Hearts are everywhere this month! It's the month for seeing cute red valentine shapes wherever we go, and also for considering how loving care affects our well-being, and therefore health.
❤️
The two go together, say research teams from Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Riverside, who found that "positive well-being" is a factor in heart health. That concept may not be a surprise to anyone, but the researchers think they've quantified it.
The positive psychology researchers looked at caring actions such as
1) building relationships,
2) expressing gratitude,
3) practicing kindness and
4) dropping grudges.
Of course, they also looked at other healthy associations like exercising regularly and getting enough sleep. But in the final analysis, they were surprised that simple "positive well-being" was associated with a 13 percent reduction in the incidence of coronary artery disease, independent of other traditional risk factors.
Lisa Yanek, Asst Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins adds one more practical idea to remember: "Other studies have found that smiling can help decrease stress."
Are you avoiding the candy inside the heart-shaped boxes this month? Chocolate is so tempting. I think I could forgo nearly any sweet as long as no one put any chocolate in front of me. And when it goes on sale after the 14th ... .. ugh! I try to be satisfied with the cocoa I add to smoothies and cherry oatmeal!
What tips do you have for avoiding temptation?