Emphasizing this philosophy of life motivates people to then let go of destructive behaviors and redevelop healthy habits with regard to physical and emotional activities. And this includes many of the habits I write about every month and especially in the December 2000 and January 2001 Staying Healthy Tips. Also, refer back to May, 2000, where I wrote 10 Tips and more about Heart Health.

Emotional well being is a deeper level of keeping a healthy heart. This is a month to take care of your emotions, with all those valentines and love messages out there. Feel good about yourself. Find new things you like to do that support you loving yourself more. Be real. Be honest. Communicate your feelings in a sage and non-aggressive way. Dr. Dean Ornish, in his recent book, Love and Survival, shows an important part of his program to reverse heart disease is the emotional aspect. He believes that healing the feeling of personal isolation and participating in group sharing helps the people learn about giving and receiving love, which is so crucial to personal health and a healthy world.

I encourage all of us to work toward an attitude of self-love. Our body is a temple of Spirit (blood and guts too), and it pays off in rewards of greater health if we regard it with respect and care. If we are able to treat ourselves in this manner, we will then be able to relate to others in a loving way and attract other positively minded people. And when we develop less destructive personal habits, we can both allow and create our relationships with more love and respect. Also, our emotional well being will evolve and we can become better-balanced. Our personal world will then be a more joyous and fulfilling one.

I want to include a short discussion Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) for this heart healthy month. CVD is the most common interference with healthy aging and long life in the modern world. Here are a few proactive ideas and tips to help you prevent the problems associated with heart disease. The triad of primary risk factors is smoking (nicotine addiction), high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Even if your parents had high cholesterol or early heart disease, you can override, or at least delay, these influences with a proactive, healthy lifestyle. Follow my tips above and the ones in last May's tips and remember that a good diet, regular exercise, and handling stress and emotions will keep you healthy.