Lisa Nelson, RD

How Good Sleep Keeps Your Heart Healthy

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for a number of health reasons. One of the important reasons you need to make sure you sleep well is to keep your heart healthy. If you’re not getting enough sleep, it can affect your heart health in multiple ways and lead to different health problems. Quality sleep helps you to keep your whole body healthy, as well as ensuring you have better mental health. Most people need around 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Improving your sleep habits could boost your heart health and more.

Keep Your Blood Pressure Healthy

If you don’t get enough sleep, you can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and associated health problems. When you fall asleep, your blood pressure drops and your heart rate slows down to give your body time to rest. But if you’re not sleeping properly, your body remains alert and can increase your risk of high blood pressure. Even making your bed more comfortable can help you to sleep better at night. Try getting a comfortable mattress topper like this one https://thesleepshopinc.com/best-mattress-topper-for-back-pain. You can improve your mattress by adding a topper that adds extra support and comfort.

Photo by Polina Kovaleva

Regulate Your Blood Sugar

A lack of sleep could also increase your risk of developing diabetes. Your body may not be able to regulate your blood sugar as easily, which could lead to diabetes. Diabetes and high blood pressure are both risk factors for stroke and heart disease. Poor sleep quality can cause fatty deposits to build up in your arteries due to inflammation too. This can lead to coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease. Making sure you get good sleep helps to reduce your risk of developing all of these problems.

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Two Birds With One Stone: Heart Health And Your Cancer Treatment

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels

Considering their impact on the body, it’s hardly surprising that most physical complaints have some impact on our hearts. This is so much the case that even something as seemingly commonplace as a bout of the flu can increase our risks of having a heart attack by as much as six times. Those risks only escalate further when you consider heart health in light of more serious health issues like cancer. 

Cancer draws our attention to the impacted part of the body which means signs or symptoms of the impact on heart health are overlooked. This historically leads to as many as 1 in 10 cancer patients dying not from their cancer itself, but secondary heart and blood vessel problems. The reasons for this do vary and depend a great deal on the type of cancer in question. For instance, neuroendocrine tumors can, by their very nature, cause a rare kind of heart disease known as carcinoid syndrome due to the secretions when located in the gastrointestinal tract or lungs. Far more commonly, however, links between heart disease and cancer tend to come down to the treatments offered.

Treatments including chemotherapy and radiation can be necessary in differing amounts for cancer survival and lengthened lifespans. However, experts have long noted links between these treatments and possible heart damage, especially during treatments for breast, prostate, or bladder cancer. It’s for this reason doctors test heart function before treatment. Even patients with healthy hearts are at increased risk during extreme treatment courses. It is beneficial for cancer patients to ensure their heart is as healthy as possible throughout cancer treatment using the following methods. 

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3 Provisions Clinicians Owe To Their Clients/Patients

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

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As a clinician, all of our practical and theoretical knowledge is only ever as good as the last time we applied it. This goes for making sure that no matter what patient or client we aid, we make sure to give ourselves to them entirely, and ensure that the best of our professional capability is levied. Unfortunately, while this may not be as appreciated as some might argue it should be, it still behooves us to take those steps in the interest of our professional oaths.

When systemizing the operations of a clinic and ensuring all provisions are accounted for, it’s important to make sure that we ensure a few considerations are put in place ahead of time. In this post, we hope to discuss three of those, intended to not only improve the relationship between clinician and client, but also ensure that the business operations go smoothly and soundly.

A Confidential, Calm Environment

When people visit a clinic, they do so with the relatively muted understanding that they would rather be elsewhere. Of course, we’re here to help them, and that means helping them become comfortable. A clean, calm environment can do this. 

Quiet, pleasant music in the waiting room, enough seated space, proper signposts to help them find their way around, and friendly receptionist staff can all help with this. The space shouldn’t feel like a hangout, but a professional and welcoming area. Plantlife, magazines, and healthy natural lighting can all aid with this. You’d be surprised how well this can work in the long run.


A Safe Premises

It’s also important to make sure the premises are safe. That Covid-19 considerations like hand-gel, a warm recommendation to wear masks, tiered queuing stages, and screens at the receptionist desk can all help with this, given that the pandemic is still here.

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8 Very Best Ways to Take Care of Your Health

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

In today’s society, we are constantly surrounded by information about health and its importance. From the time we are born until the moment we die, our health is a major factor in our life. Our physical and mental health impacts every aspect of our life. We must take care of our health. But how?

Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash

What is Health and Why Should I Improve it?

Health is one of the most important things in our lives. It affects our mood and productivity, and it can also have a significant impact on our quality of life. In order to improve health, you need to make healthy choices that are right for you. The choices include eating well, regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and avoiding stress. The keyword is choice.

Why You Need to Take a Holistic Approach to Your Health

Holistic health is a way of living that takes into account the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of your life. It is the opposite of conventional medicine which only focuses on treating the body without taking into account the mind and spirit.

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How You Can Take Care of Your Heart

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

We know that we have to take care of our hearts. Doing everything we can to eat well, lower our cholesterol, eat a balanced diet, and work out. One of the most beneficial things you can do for your health is to strengthen your heart. 

And, as you may be aware, fitness is the most effective approach. In fact, if you are sedentary and do not exercise, you’re twice as likely to develop heart disease compared to someone physically active.

Photo by Ali Hajiluyi  on Unsplash

Once we have been successfully taking care of our own heart health for years, it doesn’t hurt to pass what you’ve learned on to others. 

The fitness industry is one of the fastest-growing, and while there is money to be made here, it’s also putting the spotlight on people who are trying to do better. 

Before you start running heart-healthy groups, it is a good idea to invest in group fitness certification online – so you are following best practices. 

Below are some steps you can take to to encourage the people you know, and maybe some you don’t, to take care of their hearts. 

Walking groups

Walking groups are one of the most enjoyable and lightest ways to tackle heart health. It doesn’t just promote heart healthy but mental well-being as well since it helps people get out of the house and spending time with others. 

You can arrange weekly local walks and create new routes each time. 

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The Tricky Relationship Between Salt And Your Heart

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

Photo by Castorly Stock from Pexels

Salt is used in most cooking recipes and forms a large part of the modern diet. However, there have long been discussions over the need for it in our bodies. Salt, or sodium, can interact with our internal system in a multitude of ways. As a consequence, it has an impact on our overall heart health

More to the point, what sort of impact does it have? Most of us have grown up knowing salt is bad for us and can lead to health problems. But, is this truly the case?

What is salt?

Salt (sodium) is a mineral that’s vital for the function of the human body. Our bodies use sodium to maintain healthy nerve functions, as well as to keep our body’s fluid levels balanced. In fact, when you feel dehydrated, it’s recommended that you add some salt to your water as it can help hydrate you by replenishing electrolyte stores. Salt is also suggested for anyone suffering from muscle cramps as a lack of it in the system can lead to excessive muscle cramping. 

Consequently, you can argue that salt is an essential nutrient our bodies need. Cutting salt out of your diet is not a healthy decision as it can cause a variety of ongoing health problems. 

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