We think of cardiovascular disease as the result of our modern couch-potato, fast-food lifestyle, but it ain’t exactly so. A 5,000-year-old mummy discovered on the Italian side of the Öetzal Alps and nicknamed “Öetzi” or “The Iceman,” might have died of a heart attack if someone hadn’t killed him first. Scientists have found that Öetzi was genetically predisposed to heart disease, and at the age of 45, already had hardening of the arteries.

Of course, stone-age people probably lived stress-filled lives (Öetzi WAS murdered, after all) and their nutrition, while 100% natural and organic, was literally catch-as-catch-can. Stress is still a factor in modern heart health; to find out more about stress and how you can easily detect and manage it, check out http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com.

Download SweetBeat™, the iPhone stress management app.

Well, there had to be SOME reason why people chew gum, right? A recent Japanese study showed that when people are acutely stressed (the stress in this study was created by loud noise), chewing gum raises their heart rate variability (HRV), which reduces stress—even though the participants did not report any subjective lowering of stress. To find out more about stress and how you can easily detect and manage it, check out http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com.

Download SweetBeat™, the iPhone stress management app.

Having strong social relationships is good for your health. Studies on men have found that those who have multiple friendships are less likely to suffer from heart disease. While not clearly verified by science, it could be that having friends and an active social life reduces stress, which in turn is good news for your heart. To find out more about stress and how you can easily detect and manage it, check out http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com. Beat Healthy!