You’ve seen the ads: “Tone your abs in just five minutes a day!” and “Tone your legs with this simple, everyday workout!” Well, as grating as they may be after repeated viewing, their message is important. When we “tone” our muscles, we nourish them and bolster their strength. Medicinally, when we speak of tonics, we mean herbs and foods that do the conditioning work for us–they nourish, support, or strengthen our energy, blood, and organ function from the inside. So while physical workouts remain important, maybe it’s time to look a little deeper. The heart, for instance, continuously pumps our blood and regulates its circulation. It also affects (and reflects) our emotional state–its rhythm is often mandated by the condition of our nervous system. Daily stress, nervous tension, and heartbreak (among other emotional strains) can interfere with the heart and cause palpitations, lack of sleep, and a racing mind. The best way to prevent acute issues of the heart is to keep it healthy by supporting the physical apparatus of the circulatory system and balancing the emotions that beset us. You can keep the blood flowing clean and without obstruction and your heart at an even and steady rhythm by making regular use of the following heart-friendly herbs.
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