Heart palpitations are no joke ... unless it's in a Lenka song. Then it's okay.

Too much stress is bad for your heart. When pressures at work or pressures at home are getting to you, try and find ways to relax your body and mind. Some people find yoga very good for relieving stress, and it's also a physical activity that is good for your heart. Meditation can also be very helpful - even if it's just ten minutes of sitting quietly, relaxed, with your eyes closed.

To try and reduce stressful elements in your life, watch out for negative thinking and stimulus - either from those around you or from yourself (instead of thinking "No one will help me and I'm so overwhelmed," think "Who can I ask for help, or at least to listen while I unload my thoughts?").

If you feel like there are just too many things you have to do or keep track of, write them all down, and write down how long you think each item will take. If an item on the list is especially complicated, break it down into smaller portions and address each portion individually.

And - here's the best part - whenever you've completed an item on your list, or eliminated a stressful element from your life, reward yourself. Listen to a song you like, have a (heart-healthy) snack, give your cat a big squishy hug, or play a silly game on your smartphone. And then - get back to work!

But above all, remember -

Though heart disease is one of the major causes of death, and in fact the number one cause of death in women, there are some things you can do to prevent heart disease. We'll discuss more of these later, but our friends at the American Heart Association tell us that you can modify or control six of the main causes (or aggravators) of heart disease:

     *Cigarette and tobacco  smoke                                         *Physical Inactivity
     *High blood cholesterol                                                      *Overweight or obesity
     *High blood  pressure                                                          *Diabetes

Isn't it great to have so much power?

It may not be baseball season, but it sure is Heart Season! And here at The Puppet Treehouse, we have heart - miles and miles and miles of heart!  Enjoy this, from the musical "Damn Yankees!" - "You Gotta Have Heart"!

As most of you know, February is Heart Month. That doesn't just mean pink candied hearts, boxes of chocolates, and a lot of lace and elmer's glue. It's also a time to bring awareness to heart health and heart disease.

Heart disease can mean something as severe as a heart attack, but it also refers to plaque buildup in the arteries, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and heart valve problems.

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can aggravate your risk of heart disease. If an immediate family member has had some form of heart disease, you are at higher risk for developing heart trouble as well.

Stay tuned throughout this month for more information on heart disease, heart-healthy prevention tips, and song!