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heart disease overview > how the heart works >
The Over-40 Guide to Living Longer (and Better!)
What You Can Do this Week
- Color yourself happy. Break out the watercolors and put away the blues: A 2004 study found that people who do something creative every week make fewer doctor visits, take less medication, and report less depression than those not engaging their artsy side. Sign up for a class, or join a singing club or a theater group. Part of the benefit comes from the social aspect of group activities, and, for solo pursuits, a sense of individual mastery, according to Gene D. Cohen, Ph.D., director of George Washington University’s Center on Aging, Health, and Humanities.
- Go to it. Engage in some sexual activity at least twice a week, even if that means going solo. People who have sex at least twice a week live longer, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. Regular sex also boosts estrogen levels and keeps the vagina toned.
- Practice peace. A weekly stress-reduction session can calm you and keep your blood pressure low. More than a dozen studies have found that people who attend religious services and/or have private religious rituals reap health benefits. “Religion is a powerful coping behavior that helps people deal with stress better,” says Harold G. Koenig, M.D., of Duke University. You needn’t join a congregation or subscribe to a specific belief system; you can get the benefits by meditating, visiting a spirituality chat room, or reading something uplifting, such as Anne Lamott’s book, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith (Riverhead Trade, 2006).
- Exercise your optimism. Flex your happiness muscles: Make a list of all you’re grateful for or look over vacation photographs. Researchers find that heart patients—and remember, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women—who feel positive are 20 percent more likely to be alive more than a decade later than those who are morose. For more tips, visit www.authentichappiness.org.
- Fit in fish. Eat fish at least twice a week to boost your heart health and stave off depression. Fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, and sardines—all high in omega-3 fatty acids—can reduce risk of heart disease.
- Talk it out. Frequent heart-to-hearts with someone give your brain a boost and improve your sleep.
- Treat yourself. A three-times-a-week treat may help your heart. The flavanols in chocolate protect against cardiovascular disease in the same way as aspirin, but with less potency (and, granted, more calories). “Darker chocolates have more flavanols than milk chocolate,” says Debra Pearson, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
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