Managing Our Sweet Tooth
It’s American Heart Month! Whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s Day, we care about your heart. Our heart is a muscle whose function can be compromised by various factors physically and mentally. Here are some tips and things to consider when it comes to taking care of your heart.
Exercise- Aerobic exercise, strength training and interval training are good for your heart. Aerobic activity strengthens your heart muscle, improves circulation, and increases the efficiency of oxygen use. Twenty minutes a day helps to lower pressure and reduce cholesterol levels in your body. Strength training builds muscle mass and improves metabolism to reduce your risk of obesity and diabetes. Incorporate into your routine twice a week. Interval training, which is alternating between short bursts of high-intensity and recovery periods improves your cardiovascular fitness and increases your metabolism, helping with weight management overall. Incorporate interval training once a week.
Nutrition- We are what we eat. Incorporate fatty fish into your diet, which reduces inflammation, lowers triglycerides and decreases the risk of arrhythmias. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that assist in lowering blood pressure, improve arterial function, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Berries, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries are rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function and lower your risk of heart disease. Whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice are rich in fiber to help lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and improve digestion.
Reduce Stress-Chronic stress can elevate our blood pressure, increasing the workload on our heart, which leads to risk of heart disease and stroke. Reducing our stress reduces our blood pressure, lowers our risk of heart disease, improves our heart rhythm, stimulates better lifestyle habits, reduces overall inflammation and improves our heart rhythm. Incorporate stress reduction techniques into your daily life. Pause to think about what healthy activities you do that make you feel good. This could be reading a good book, relaxing with a cup of tea, socializing with friends who have a positive outlook and are supportive in nature, taking a walk or a bike ride. Focus on better sleep practices helps too. Ideas include keeping electronics out of the bedroom, go to sleep around the same time each night for consistency, place lavender oil on your temples to relax you. Deeper dives into stress reduction could be learning to meditate, incorporating breathing techniques, or trying a yoga class.
Therapy or Counseling- Our mind is a muscle as well, and it can contribute to our health both positively or negatively. Therapy or some type of counseling with a professional can help to address psychological factors that contribute to our cardiovascular health by encouraging healthier coping strategies for our daily life and challenging times as well. Therapists can help us focus on our stress management by identifying our stressors and how we can manage them. They can also help with emotional regulation, by identifying our anger, frustrations, and sadness, and finding ways to cope and work through those feelings. They can also assist in positive behavioral changes that might be necessary as well, as we many times have unhealthy habits we aren’t even aware of, or if we are, we don’t know how to stop them. They help to provide support and encouragement as well. It can be a lot to share our burdens with family and friends. Therapists are trained and equipped with tools that empower us to do the things we need to do for our health.
Medical Support- If you are experiencing heart problems, speaking with your doctor about what you’re feeling can set you on a path to better health. Lifestyle changes may come into the conversation, which are worth incorporating into your life. If you need to take any medications, remember that medications aren’t meant to cure. It is important to treat the whole self, from the inside out. Medications can help alleviate pain or help with the symptoms. Some patients can have difficulty with medications. Compounding suspension preparations for heart medications are often requested if you’re unable to swallow tablets or need a different dose than what is available commercially. We can also help with specific compounds that help with the appearance of post-surgical scars, as well as managing pain. Speak up if something doesn’t feel right to you. Pay attention when your mind and your body are feeling good, and what those things are that contribute to that positive feeling. Include your family and friends in your process and accept their support. If you have questions or are looking for a doctor, let us know. We’re happy to pair you up with a doctor to fit your needs.
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