Listening to your heart can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle

When I was called to serve as a minister at Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church in 1991, I had the good fortune of meeting the Zorn family who were active members there, and becoming a patient of Dr. Donald Zorn.

In time, between church, youth soccer with our children, and FSU Football tailgating, our families became close. Don, and his two older brothers, George and Richard, were the sons of a Methodist minister and his lovely wife, both of whom were healers in their own right.

They raised three sons who became physicians, and those sons have since, along with their strong and compassionate wives, raised another generation of healers. I feel deeply grateful to this amazing family for all that they have done in promoting health and wellbeing in our Tallahassee community and the Birmingham, Alabama, area.

At one of my many annual physicals through the years since becoming his patient, Dr. Don Zorn was listening to my heart with a bit more concentration than I had remembered him showing before. He asked me if anyone had ever suggested that I had mitral valve prolapse. I told him “not to my knowledge,” with a little tightness in my voice I feel sure, and he listened to my heart once more.

Ever the teacher, Dr. Zorn, asked if I would like to listen to my heart, explaining that I might hear a click and a murmur or whooshing sound. He allowed me to listen through his stethoscope, and I could identify what he had said I would hear. I remember he was quick to tell me something about how, usually, mitral valve prolapse isn't life-threatening and doesn't require treatment or lifestyle changes.

He advised that we would take a look at my heart to check it out and then just keep an eye on things.

Efforts of the American Heart Association

His calm, careful explanation, and him allowing me to listen to my own heart, made a great difference to me that day and since. Listening to hearts is something that the American Heart Association (AHA) has been doing since it was founded in 1924 by six cardiologists who were concerned about heart disease, the world’s number one cause of death.

During the prior nine years, physicians and social workers had been convening to discuss what they were learning about the heart. And since its establishment in 1924, it has become the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization studying the mysteries of heart disease, with annual scientific sessions beginning in 1925, its first public campaign kicking off in 1947 with National Heart Week, and a reorganization from a scientific society to a voluntary health organization in 1948.

In 1998, the AHA added a division to tackle the second leading cause of death globally, forming the American Stroke Association (ASA).

Part of the AHA/ASA’s work involves critical research, including the work of 14 Nobel Prize winning scientists. They also promote hands-on CPR training, knowing that more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, with only 10% surviving due to lack of timely CPR.

AHA/ASA has also help closed the gap in heart health for women, identifying the ways in which heart disease presents differently in women and raising awareness through education.

And, recognizing the critical importance of healthy nutrition for heart health, they have encouraged a healthy diet and promoted programs that supply fresh nutritious food to families in what has been called “food deserts.” As the name implies, such areas are low-income areas with little access to affordable, nutritious food.

Building Healthy Communities is a physician-led global grassroots movement that was inspired by the award-winning documentary, “PlantPure Nation,” released in 2015. It imagines a healthier world advocating for a whole food plant-based diet and creating the social infrastructure to promote this.

Learning to live healthy

There are hundreds of Building Healthy Communities groups around the world, and in November 2025 such a group was founded in Tallahassee. The Tallahassee chapter hopes to encourage those who want to learn more about the “food as medicine movement” and ways to lead a more healthy and sustainable life. You can learn more at pcrm.org or through Tallahassee Living Healthy on Facebook.

Many chronic diseases have diet as a major risk factor, including heart disease, and Second Harvest of the Big Bend envisions providing healthy food for neighbors facing hunger and food insecurity throughout their sixteen county Big Bend service area.

In addition to monetary donations, food drives, and food industry donations, they appreciate all the local farmers who share their surplus produce and crops, promoting healthy eating for all. You can contact Justin Greer, Director of Supply Chain, at Second Harvest for more information about how to share surplus produce and crops.

But changing eating habits is not simply about learning more about healthy foods or how to access them. It is about listening to our hearts and being intentional about the choices that we make.

Join the Heart Walk

The Mayo Clinic offers eight steps to prevent heart disease. On the surface they seem doable and perhaps can be an ambition for us all if we listen to our hearts. Control portion sizes, eat more fruits and vegetables, choose whole grains, limit unhealthy fats, choose low-fat protein sources, limit and reduce sodium and salt, create daily menus based on the prior six steps, and have a treat once in a while. Visit mayoclinic.org for more information on each step.

Bethel AME Church has been a leader in our community in promoting taking important steps toward better heart health. Their annual public health fair is but one example of the church’s commitment to serving the community through health education.

The City of Tallahassee is eager to assist residents in the development of community gardens, a way to introduce fresh produce into diets and a sense of community among neighbors, both of which are good for the heart. The Community Garden Coordinator can be reached at 850-891-7007 or sustainability@talgov.com.

This year the Heart Walk in Tallahassee falls on May 16 at Cascades Park. The event opens at 8 a.m. and the 3.1-mile family friendly walk begins at 8:30. The Heart Association is already looking for volunteers to help with the event that raises awareness about heart disease and funds for their mission. You can sign up to volunteer at www2.heart.org.

According to Mayo Clinic, a normal heart makes two sounds, “lub” and “dub.” Between these normal sounds, some hearts, like mine, make a “click” and a “whoosh.” I am so grateful for physicians who help us know our hearts better and for the work of many to reduce the risks of heart disease.

It is my prayer that we all will listen to our hearts and make wise choices about how we live as we help others to do the same with our generosity and love.