NOT FOUND: heart of the matter.jpgHeart health is very real to me. Both of my parents died from heart related diseases. Both were preventable. My dad, Gene, developed adult onset diabetes when he was in his 50’s. Poor eating habits, smoking and lack of exercise contributed to this unrelenting disease that took the life of an extremely vibrant and gregarious gentleman who brought joy to so many. Dad passed away in 1985 at age 64.

While both my parents smoked since they were teenagers, Dad quit when he was 55, shortly before he found out he was diabetic. Mom, on the other hand, enjoyed her “only vice” as she put it (as if she earned the right to have just one). I was never truly clear about how she justified her slot machine and bingo addiction. Perhaps that was purely recreation – a social outlet of sorts. I do know that it was her way of stimulating the economy, although she rarely lost. My mom was one of the few people I knew who almost always came home from Reno with more money than when she left.

Mom’s physical deterioration was a quieter, subtler one. She developed COPD (lung disease) and CHF (heart disease) after my dad passed away, but these were merely annoyances and never enough to keep her down. In 1990 Mom had her first heart attack and bypass surgery. She was determined to get back to life, yet was not willing to give up the one thing that caused her illness – her smoking. She kept working and traveling, and coughing, and coughing and it wasn’t until 2000 when Mom had her stroke that she gave up the Salem’s.

I must be honest. I told my mom that her oxygen tank would blow up if she lit a cigarette within a hundred feet of it. If I didn’t, she probably would not have quit. We would not have had another five years with her and she would not have been able to meet her first great-grandson, JT – a desire and a dream she spoke of regularly.

I’m grateful that my parents constantly told me to stay away from cigarettes. “They’ll kill you,” they would say on a regular basis. They were right. Their discomfort and untimely death that was caused by smoking related disease caused me to vow that I would do everything I can to live a healthy and full life. I strive to do that every day with regular exercise and healthy eating.

February is a month that places an emphasis on cute little hearts and sharing lots of good things with those you love. Let’s share good health with each other. Take care of your heart so your loved ones will have many more Valentine’s days with you. Parents, take care of your kids’ hearts by encouraging healthy eating, lots of exercise and by being a positive role model. Our little ones develop behaviors and habits by trying to be like dad and mom. You set the tone for your household.

If you smoke – quit. If you eat poorly – make the choice to eat healthy. If you don’t exercise – start. It’s all just a choice. It’s usually not easy at first, doesn’t always taste good, and may even be uncomfortable, but I promise you that enjoying the remainder of your life with your family and friends is so much better than those last few bites of Big Mac, the last couple of drags on your cigarette or one more episode of Law and Order.

Just get started. So you didn’t even write down any resolutions last month. Make one this month that will change the world. You living healthier will add years of productivity to your life, help you achieve more goals and fulfill more dreams and encourage those around you (especially the younger ones) to choose a healthier lifestyle.

If cutting out something is too difficult to begin with, then add something good to your life. Add drinking water, taking a walk, eating fruits and vegetables, even smiling! Then you can go for the cutting out the bad stuff. You’ll be glad you did and you’ll thank me someday!