February is National Heart Month so I thought I would share a few tidbits to keep your heart beating strong.

Fun Heart Facts

• A healthy heart pumps 2000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels every day.
• In America, approximately 48% live with some form of cardiovascular disease.
• A woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s by about 8 beats.

A cardiovascular condition is any disease of the heart or blood vessels. A few common conditions are coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke. Heart disease is a relatively recent phenomenon; so why do we have a challenge with it now? Inflammation is considered to be the main underlying factor in degenerative conditions of the heart and arteries.

Risk Factors

• In our diet, excess calories, refined, man-made damaged fats, excess sugar, and refined carbohydrates are contributing factors.
• Genetics do play a role but diet, environment, and lifestyle actions can set the stage for greater challenges.
• Toxin exposure such as agricultural and industrial toxins, household products, cigarette smoking, and medical radiation are just a few things we can be exposed to.
• Emotional stress or trauma can include anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, social isolation, and work-place stress which can be problematic.
• Lifestyle, such as sitting or other sedentary pursuits, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Now let’s look at a few strategies to keep your heart beating strong.

Diet: Eating a diet filled with whole foods as your body knows what to do with real food. I am a huge proponent of food first and supplementation when necessary.

• • Protein should be clean and sustainably raised such as wild caught, pasture-raised, and grass-fed when possible; this will be the most nutrient dense.
  • Fats can include nuts, especially walnuts, to lower inflammation. Seeds, olives, coconut, coconut oil, red palm oil, extra-virgin olive oil, and avocado are other great plant sources of fats. Pasture-raised butter, ghee, tallow, and lard are great animal fat sources.
  • Carbohydrates include fruits and vegetables. Lacto-fermented foods and beverages (think sauerkraut or kombucha) contain probiotic organisms that have been shown to reduce inflammation and inhibit cholesterol absorption.
  • Antioxidants come from colorful veggies, bean, legumes, nuts, seeds, properly prepared grains, and meat. A high antioxidant diet has been shown to reduce the incidence of heart failure.
  • Weight Loss: This is especially true for actual fat loss; and it is important to shed the weight at one to two pounds per week. It is the most beneficial for long-term benefits.

Stress Reduction: Learning various stress reducing techniques such as deep breathing, which costs nothing and is easy to do. Other options can include meditation, yoga, massage, and leisurely walks in natural settings.

Exercise: Moderate exercise such as regular walking, dancing, swimming, golf, or tennis are suggestions. It is important to find something you enjoy and not overdo it when first staring out. Strength training and high-intensity-interval training are also great ways to invest in your heart health.

Your heart is a very hardworking organ as it beats nonstop, day and night. By choosing wholesome nutrition and positive lifestyle choices, you provide your heart with the tools to serve you a lifetime.

If you would be interested in learning more about improving your heart health or health in general, let’s connect. I offer a free 20-minute phone consult where we can discuss your needs or I can answer general questions. Fill out the form below, and I will be in touch with you.

In the meantime, have a heart-healthy day.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Heather

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