Healing in the Heart

“Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The writer of Proverbs gives us a very useful principle here – but this is only the beginning. If we want to heal our hearts, we must keep it both physically as well as emotionally healthy. This can include, but is certainly not limited to, proper nutrition and regular cardiovascular exercise. It also means maintaining an overall sense of emotional balance, taking care to reduce stress and other toxic overloads (see more in the next section of this post).

There are certainly different lifestyle factors that can determine the likelihood of developing chronic health conditions (such as hypertension, diabetes, and stroke). These include various social determinants like your environment, education or health literacy, resources and culture. When other factors are also present, for example if you drink, smoke, or use recreational drugs, those can have a very negative impact on your overall health as well. While we may be aware of the potential outcomes these factors and substances can create, we may not always be willing to change our habits or lifestyle, even if we know it would be good for us. Sometimes, there needs to be something (or someone) that can help point us in the direction of change, or at least thinking about it.

When we neglect our health and essentially abuse our bodies, naturally there will be adverse effects and even permanent damage. It can not only harm physical health, but emotional and mental health as well and even increase the effects of aging. The good news is, you have the power to turn that around! The moment a person decides to stop a negative health pattern, their body is already becoming healthier.

By following a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and reducing levels of stress and other toxins, we can dramatically improve our overall health and vitality, which in turn will cause important health markers to go up also. This may be easier said than done – but sometimes the best way to go about it is by taking baby steps and being compassionate toward yourself to make gradual, lasting change.

Some vitamins and supplements that are generally recommended for heart (and brain) health include fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids, and CO-Q10. Likewise, some foods that naturally contain heart-healthy compounds might include flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and pineapple.

Resources: The American Heart Association, http://www.heart.org; http://www.ahajournals.org

Healing in the Mind

Because healing in the mind and heart go hand in hand, it is imperative to give attention to both. You cannot have one without the other – each one influences each other in more ways than we realize. The best thing we can do to start healing our minds is 1) give it the nutrients it needs, and 2) filter what goes in. This can be anything from thoughts and emotions to certain stressors, relationships, and even the chemicals and pollutants in our drinking water as well as the air around us.

Can you think of a few different ways that you can improve your nutrition and reduce your stress? (See other related blog posts for more on these topics.)

From a spiritual perspective, we can delve a little bit deeper as to what it means to “filter our thoughts.” As it is stated in Proverbs 23:7, “As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects a man.” Are you thinking positive, pure thoughts? What kinds of things are you saying to yourself? Words have power! and it all starts in the mind. What we think, we say, and what we say, we do. Something else I learned is that while you can’t always change a feeling, you can change what you think about it – which can alter your perspective and ultimately how you truly feel. It’s kind of like meditation: noticing thoughts, but not responding to them and allowing them to pass through.

When we filter our thoughts and emotions through things like meditation, mindfulness, or positive imagery, only then can we begin to heal our hearts as well because the mind and heart are interconnected.

“If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy…meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8