Celebrate Valentine's Day with all your heart

Jet, Feb 9, 2004

Cupid's arrow is drawn, tender words and kind gestures abound, and love's sweet fragrance fills the air in anticipation of the most romantic day in the year. As you prepare for Valentine's Day in your own special way, take time to cherish the very source of passion--your heart.

Cardiovascular disease remains the nation's top threat, claiming more lives than any other major cause of death, according to the American Heart Association's latest report. So if you want to keep your heart fit and passionate for more Valentine's Days to come, try these healthy ways to celebrate:

* TREAT YOUR TASTE BUDS TO A SENSUOUS MEAL. Good eating habits provide the foundation for a healthy heart. This love day, nurture your love for nutritious eating with a romantic picnic. Spread a red-and-white checked cloth on the carpet, light some candles and place a single red rose in a glass vase. Set the mood for love with food the color of passion. Whet your appetite with fresh red veggies like red bell pepper slices, cherry tomatoes or tomato slices sprinkled with fresh basil. Zest things up with boiled shrimp drizzled with lemon or lime juice and served with a little cocktail sauce or tomato salsa on the side. Spread smoked salmon and low-fat cream cheese on whole wheat crackers or pith rounds and top with fresh dill. For dessert, feed your sweetheart cherries on the stem, red grapes on the vine or juicy strawberries.

* BLOW KISSES, NOT SMOKE. Cigarette smoking increases your risk of heart disease and is the biggest risk factor for sudden cardiac death If you smoke, quit this Valentine's Day and find other pucker-up pastimes. Write "I love you" on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick, then tattoo the mirror with kiss prints. Create little love notes decorated with your kisses and scatter them around the house. Smooch your sweetie each time someone says a certain word or set a record for most passionate peck.

* DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY. Regular fitness cuts your risk of heart disease and what better way to get your heart fit than by hitting the dance floor. Thirty minutes of grooving under the disco ball at least three times a week is all you need. So grab your sweetie or go solo and prove your milkshake is the best in the yard.

* LOVE WITH ABANDON. Giving and receiving love reduces stress, anxiety and depression--major psychological risk factors for heart disease. Spend each day loving the people in your life. Hold hands while walking together. Offer a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Do the laundry and the dishes. Always say "I love you." Allow that love to flow outside. Present the bus driver with a rose, give your mail carrier a thank-you card, hold a door for a stranger, smile at a passerby. Let your heart touch the hearts of others.