 | This Week's Tip
To strengthen your heart, just say ""Om""
There is ample research on how meditation can help reduce stress, which helps the heart stay healthy. In a recent study that followed about 200 patients for an average of five years, researchers found that high-risk patients who practiced Transcendental Meditation (where you sit quietly and silently repeat a mantra) cut their risk of heart attack, stroke and death from all causes almost in half compared with a group of similar patients who did not meditate. In addition, the group that meditated tended to remain disease-free longer, reduced their blood pressure and had lower stress levels. Researchers hypothesize that some of the benefits of meditation come from stress reduction, which causes a reduction of the stress hormone cortisol and dampens the inflammatory processes associated with atherosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries.
While the research focuses on Transcendental Meditation, there are a variety of ways to meditate including walking meditation, guided meditation via a CD or simply sitting and listening to the sounds around you. Starting out with just five minutes a day of quiet time with your thoughts can yield big results. For seven ways to find peace within, click here.
5 Mind-Body Activities that Help Your Heart
| |  | Heart Friendly Recipe
Lemon Zucchini Dip This dip is great for a midday snack alongside vegetables or whole-grain crackers or as a cold sauce for sandwiches.
Get the Recipe
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| Nutritional Info | Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 37.9
Total Fat: 2.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 43.8 mg
Total Carbs: 3.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
Protein: 1.3 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Lemon Zucchini Dip by ingredient
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