12 Things To Do Everyday For Your Heart Health
Contributed by Ryan Peterson.
Unfortunately, we can’t stay young forever. By the time many of us realize we’re ‘getting on a bit’, some damage has already been done to our health. By vowing to take care of your overall health now, and especially your heart health, you’ll live a longer, better quality life with fewer healthcare costs in the long run. Living a healthy lifestyle does not have to equal ‘boring’.
Here are 12 things to do everyday for your heart health:
1. Eat Healthy Fats
Healthy fats include foods like nuts, peanut butter, and oily fish. Avoid trans fats at all costs – you typically find trans fats in processed food. Trans fats increase your risk of stroke and heart disease. Consuming trans fats regularly makes you more susceptible to problems. Become comfortable reading nutritional labels before buying products to ensure you avoid foods containing trans fats.
2. Practice Good Dental Hygiene
Oral bacteria associated with gum disease can travel through the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart disease. Poor dental hygiene can lead to heart disease. It isn’t about vanity – looking after your teeth is key for overall health. Make sure you’re doing the following:
- Brush twice a day.
- Brush teeth for two minutes, but do not brush so hard you wear your enamel down.
- Floss at least once a day to get rid of debris between the teeth.
- Using mouthwash to rinse away any leftover bacteria and freshen your breath.
- Use a tongue scraper. Brushing your tongue is good, but you may sometimes just move around the bacteria without getting rid of it.
3. Get Plenty of Sleep
Prioritize your sleep. You have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease if you don’t get sleep. It can be tempting to burn the candle at both ends if you have goals you want to achieve, but people who sleep fewer than 6 hours a night are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack compared to people who sleep 6 to 8 hours a night. Aiming for 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night is ideal. Implement a consistent bedtime routine. Going to bed at the same time each night is a great start.
4. Avoid Sitting Down For Too Long
Continue readingFollowing keto, paleo, plant-based, Mediterranean or something in between? Remember the 4-4-9 rule.
Functional medicine expert Bryce Wylde explains why everyone, no matter what diet plan you follow, will do better by incorporating healthy fats.
Whether for health or weight loss, there may never be a way of eating that is perfect for everyone. “About 25 percent of people gain weight while following a strict keto diet,” observes Functional Medicine expert Bryce Wylde, BSc, DHMHS, Homeopath. “Some people gain weight on carbohydrates. Others do not. Some people are better off eating vegan. But one thing is universal: Everyone would do really well to incorporate healthy fats into their diets.”
As a clinical practitioner, Wylde understands that an individual’s DNA at least partially dictates how their body responds to food. “There are genes that dictate whether your body tends to store fat or burn it as ketones. There are genes that influence if people are good starch metabolizers. They can eat rice and beans all day without issue. For others, it might be best to sway over to meats and fats.”
He encourages people not to go all the way down one road dietarily unless they understand themselves better. “In the most general terms, you can have your DNA analyzed then use a self-decode website to turn those results into actionable items.”
The 4-4-9 rule and other healthy eating tips
In the meantime, Wylde offers his advice for fueling your body with the right nutrients.
Continue readingNot Feeling Great? This Might Be Why
Contributed by Ryan Peterson.
So, you’re simply not feeling great and you’re unsure of why that might be. There are so many reasons this could be troubling you, and here, we’re going to list a few of them.
1. Stress
We lead busier lifestyles than ever, and we don’t feel worthy if we’re not being productive. Maybe you’re biting off more than you can chew and doing too much. Stress can have many physical symptoms, such as feeling run down and sleepy. Evaluate the stress in your life and determine if you need to cut back at work or at home.
2. Your Lifestyle
Your lifestyle in general could be an issue if you’re not feeling great. Maybe you’re burning the candle at both ends, working hard but playing even harder. Do you have some bad habits you need to kick to the curb, like eating junk, smoking, and other issues? Were injured and you haven’t yet found first-class legal representation for injury victims, leaving you feeling overwhelmed. Whatever happened, try to assess your lifestyle honestly and figure out whether this could be the reason for your feelings.
3. Malaise
Malaise is a vague term, and many people can experience it. It involves weakness, discomfort, feeling like you have an illness and fatigue. However, these symptoms can be connected to many conditions. You should contact your doctor for an evaluation. Below are just a few of the conditions that malaise can be a result of:
- HIV
- AIDS
- Fibromyalgia
- Lyme disease
- Hepatitis
- Depression
- Anxiety
- The flu
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Congestive heart failure
How To Support A Loved One After A Heart Attack
Contributed by Ryan Peterson.
According to the CDC, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US is heart disease. That’s about 647,000 people every year.
While medical treatments and interventions continue to improve outcomes for many people, the road to recovery is still a long one. If your partner or a member of your family has experienced a heart attack, then the support they need afterward in important for their long term recovery.
Do your research
You need to be well informed on the subject of heart disease. Educate yourself on the condition so that you are not constantly asking questions they may not be comfortable answering.
If they have a specific rehabilitation program or diet, learn this inside and out so you are able to help them follow it, even when they themselves don’t feel like it.
Be prepared to support them in their new lifestyle which will probably mean big changes to diet and exercise habits as well as taking supplements, medications, and possibly Neuroscience Vitamins. Why not join them in their new healthy lifestyle and improve your health too?
Emotional support and guidance
In addition to the physical recovery, there is a mental journey. A person who survives a heart attack can react in many different ways. Some people feel they’ve been given a second chance at life, others feel like their life is irrevocably changed forever and it’s only a matter of time before something else bad happens.
Continue readingThe Parts Of Your Health You’re Probably Neglecting
Contributed by Ryan Peterson.
When it comes to taking care of your health, there are some things you know you must do. Exercise, healthy eating – they’re talked about all the time, which means they’re always on our mind.
But what about the other parts of your health like your sight and hearing? It’s those things that can be taken for granted, and it can come as a shock when something goes wrong.
Total health means taking complete care of yourself, and could mean some adjustments to your existing habits and behaviors. Take a look at the parts of your health you’re probably neglecting, and start taking care of yourself from head to toe.
Your hearing
It’s easy to take your hearing for granted, assuming it will always be there, but it can be debilitating when your hearing starts to suffer, for whatever reason. Hearing loss comes in many forms, but many of them are preventable by taking steps to save your hearing. From protecting your ears from loud noises to keeping the volume down when you wear earphones, there are many steps you can take to keep your hearing in check to protect it for the future.
Continue readingSpotlight on Men’s Heart Health
No one knows your body better than you do, so it’s your responsibility to monitor your own health. As important as it is to prioritize preventive care and manage chronic health issues, up to 60% of men don’t go to the doctor when they need to.
Certain health concerns like heart disease, diabetes, and mental health issues affect both men and women. They may, however, impact them in different ways. For example, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States but men are twice as likely as women to experience a heart attack.
Researchers suggest this may have something to do with hormone levels, as the higher risk persisted even after taking traditional risk factors like high blood pressure and body mass index into account.
These are the top six heart health risk factors:
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