There’s love in the air! We all can feel it! But it’s different this time, because there is also SARS-Cov-2 in the air! Pre-COVID-19, we had limitless options on how to celebrated with our loved ones. This time, social distancing and serial lockdowns have made us re-evaluate our personal lives, love lives, as well as our relationships with those who matter. People have spent more time bonding virtually, than we have had offline dates, movies, and the likes.
Whether you are single, taking long romantic walks to your fridge and bed, or you are a couple hanging out in the park, love is still that compels us to give ourselves: time, energy and resources. Hence, there is no such thing as ‘50-50’. It’s a ‘100-100’. If you wont give your all in your relationship, do not expect others to give their all.
It is not enough to give your heart to another, just make sure it’s a healthy one you are giving. Why? The heart, like the mind, plays a key role in driving our daily activities. Without one, we become permanently absent in the lives of those who cherish us. It is important that you nurture it through healthy habits that will make it work for you, so that you can stay alive for the ones who love you.
Know your numbers
No one sets out on a journey without pausing to think of the past, present or future. Periodic health checks like blood pressure, glucose levels, body mass index, etc are very important and best opimtized and help tie tailor your activities around the recommended health goals..
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Mind what you eat:
This season there will be all sorts of food and drinks awaiting and appealing to you in restaurants, fast foods, malls and events. Make sure that they contain the essential nutrients that your body needs. Always choose to eat a balanced diet and check out heart-friendly food types when you eat out. Each time you choose healthy, balanced meals over junk foods you accord your body the respect that it deserves. You remind your body that it is a gift to be treasured, not a dumpsite that receives all sorts of unhealthy food. According to the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, a heart-healthy meal should include 50% (half-plate) of fruits and vegetables, 25% (quarter-plate) of whole grains or energy-giving foods (carbohydrates) and 25% of body-building foods (lean proteins). To spice up your time together, you may even choose to spend quality time by cooking a healthy meal together with your loved one(s) at home. Eat or snack better with fruits and vegetables, having about 5 servings daily.
Move your body:
Selfcare is the highest form of activism. Exercise is a major way to achieve your personal revolution. When we move our bodies more than we eat, we reduce our chances of being overweight or obesed, thereby giving no room for high blood pressure and some other heart-related diseases. The World Health Organization recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. Exercising with your partner is one way to hold you accountable and to fight depression, boost your energy, gives room for weight control and promotes better sleep.
Make Quality Time:
People and their relationships grow when they get involved in activities that allow them to become their best selves and learn more from/about each other. Quality time allows one enjoy the moment. It reduces anxiety, mood disorders, and stress from the everyday hustle and bustle, whilst keeping you refreshed for the next course of action. This season, people can learn more about themselves through activities like dance sessions, meditation, yoga sessions, deep breathing, watching a movie, etc.
Avoid Smoking and Alcohol Consumption
Smokers and drinkers, more especially smokers who consume alcohol have a higher risk of heart liver, lung diseases or cancer. Smoking makes you inhale toxic components of the cigarette, like nicotine, which damages these organs and causes complications like cancer and death.
Finally, Stay Accountable :
You can create or make a pledge rto stay healthy this season and beyond. Always keep to necessary health and wellness tips that allow you to stay accountable to yourself and the ones who matter in your life.
May your love not be cut short. Take care of your heart today.
Chidindu Mmadu-Okoli is a health writer and licensed medical laboratory scientist, who is passionate about telling purposeful and persuasive health stories that promote patient-provider interactions, patient-centered care and inspires healthy living.
She is a 2019 #PreventEpidemicsNaija Fellow with the Nigeria Health Watch where she lends her voice towards advocating for the need for sustainable funding for disease prevention. She is a 2019 Science Communications Fellow of the Africa Science Literary Network, a TEDx Speaker whose talk advocates for patient-centred storytelling as the future of healthcare and a member of the Society for Health Communications, USA.
Chidindu currently hosts The Vital Signs Podcast show for humanizing healthcare, and has contributed through her various communications roles to write, create and design health awareness, education and promotion materials for vulnerable patient populations, the public and policymakers.
