Beauty starts with the Heart
As a Preventive Cardiologist, and Director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, I see all types of people- those who are younger and beginning the steps of health and wellness, those who have given up or lost the battle, or those who are wanting to begin to take care of themselves and just need to know how. All people want the same thing, no matter what their age or their sex… they want to feel good and look good. As much as we can manipulate our own beauty from the outside, with makeup and surgeries, hair colors and cuts, clothes and shoes, our true beauty radiates from the inside. I believe the center of that beauty comes from your Heart. When you are happy, you shine; and in love, you radiate. Not only that, when your heart is actually healthy, your skin takes on a glow of oxygen and energy that is the ultimate sign of health. Without taking care of your heart, all the rest is a deck of cards, easily deconstructed with stress or shattered by the unpredictability of life. Having a healthy heart allows you to have an infrastructure which then allows your true beauty to flourish, and for you to become the best and most beautiful you. Diet is a critical part of beauty care. Eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, beans, legumes and fish has been shown to decrease inflammation and dilate the arteries throughout the body. When contemplating exercise, do something that gets your heart rate up for 150 minutes per week. No matter what the activity, it should be at a moderate intensity, and should try to be at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise at this level can decrease the stress response, lower inflammation, help to lose weight, allow you to sleep better, increase the happy endorphins in your body, and provide a feeling of overall wellness.
When you look in the mirror what you see is a reflection of what you are on the inside, beginning with your heart. Take care of it by nourishing it with the right foods, providing it with the right amount of exercise and nurture with love, both for yourself and for others. That way, what you see in the mirror is truly the most beautiful you can be. It all starts with your Heart.
