into our adulthood. When we're young, our bodies bounce back with amazing resilience. Or so we think. Teens are immortal; adults are not. Smoking, drug use (and abuse), overeating and obesity can be ignored when young because a young body is new and strong. Fast forward a few years and as we've all seen, bodies break down.  
 
Watch the alcohol. Is red wine or some beer good for your heart? According to one  pulmonologist I’ve spoken with, no. He said it's okay for those people who already drink; otherwise leave it alone. The risks usually outweigh the benefits. 

Here's an excellent tutorial with quizzes, on the heart.

Aromatherapy for heart health? Maybe for your head, and if it eases some stress it can help your heart... otherwise not really. And use discretion when following the Internet for advice.