It’s not rocket science to know that you shouldn’t smoke, that fruits and vegetables are healthy and that exercise does a body good. So why do so many of us have a failure to start, or inability to follow through?
When I sat down to talk about this with vascular surgeon Dr. Giuseppe Papia, he had a refreshing take on the whole situation. He sees first hand how poor lifestyle choices put a strain on the body and heart in particular. But far from preaching a radical message, his perspective is all about keeping things simple. “Everybody thinks that your heart needs a miracle,” he says. “But it just needs a little bit of respect.”
Who knew Aretha Franklin had it all figured out? R-E-S-P-E-C-T, if you want your heart healthy! OK, so maybe I should leave the songwriting to the experts. But I left Dr. Papia’s office thinking of it this way: every life is the sum of all the good and bad decisions made everyday. Am I going to sit or walk? Am I going to have one drink or three? Am I going to reach for a cigarette? When you really break things down, your choices are small, palpable and totally in your hands.
February is Heart Month, so what better time to give one of your hardest working organs a little respect? Watch my video to hear more from Dr. Papia, including his recommendations on supposed cardiovascular superfoods. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, should you reach for chocolate and green tea? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist… )
