Happy Heart Day (month)!!

It is February and we see a lot of heart stuff around in the stores and online because as we all know, it is American Heart Month. Ok well, maybe you didn't know that but I bet you all know this is the month of Valentine's Day.

However, I don't want to talk about Valentine's Day...I want to share some thought on my heart about the heart. You know, the most important organ in our bodies...the one that pumps vital nutrients and life giving blood throughout our body.

I wanted to write this because of my love for my dad. He has not been doing well. He has been having some fairly serious heart issues lately and he's a fairly young 66. So it has implored me to learn more about the heart for the years now and as of late be more intentional about how I take care of my heart so that I can save it from damage. This way I can be around for many, many years to come. I have seen first-hand how not eating well and a lack of exercise can dramatically impact someone. I'm just over 20 years away from where he is today and I don't want to live with the same problems...which means, educate and change behaviors now. I am hoping this inspires you to take the same action.

See, it is amazing how little we think about the things we eat or things we do that really have a huge negative impact on our heart. Maybe not right away but what happens, 10, 20 or even 30 years later. Our diets have a very big impact. Most people I know eat highly processed foods from meats, to ready made meals, to even things like glutens and sugars which all create a response in the body. We will talk about those responses in just a minute.

Another big things that is a major problem, yet is almost seen as a trophy in some circles is STRESS. Seems like the more stress you can take on the better and you are rewarded for it. However, stress seriously increases hormones such as adrenaline and the biggie, cortisol. These can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, which are common risk factors for heart disease.

Poor eating habits, stress at work/home and more sedentary lifestyles (anywhere from desk jobs to the newest sedentary sport, Netflix binging) all leave us not feeling too motivate to even stay active and exercise. All of these are a dangerous combination and help create serious responses in the body and I believe the perfect breeding ground for the toxic silent killer, inflammation. Silent as in, we just think of it as our bodies getting older, yet it is the inflammation responses in our bodies that are beginning to manifest.

See the body is amazing, as inflammation is a natural part of your body’s immune response to an illness or injury. When you have a wound or an infection, inflammation helps fight off germs and facilitates healing.

And as Erin Michos, M.D., M.H.S. explains, “For short-term conditions, inflammation is helpful, but sustained low levels of inflammation irritate your blood vessels. Inflammation may promote the growth of plaques, loosen plaque in your arteries and trigger blood clots — the primary cause of heart attacks and strokes.”

Buildup of cholesterol and other substances in your arteries (called plaques or atherosclerosis) can set off an inflammatory response, too. Researchers have discovered that high levels of inflammation have been associated with an increased chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

That is why I love that Dr. Michos takes the approach, “Just like we’re targeting blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose, we also need to target inflammation.”

However, most doctors use medicine or pharmaceuticals to treat inflammation in the body. Medicine is a shotgun approach in the body, it always effects other areas in the body not just one inflammation.

However, God has given us natural organic foods sources to help us reduce inflammation in our bodies. Foods rich in magnesium like big green leafy salads, arugla, blueberries, pumpkin seeds and even the powerful turmeric root and ginger.

Turmeric and Ginger have been shown to be a powerful combination to knocking out inflammation in the body and helping with flexibility and joint pain. One main reason is because, turmeric has a superpower chemical compound called, curcumin. The Golden-Gem!

Curcumin has many scientifically-proven health benefits, such as the potential to prevent, yep you guessed it, heart disease, Alzheimer's and cancer. It's a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and may also help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis! That sounds extremely powerful.

Because of this, I take a product that provides the right amount of curcumin I need on a daily basis to help rid my body from the harmful affects of inflammation in the body and helping protect my heart in the process. Eating a plant-based diet (as much as you can), exercising regularly and adding 100% bioavailable curcumin can help you live long and stay heart healthy!

If you would like more information about my daily curcumin supplement click on the image above or message me for more details.

Thank you! Comment below and let me know what you think.