Emotional Heart Disease

We all know heart disease is the number one killer- in fact that's old news and sadly still current news. The fact that we have a disease state that is largely preventable through lifestyle factors, that is killing our friends, family, co-workers, and loved ones is something to take close to heart.

However, did you know that there is an underlying heart disease to heart disease?

With physical heart disease we face heart blockages, inflammation, and other anatomical issues leading up to the heart attack or myocardial infarction. But, what is leading someone towards a lifestyle of high risk for this disease state? Isn't that the root cause of heart disease- the factors that lead up to the problems?

Emotional Heart Disease could very well be at the heart of the problem. Studies show that people manage and deal with emotional situations differently and that unhealthy habits are sometimes formed out of the stressors of daily living. Think about it, if someone manages their stress through comfort foods, alcohol, and "zoning out" in front of the TV- that lifestyle is going to catch up to them and reflect in their health eventually. Also, allowing emotions to consume your thoughts will inevitably bring you down physically. As the saying goes- where the mind leads, the body follows.

So what does emotional heart disease look like? We all know emotions do not actually stem from the heart. This image is used as a symbol for love and we even use the phrase "broken hearted" to describe the loss of that happy, love state. Our emotional are actually centered from our brain and our mindset comes from within this space. If your mindset is being filled with negative, self depreciating, stressed out, down playing talk then your emotional heart is being damaged. Over time, this can lead to what I call emotional heart disease. You may noticed signs and symptoms of this such as feelings of depression, anxiety, low self esteem, lack of energy, lack of excitement, or feeling down on yourself. The emotional heart disease is setting in and the following action choices in response to the emotional heart disease tend to be what leads to the physical heart disease. The eating of junk food or comfort foods. High inflammatory foods that bring our mind that temporary high. The lack of energy that leads to not wanting to work out or get off the couch. The long nights awake worrying about the next day that don't allow our bodies to do the repairs and maintenance that usually occur while we are asleep. Do you see where I am going with this?

If research has shown that on average 80% of heart disease is preventable and only 20% accounts for genetics- there is a huge percent of the number one killer that we can tackle and take care of. It all goes back to your lifestyle choices and the things you are doing to manage your emotional heart that will lead to the prevention of the physical heart disease.

To learn more about what you can do for your emotional heart disease, please feel free to reach out for help and guidance.

You Heart Life- It's About YOU, Taking Care of Your HEART for a Better LIFE.