The month of February has become synonymous with "giving your heart to another," commonly known as Valentine's Day. But before you give your heart away and as you share it with others, shouldn't you make sure it's in good shape? A healthy heart is one that helps you live better, live longer, and do more for yourself and those around you. So ask yourself the question: if I don't take care of it, are my loved ones ready to deal with the consequences of my unhealthy heart?

Believing a problem, a challenge, or a change will happen is foreign to all of us - and never easy to accept. In fact, it's human nature not to investigate or plan for the future simply because we believe "no news is good news." But that won't make the future go away. Lawyers tell us the number one reason people don't execute a will is because they feel they won't die or aren't ready to think about dying. Similarly, many people don't sign up to donate their organs because they feel it's an issue they don't need to deal with until "later." And they're sure (or they hope) later never comes. The 93 year old father of a friend told his daughter he'd planned to designate her as his power-of-attorney when he got old!

So why do you need to investigate how your heart is functioning or to keep a healthy heart? Simple! Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in men and women, greater than the next five causes of death combined! Don't put your head in the sand - you or a loved one are likely to deal with the problems of an unhealthy heart. According to the latest estimates by the American Heart Association, over 64 million Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and NO, they are all NOT over 65 years old!

Now the good news: You can do plenty to influence and significantly lower your chances of developing heart disease and also reverse the effects of a current heart condition It's never too late to start promoting a healthy heart. Lower cholesterol, triglycerides, homocysteine and CRP levels are a start to promoting a healthy heart.

No matter your age right now, it seems all of us will be dealing with that wonderful thing currently beating inside your chest - so get it healthy so it's worth sharing with our loved ones. This edition of our e-Newsletter provides info about Cool Free Downloads on our website that revolve around food, friends, eating and your heart, including foods to eat, how to deal with kids and snacks, eating with friends: pro and con, food packaging traps, and cardiac rehab.