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Heart Health
The heart is an amazing organ that pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body to sustain life. The heart is the size of a fist and beats 100,000 times per day, pumping five or six quarts of blood each minute. It is imperative that we keep our heart healthy. Without it, life will stop.
Heart Enemies
Heart disease is still considered the number one killer in America. About one in every three deaths is attributed to heart disease. There are several things that can damage our heart; the top three would be: stress, diet, and parasites.
Stress - Many do not realize that the most common symptom of heart disease is sudden death from a heart attack. Often, there is no chest pain, shortness of breath prior, or any other indications of a problem. Interestingly, more heart attacks occur on Mondays than any other day of the week. This “Monday cardiac phenomenon” has been recognized and is believed to be related to work stress.
Two studies reveal the link between stress and sudden heart-attacks. In one, a group of German researchers found that as your stress level rises, so do your levels of disease-promoting white blood cells. This can lead to progression of atherosclerosis, plaque rupture and myocardial infarction (part of the heart muscle dies off). The heart tries to compensate for the loss of muscle, but over time this leads to a larger heart, which is weaker.
Another study, found that sudden stress, emotional shock, or over-exertion can trigger a heart attack. During moments of high stress, your body releases hormones such as norepinephrine, which researchers claim can cause the dispersal of bacterial biofilms from the walls of your arteries. This dispersal can allow plaque deposits to suddenly break loose, thereby triggering a heart attack.
Diet – In the 1960s, Dr. Yudkin postulated that SUGAR is a primary dietary culprit in the development of heart disease, as it is profoundly inflammatory. Here’s a diet to protect your heart:
- Avoid processed foods, sugar, processed fructose, and grains if you are insulin/leptin resistant.
- Eat a healthy diet of whole foods, especially large amounts of vegetables.
- Eat low-to-moderate amount of high-quality protein.
- Eat high-quality healthful fats: avocados; organic butter, organic pastured egg yolks; coconut oil, cod liver oil, nuts & seeds.
- Avoid foods that cause inflammation, as this is a causitive factor in heart disease.
Parasites - By muscle-testing people, I have found that many of those whose hearts muscle-test weak, have chest pain, or arrhythmia, there are indications of parasites weakening the heart. By taking the parasite formula, the pain or problem vanishes. We must remember that the heart is vulnerable to parasites and that it is a nice, juicy place for these critters to feast on.
Heart Help
According to some authorities, heart disease is one of the easiest diseases to prevent and avoid, but you must be proactive. The main issue is addressing chronic inflammation in your body. This can be done with proper diet, exercise, sun exposure, grounding, and stress management.
Exercise is one of the safest, most effective ways to prevent and treat heart disease. Researchers at Harvard and Stanford, found “no statistically detectable differences” between physical activity and medications for heart disease. Previous research has shown that exercise alone can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by a factor of three. However, be aware that endurance-type exercise, such as marathon running, can actually damage your heart. Exercising in short bursts followed by periods of recovery are said to be the best, and is what your body needs for optimum health.
Grounding, which is walking barefoot on the earth, can have a profound impact on reducing inflammation in your body and reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease. This grounding effect is one of the most potent antioxidants we know of, and helps alleviate inflammation throughout your body. It is said to also help thin your blood.
Exposure to Sunshine, provides us with vitamin D. Studies have shown that those with low levels of vitamin D have a significant greater risk of dying from heart problems. One reason vitamin D through sunlight exposure helps is that there is an increase in your body’s natural anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Stress Management can include such things as meditation, spending time in nature, laughter, prayer, physical activity, a relaxing bath, Body Stress Release, etc.
I hope this has helped. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your heart health.
For Your Health
Amy Willis, Your Local Herbalist
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Hawthorne Berries
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