Nourishing the Heart

    Tis the season for love and bringing extra attention to the health of your heart. Holistic cardiovascular care expands well beyond cholesterol and sodium levels. In this article we want to share 7 diet and lifestyle changes you can implement NOW to keep your heart healthy and strong.
    Know someone who could benefit from this information? Please share it with friends and family members. Spread the love!

    Fill Up On Fiber

    Fiber helps your heart in a couple of important ways. Fibers binds to excess cholesterol helping you remove it from your body through the stool. So fiber can lower your cholesterol levels. Fiber can also lower your blood sugar. It also prevents oxidative damage and plaque buildup in the arteries, reducing your risk of stroke. Adding fiber to your diet can lower your blood pressure. Adding fiber-rich foods including beans, nuts and seeds, vegetables, berries and apples can DECREASE your risk of cardiovascular disease.  This simple dietary change can be extremely helpful for people with heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

    Make Friends with Fish

    Omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish (or fish oil liquid or capsules), grass-fed beef, and some plants and seeds are helpful for lowering triglyceride levels, improving vasodilation, and preventing unwanted blood clots. We recommend eating wild-caught or sustainably farmed fish (which are lower in mercury) at least twice per week. Fish oil supplementation can be a good option if you don’t like cooking or eating fish regularly. For the fish oil supplement, aim for EPA and DHA levels to equal 1,000 mg per day for general health benefits and remember that quality matters! If the EPA and DHA levels are not printed on the bottle we suggest you find another brand. Lower quality supplements can contain heavy metals and often contain less of the health-promoting omega 3 fatty acids. Spend your money wisely! We like Pharmax, Nordic Naturals, Barlene’s and Carlson’s for brands.

    Love on Your Liver

    The liver is the unsung hero when it comes to heart health. We love it for all of the ways it supports health, specifically in cholesterol metabolism. Eighty percent of the cholesterol in your body is made by the liver and only 20% comes from the food you eat.  You can support your liver by drinking adequate amounts of water, avoid alcohol, limit refined sugars in the diet, and by eat liver-supportive foods such as beets, leafy greens, dandelion greens, cruciferous vegetables, and fiber-rich foods. THINK GREEN SMOOTHES, BROCCOLI, CILANTRO AND SALADS! Check out this post on our blog for more liver-supportive foods!

    Keep Hormones Happy

    A holistic view of cardiovascular health cannot exclude looking at hormones. Healthy levels of testosterone are correlated with improved dilation of arteries and circulation. Healthy levels of estradiol is helpful for energy production of the heart and production of HDL cholesterol – your “good cholesterol” which helps prevent plaque buildup in the arteries. Low thyroid hormone is associated with high cholesterol production and plaque formation and poor circulation. Too high or too low cortisol can indicate maladaptive response to stress and impacts blood pressure, salt balance, immune function and production of sex hormones. Cortisol also encourages the body to store more fat around the internal organs. Ask your provider about hormone testing options.

    Move Your Muscles

    It’s no secret that movement and exercise provide numerous healthbenefits. For cardiovascular health, a mix of moderate and moderate to vigorous exercise is best. Moderate-intensity movement helps improve blood pressure and cholesterol as well as improve body composition. Examples include walking, easy biking, hiking. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Vigorous exercise is associated with all the benefits of moderate exercise plus improved blood sugar control and increased cardiovascular fitness. Examples include running, uphill hiking, swimming, and cross-country skiing. Aim for 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
    DON’T GET DOWN ON YOURSELF! Some exercise is better than none. Movement is medicine, no matter the time or intensity. If you’re short on time, maximize your efforts by going for a 10-15 minute walk after meals.  This small study showed that this simple change was equally effective as a 45 minute walk in the morning at improving 24-hour blood sugar control.

    Keep Connected

    Research from the Cleveland Clinic shows that chronic depression is associated with a 1.5-2 times increased risk of heart attack and coronary artery disease. Cortisol and neurotransmitters such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine can increase oxidative damage to the heart and arteries. A holistic plan for improving depression might include assessing for nutrient deficiencies, supporting healthy neurotransmitter levels with important nutrients like an active B-complex, herbs such as St. John’s Wort, lavender, lemon balm, or gotu kola. Social connection is imperative for supporting moods. Dr. Emma Seppala has more information on connection here.

    Sit in the Sauna

    The benefits of sauna use are endless but did you know that it can also be helpful for heart health? While sauna therapy doesn’t replace the benefits of exercise, sweating in a heated room can tone your cardiovascular system, help improve circulation, increase your metabolism and encourage weight loss.  Schedule yourself for a session in our sauna here.  Discount packages are available!