By Schuyler Corrigan

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February 8, 2023

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February is American Heart Health Month, and a good reminder to check in on your routine wellness habits to make sure you’re taking the little steps to support your heart every day. Heart disease is largely preventable and impacted by things such as stress management, dietary choices, exercise, and genetics. 

 

The American Heart Association estimates that in 2019, some 46% of Americans (about 116.4 million) had hypertension. The CDC also reported that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the US. Cardiovascular disease costs the US healthcare system more than 200 billion dollars per year, making it an area of health that deserves a robust preventive approach through patient education.

 

If you are curious about specific ways that you can incorporate heart-healthy habits into your wellness routine, visit one of our naturopathic doctors for a detailed and personalized plan, just for you. 

4 Tips for Heart Health 

 

1. Practice stress management, and understand what your reaction to stress feels like. Long-term stress can dramatically contribute to stress on your cardiovascular system and increase inflammatory markers throughout the body. Take 1-2 minutes each hour to sit quietly, breathe deeply, and calm your mind. This will get your body into the habit of dropping into a space of calm, especially if you are under periods of prolonged stress.

Read more: Using Mindfulness to Reduce Stress

 

1. Exercise, even a little goes a long way. High-intensity interval training on a bicycle, treadmill or elliptical is very efficient. Attending fitness classes with others or scheduling a personal trainer is what keeps some people continuing to meet their fitness goals. If time and conditioning are a challenge, start where you are – walking is excellent too! Aim for approximately 30 minutes per day. 

 

1. Get your bloodwork done each year, and look at your HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels over time. It is ideal to start doing this in your mid-twenties so you can notice patterns and changes, and also to see what your “normal” levels may be. Intervening in cholesterol management before medications are needed is always preferred, but we need to be paying attention to this early on. 

 

1. Enjoy a healthy diet as often as possible. Reduce or eliminate the consumption of processed fast foods, fried foods, or foods high in saturated fats. Consume foods rich in antioxidants every day. These include colorful fruits and vegetables (blueberries, red grapes, artichokes, spinach, kale, blackberries, and goji berries), dark chocolate, pecans, and green tea. And drink plenty of water each day for kidney health and detoxification support. Read more on staying hydrated here. 

 

How can naturopathic medicine be used alongside conventional treatment options, including medications?

When cardiovascular disease is already present, naturopathic medicine can provide support before and after surgery, during cardiac rehabilitation, and in the years following for the prevention of a future event. Naturopathic doctors can educate patients regarding appropriate exercise and how to incorporate a heart-healthy diet in real life. Some diet fads are not heart-friendly and genetics play a role in cholesterol management. Naturopathic therapies are useful when an individual’s blood pressure is not well-controlled by pharmaceuticals, managing early kidney disease resulting from hypertension or diabetes, and providing natural medicines if prescription medications are not well-tolerated.

If you are seeking support with cardiovascular health and would like to incorporate the principles of functional medicine and naturopathic medicine into your health plan. Request an appointment or call our office for more information, at (804) 977-2634