Quinoa Cashew Moong Dhal Pilaf

According to the HeartMath Institute (www.heartmath.org) the heart sends more messages to the brain than the brain sends to the heart! Research in the last 20 years shows that the heart's electromagnetic field is 50 times stronger than the brain's and our hearts contain an intelligence that we need to tune into and focus on more in our lives if we want overall health.
Heart health comprises many facets, mental, emotional, physical and spiritual and none of these should be ignored to obtain optimal health and relief from stress, worry and anxiety. Chronic stress and anxiety, which many of us suffer from in today's fast paced world, lead to increased levels of cortisol and eventually the frontal cortex of the brain starts to shrink.
This is responsible for reasoning, compassion and decision making so when we are stressed, we are not making good clear decisions for our health and wellbeing. There are some other things that affect our hearts negatively. These are: holding onto anger, resentment and other negative feelings, smoking, lack of exercise, processed and fatty foods, overwork and lack of joy in life.
So what can we do to enhance the function of our hearts and live a more heart-centred life? According to the HeartMath's research, the more we tune into our hearts, the more we can slow our heart rate down, decrease cortisol and increase DHEA, the anti-aging hormone. Try this simple technique from their programme:
My favourite mineral for the heart would have to be magnesium. Paul Pitchford in Healing With Whole Foods says that magnesium allows calcium to function properly in the tissues of the heart and that it restrains the "anxiety peptide" (amino acids in the brain that contribute to anxiety). Green foods like chlorophyll, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, kale and Spirulina are good sources of magnesium as are nuts and whole-grains. The absolute best herb for the heart is Hawthorn Berries. It can be recommended for balancing both high and low blood pressure as it can dilate the coronary blood vessels and slow down the contractility of the heart muscle. It has a tonifying effect on the vascular system. A teaspoon of the dried berries can be taken as a tea two to three times a day. Intuitively we have always known the importance of our heart. We say things like "have a heart", "speak from your heart", "get to the heart of the matter" and "put your heart into it". Practicing some simple techniques from the HeartMath Institute, including foods to nourish the heart, exercising regularly and letting go of old emotional hurts and resentments will help us to live a more healthy, heart-based life.
Suzanne Staples ND DBM Naturopath Herbalist Homeopath Email suzestaples@gmail.com Copyright Suzanne Staples