Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so I
thought I’d share a few ideas in case you are wondering how to show your
sweetie how much they are loved and appreciated. My husband and I have a tradition where Valentine gifts to one another center on our heart health. We
both have heart disease in our families so keeping ourselves heart healthy has
become a priority in our lives. Sometimes we buy gifts that help us become
stronger and healthier and sometimes we just find time to spend together taking a walk. Through the years we have tried to come up with creative ideas that help
our hearts stay as strong as our love for one another. It’s fun to share our thoughts
and plan what new adventures our Valentine’s Day will include.
One year we built our own garden beds, bought organic soil and a composter and began growing our own vegetables and herbs. Not every crop was a success but many plantings turned out to be much heartier and more prolific than we had expected. The satisfaction we derived heading out to pick our own food was a gift we enjoyed every day and the clean home grown crops we harvested helped our hearts stay strong and healthy.
We had been exploring the benefits of juicing and
making an even greater effort to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into
our diets. After much research and thought we decided that a Vitamix would be
the way to go. We happened to be at a county fair shortly after we had made our
decision and saw a booth selling them. We took our Vitamix home that day and
have used it practically every day since. It really has become a big part of
our everyday lives and now we can’t imagine being without it. We use it for our
smoothies, soups, dips and preparing our seasonal produce so that we can
preserve it for the year.
At our house we cook often and we take care
to buy clean seasonal ingredients. It seemed natural to invest in cookware that
we can trust and that we know is safe to use. We also went from plastic storage containers
to glass in the hopes that it would be a healthier alternative. We look for gadgets and kitchen tools that make it easier to be healthy.
A big part of heart health is becoming more
active. We love to travel and our getaways help us take time to relax, have adventures and explore places we love. It is calming and it is good for our souls. I just know it benefits
our hearts as well. We both enjoy hiking, biking, camping, kayaking and just walking
hand in hand. To that end some Valentine's gifts have included hiking
boots, camelbacks and a variety of outdoor fun items to promote our efforts. Every
time we use them we are reminded what a gift it is just to be together.
Those are just a few of our ideas Try to
incorporate ideas that work for your lives, interests and health concerns. The most important thing I can recommend is
to spend time together. Share moments and memories that bring you joy. Take time to help your sweetheart balance the
stresses built into everyday life. Do
all you can to keep your loved ones hearts strong and healthy so that you can have
a lifetime of Valentine’s Days to share.
Here
are a dozen ideas to get you started
1. Cook meals together
2. Bake fresh bread
3. Plant a
garden for one another
4. Take those all-important annual medical tests
together
5. Give each other the gift of a nightly evening walk
6. Try a new sport together
7. Take a sunset beach walk or hike a forested trail
together
8. Take a class together that promotes heart health, yoga,cooking, karate or even CPR
9. Make a donation to the heart association
10. Visit a u-pick or join a CSA
11. Share the message of heart health with those you
care love
12. I’m told red wine and dark chocolate are good for
your heart
