By Amy Osmond Cook for Divorce Support Center
Most would agree that Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson is the picture of good health. When paired up with his beautiful fiancee, Ciara, they are the image of a healthy celebrity couple. Finding the perfect gift to celebrate your loved one, however, never gets any easier, even for famous couples. Do you go with chocolates or flowers? How about a fancy dinner? When you do find the perfect token of love, it will most likely cost you a pretty penny to celebrate your beautiful mate. With summer love heating up, my dating advice is to make your heart the focus of your enduring love. Here are five ideas that stem from the heart — for the heart.
Dating Advice: Making Your Heart The Focus of Your Relationship
1. Adopt a heart healthy diet as a couple. By incorporating fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and limiting your fat intake, you are taking healthy steps toward a loving and lasting relationship. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is an important step to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease.” My dating advice is to put your heart where your mouth is and make healthy food choices that will create long-term benefits for you and your loved one.
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2. Exercise for Deux. “If you don’t make time for walking together, you’ll never work it into your busy days,” warned relationship expert Sheri Stritof. We all can benefit from daily exercise. A great way to stay motivated to exercise daily is to share your exercise routine with your sweetheart. Creating a daily walking ritual with your loved one is a great exercise for your heart, and the emotional connection that can come from daily conversations is good for the soul.
3. Learn CPR. According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults. When an individual is able to start CPR, the survival rate increases to over 40 percent. By contrast, each minute that treatment is delayed, the chance of your loved one surviving reduces by 10 percent. For information on CPR training, you can contact your local branch of the American Red Cross, or you can contact city hall for information on community courses. By learning CPR, you just may give the best gift of all to those you love–the gift of life.
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4. Follow up on physical exams. Both males and females are encouraged to undergo physical exams every year. Experts agree a key to overall good health is prevention. One way to prevent disease is to build a comprehensive medical history. Early detection of common diseases is a strong defense should disease occur. According to Health Contributor Treacy Colbert, we should have cholesterol checked every five years, blood pressure checked every two years, and mammograms and cancer screenings every year. While you are focusing on your internal health, don’t forget your cover. Colbert reported that the rates of melanoma continued to climb in the United States despite increased awareness of the dangers of skin cancer. “Check your skin every month for moles that have changed or look abnormal,” wrote Colbert. “You should also look out for sores that won’t heal. Have your doctor check your skin thoroughly as part of your physical— melanoma is highly curable when diagnosed early.”
5. Share expressions of gratitude. For the United Health Group, good health is more than just measuring pressures or pounds: “It means taking an integrated approach to well-being that includes not only our physical health but our emotional health, our sense of purpose, our connections to our community and our overall quality of life.” Experts say when you vocalize positive phrases and express appreciation to your loved one, it has a positive impact on your health as well as the mental well-being of your loved one. You will always avoid a few relationship problems. So share your feelings about your sweetheart. Tell him how much he means to you.
When you find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, why not share gifts that are meant to last as long as your love for that person endures? With gifts such as a better diet, exercise, learning CPR, physical exams and phrases of gratitude, your gifts from the heart can be good for your heart. I “heart” that idea.
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