New Heart Connections

For decades heart health advice centered around eating a healthy diet and including regular exercise in your weekly routine. Eating right and exercising is still important when it comes to taking care of your heart. Emerging research, however, tells us a much bigger picture, as we have come to realize that everything is connected. 

Our heart is deeply connected to the nervous system, gut microbiome, our muscular strength, our sleep and emotional well-being. New findings show that mental stress can influence inflammation, our gut bacteria affects cardiovascular risk, our muscles protect our blood vessels, and our heart repairs during sleep. So what can we do?

Protect your mental health. You can do this by practicing daily stress reset rituals. What are daily stress rituals, you may ask? They are brief activities that calm your nervous system. It could be sitting silent for 5 minutes while breathing in and out slowly and evenly. It could be taking a short walk around the block. It could be writing your thoughts down in a journal or drinking tea slowly. Social connection is key. So, reach out to a friend, and possibly meet up to catch up. If you don’t have an outlet for your feelings, maybe check options for seeing a therapist. There are also support networks for different areas of life challenges with meet ups regularly in your area that you can find out online. And finally, spend time in nature.

Support your microbiome. It is known that certain gut bacteria produces metabolites that are linked to plaque formation and inflammation. A diverse microbiome is key to a healthy microbiome. Minimize your consumption of processed foods. When you prepare a meal, think of having a colorful plate which means you have a variety of vegetables, from beets to leafy greens to orange squash to red peppers and more. Fiber density is not only important for removing excess cholesterol and stabilizing blood sugar, it feeds good gut bacteria. Fermented foods are also recommended, as they increase our microbial diversity.

We used to focus on cardiovascular training such as running, but research has shown that muscle strength improves our insulin sensitivity, vascular function and metabolic health. That said, practice 2-3 strength exercise sessions each week. Incorporate bodyweight exercises as well. This could include activities like yoga  which increases our strength as well as mobility, balance and helps regulate our nervous system. Pilates exercises our smaller muscle groups we tend to forget about and provides joint stability as well. Other activities that fall into the bodyweight exercise category include things we can do at home like push-ups, planks, squats, pull-ups, tricep dips, and stair climbing.

Get your nightly sleep. When we sleep our blood pressure drops, inflammation tends to quiet, and metabolic systems reset. When we don’t get regular sleep it increases cardiovascular strain and disrupts hormonal regulation. How do we get our best sleep? Have a consistent sleep routine, going to bed about the same time every night and getting up at the same time as well. Wind down through elimination of digital devices, limiting light exposure and reducing caffeine intake later in the day. Practice calming activities before it is time for bed, like drinking tea, reading or applying a few drops of lavender to your temples or wrists.

Practice calm daily. How can we practice calm? Intentional breathing exercises for 5 minutes whenever you need to reset helps. There are also meditation apps that can help you on your mindfulness journey. Journaling or taking a walk can clear the mind. Drinking tea that is known to calm like chamomile or mint tea can settle the mind. Using a device to massage your back or feet is helpful. Exchange massages with your partner or spouse. Have them massage your hands and then you massage theirs. Doing a face mask can calm you as well as provide nourishment to your skin. Getting in the hot tub or taking a hot shower relaxes our muscles as well. Even taking a supplement like magnesium glycenate is good for relaxing our muscles.

Whatever you do, maybe think of one thing you can do in each area to improve the quality of what you are doing for your heart health. We have one heart, and we have to nourish it.