Can your Heart Handle it?

Did you know that in the height of global pandemic the biggest killer wasn’t covid-19, it was heart disease, responsible for up to 16% of the world’s total deaths in 2021 according to the World Health Organization. What’s even more noteworthy is that the death toll has tripled, rising from 2.7 million deaths in 2000 to 9.1 million in 2021.

It accounts for one in three deaths in America. In the UK it’s the second biggest killer. These are people’s aunts, grandpas, nephews, nieces, parents, brothers, cousins. Simply stating the numbers does nothing to encapsulate those stamped out birthdays and the million missed milestones; or those unrealised dreams, destinies, dinners, hugs, smiles, laughter and lessons lost in the ash heap of a growing grave. Tragically, we see even an ethnic aspect, heart disease accounts for more % of death for black people than any other race - there’s a deeper discussion there I’ll save for another day, but I will live to see the day that changes in Jesus name.

I was about 14 years young when this reality became personal. I recall there was a time my mum was frequently visiting the GP, her blood pressure was abnormally high, it was beginning to really bother her. She was already on medication for a decade but scarily she was only in her early 40s. I was 14, naive to the seriousness of it all until shaken into penitence by my father, who sat down his kids to a stern scolding, warning how their stress-inducing behaviour is a life or death matter. The thought of losing her was unbearably sobering.

Ten years later, if you know her you would never guess this was the case. She glows, swims, teaches and lights up our home with her smile and cringe jokes. She is more energized than ever, devoting her time to her job, church governance, children’s ministry and motherhood. What changed? Her dedication to invest in her health, rejecting the notion that aging is supposed to be some slow-sapping demise.

Having never learned as a child, she bravely made the decision in her 40s, now was better than never to learn to swim. Unashamed, she threw herself at it, sucked up the embarrassment of frolicking in the shallow end with inflated floaties and consistently came back week after week and never stopped. After a long day of work, reluctantly or cheerfully she marches to the pool and if you’re reading this now, I want you to know I respect you so much for that.

She has taken conscious efforts to what she eats, reading and researching what to avoid, switched out sweets to stock the house with fruit and veg and nuts. She’s set the tone. Oh and as well as completing detoxing Daniel fasts.

She can testify to how our discipline in the area of our physical health can unlock so many doors just as sadly neglecting this can close so many. What if the reason you haven’t gotten what you’re desiring and praying for is because God knows your body couldn’t handle it…

‘Are you fit to finish what God has called you to do?’ This is a question a pastor asked his congregation in a sermon series ‘Fit To Finish.’ He recalls the seminal moment in prayer he received the word from God that ‘I can only bless the ministry to the level that your body can take it’. Advocating that being healthy isn’t about superficial desires but supernatural discipline.

He goes on to recount how bitter the valley of his health really was. Whilst being a New York Best Selling author, the world did not see he was becoming ‘insecure and overweight and drowning my sorrows in cookies and cream Blue Bell ice cream, with Dr Pepper and gummy bears on the side with whipped cream, and vanilla Oreos too.’ In his transparent confession, he uncovered the truth that for many people, our eating habits and lifestyle are the way we cope with and relieve stress. That despite the spotlight and success, in the dark he was digging an ever deeper hole. The solution to soothe his soul from stress and sorrow was costly.

The issue was the sugary solace was stealing more than he was settling for… Lack of discipline or negligence with your fork can quite literally take you out, gradually. You can struggle to see it coming as it starts out small. But the toll wasn’t just being paid by his body. He recalls the story of how months had passed living like this and now he had become obese. Settled in his comfort eating, the turning point of all places came from his two year old child.

Playing with his kids was a favourite pastime as a young Dad, but now things were a bit different. His kids noticed that he would tap out much earlier than before; he simply did not have the stamina. Though a two year old will hardly understand and would be no less devastated to be left alone because dad hasn’t got enough of himself to give. This lit a spark that led him to change the path he was on. Family is a powerful motivator.

Seflessness can be the cure

This leads me to my point, for every unfortunate death from heart disease or otherwise I am sure there are some stories like this that we’ll never know that had a chance of a turning point: unmissable signs, a rescue rope to daylight, an escape reaching from the outside view of loved ones, a seminal moment of a sober changed mind but instead, a hole dug deeper. So my point is this; if you can’t change for yourself, change for those you love. Give them the best version of you for as long as possible. Sometimes changing for ourselves doesn’t cut it.

In my brief stint as a local shopkeeper, I learned a lot of things and naturally spoke to a lot of different people. I will always remember the time a father with his teen kids was buying cigarettes for them as they were too young. Worried and a bit saddened, I whirl around the back locker retrieving the cocktail of cigarette brands.

“These kids mate, they’ve been whinging all day for these. Honestly, it’s better that you get it for ‘em, don’t want them getting it themselves eh?” he exclaimed jokingly.

I wonder to myself, did my face gave away my unease? I pushed back with a coy smile “No no no, it’s not good for them, you can get them to stop.”

“I’ve tried, I catch them going behind my back, there’s nothing you can do man”.

I smiled awkwardly, unable to muster the energy to reply more, given the waiting queue and ‘the customer is always right’ proverb in my head arguing it is the ‘polite’ thing to simply, mind my business. Nonetheless, I vehemently disagreed but still was sympathetic. He looked worn down slightly and I imagine it was still weighing on his conscience. That interaction stuck with me after, it was already hard for me to reconcile serving people cigarettes, I felt like I was complicit in the suffering. The graphic covers of charcoal-coated lungs were a daily sore sight but didn’t seem to deter much. I earnestly prayed for them all, hoping there would be a day they wouldn’t come back for more. Hours after, I realised what I should have told him.

‘It’s hard to get them to quit if you won’t.’

I had no doubt he had not thought of that and it pained me I didn’t say it in the moment. It was a harsh but needed truth. Sometimes the change we don’t make can cause others to suffer.

My second point is short, its not too late; if only one person needed to hear that, if only one person is inspired to make the change that they know they need to make, giving themselves back years they may not have been here for, it’s worth it.

I hope if anything this posts inspires us all to have the hard conversation with our family members or maybe it needs to be had with ourselves.

So, how you treat your body shouldn’t be a vanity message but a value message. If you value something you give it respect. Respect with discipline and sacrifice.

Modifiable Lifestyle Factors

These are habits and behaviours you can change to significantly lower your risk of developing heart disease taken from the NHS website. Some are already touched on in these stories.

• Smoking: Tobacco damages artery walls, reduces oxygen in the blood, and increases the risk of dangerous blood clots.

• Unhealthy Diet: Diets high in saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars, and sodium directly fuel plaque buildup and raise blood pressure.

• Physical Inactivity: A lack of regular exercise contributes to obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

• Excessive Alcohol: Regularly drinking too much alcohol can elevate blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

• High Stress: Ongoing emotional stress can strain your arteries and worsen other risk factors

You have one heart and it does a phenomenal job, awake or asleep it never stops working for you, help it don’t hurt it.