Most women worry about getting breast cancer far more than they do about heart disease, but heart disease is the number one killer of women as well as men today. The good news is that both modern medicine and ayurveda agree that heart disease can largely be prevented by eating a healthier diet, exercising in moderation and actively managing stress levels.

"(The) statistics (on heart disease) may sound shocking and indeed have been used to frighten women into taking HRT for prevention," says Nancy Lonsdorf, author of A woman's Best Medicine for Menopause. "A better use for them is to motivate you to start exercising and eat a healthier diet, because the good news about heart disease is that nearly all of it is preventable, and much of it may be reversible."

The Ayurvedic View of the Heart
According to the ayurvedic perspective, the heart has two equally important aspects that need to be taken into account when discussing heart health-the physical aspect of the organ that pumps blood and the emotional heart that experiences every human emotion from joy to sorrow. "The heart is the seat of prana, or life-force," says ayurvedic expert Rama Kant Mishra. "It is also the repository of the eight essential drops of ojas in the body." Ayurveda defines ojas as the substance that sustains life and promotes vitality, longevity and bliss. "Ojas is like a lamp in a doorway, lighting both inside and outside," says Dr. Lonsdorf. "In one stroke, ojas both infuses your mind with bliss and enlivens the healing intelligence of the physical body." The ayurvedic approach to heart health focuses as much on building up ojas as it does on strengthening and nourishing the physical muscle.

Ayurvedic healers recognized many millennia ago what modern medicine says today-that eating fatty foods in excess (which do not get completely digested and create toxins (ama) in the system) and too much stress are the prime factors that lead to heart damage. So a healthy diet, exercise and stress management techniques are the cornerstones of the ayurvedic program for heart health.

Eating for a Healthy Heart
Eat a stewed apple or pear for breakfast. "This is the ideal way to begin the day," says Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra. "This breakfast helps balance your emotions, enhances natural immunity, supports digestion and elimination, elevates energy levels and helps you build ojas." "Include fresh pineapple in your diet," recommends Dr. Lonsdorf. "Squeeze a wedge of fresh lemon or lime on your food before serving."

Drink lots of warm water through the day to help cleanse the physiology.

Eat fresh sweet fruit such as pears to balance Sadhaka Pitta, the moderator of emotional health.

Cook with heart-friendly spices such as small amounts of freshly cracked black pepper and fresh ground cardamom.

Soak ten almonds in warm water overnight. Peel and eat them in the morning. Ayurveda considers almonds a very saatvic food-one that nourishes the body, mind and spirit. Modern research shows that nuts such as almonds are a valuable source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Do not skip meals, eat your largest meal at noon, and eat at the same times each day to support your digestion and minimize the build-up of ama in the body.

Cultivate an Ojas-Enhancing Lifestyle

Practice the Meditation for 20 minutes twice a day. The Meditation program has been shown in research studies to lower blood pressure, reverse arterial blockage and enhance resistance to heart disease and strokes.

Manage your mental workload. "Overuse or misuse of the mind creates day-to-day mental stress," says Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra.

Go to bed by 10 p.m. and awake before 6 a.m. Your body needs adequate rest, and working late into the night depletes ojas and increases ama.

Exercise everyday, in moderation. Walking is a wonderful way to exercise for all body-types. Walk into the rising sun to nourish your mind and spirit. The sun salutation and other yoga exercises are also recommended.

Practice deep breathing. Deep breathing opens up the shrotas in the body.

For a more in-depth discussion on a heart health without HRT, read A Woman's Best Medicine for Menopause by Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf.
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