Listen to Your Heart

Posted on by Danielle Brossart

February is American Heart Health Month

What is your heart telling you? ❤️ Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women? Even more than all forms of cancer combined! Whoa… Almost 2/3 of women who die of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms 😲 and 90% of women already have one or more risk factors.    Having high blood pressure forces our hearts to work harder to get blood to the rest of our body. This causes part of our heart, the left ventricle, to thicken. This increases our risk of having issues with our hearts. Things you may not have known:

  1. New studies link high BP may be linked to higher risk of dementia & loss of cognitive function.
  2. Young people can have high BP
  3. High BP usually has no symptoms, but when there are they can be severe headaches, anxiety, shortness of breath and nosebleeds
  4. Women
    • May contribute to complications during pregnancy
    • Some birth control may increase risk for high BP
  5. African American Women have higher rates

(source: 5 Surprising Facts About High Blood Pressure | cdc.gov, High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension’s effects on your body – Mayo Clinic )

What We Can Do?

  1. Get your blood pressure & cholesterol checked by your doctor
  2. Get 6-8 hours of sleep / night to help recover & recuperate
  3. Make lifestyle changes, if necessary (no smoking, limit alcohol, lose weight)
  4. Exercise – like any other muscle, the best way to make your heart stronger is to work out. So, get moving!
    • The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. Just 30 minutes of walking/day will decrease your chances of falling below the heart health line.
  5. Eating right –  it’s important to trim unhealthy fats, high-sodium foods, and sugary drinks. Here’s what you can focus on though:
    • Mediterranean diet (fruits, veggies, seafood & lots of omega 3’s)
    • Salmon, albacore tuna, and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids
    • High potassium foods (coconut water, melons, avocados & bananas)High fiber foods (fruit, seeds, beans)
    • Whole grains: like steel-cut oats, brown rice, and whole-grain bread
    • Apple Cider Vinegar – potassium rich and keeps body alkaline
    • Tea (white)
    • Dark chocolate YAY!! 🥳
  6. Foods to avoid (alcohol, high sodium, trans fats, omega 6 oils, sugar & caffeine)
  7. Reduce stress (prayer, meditation)
(source: High Blood Pressure Symptoms You Can Reverse Naturally – Dr. Axe)
 

How oils can help!

This topic is important to me because it was discovered that my body was producing excess platelets a few years ago. The technical name for it is Essential Thrombocythemia (ET). So, I need to be extra careful that my blood is able to flow freely and I am very interested in all the things I can do to help prevent blood clots and keep my heart pumping,  Decreasing stress levels has shown to have a correlation in heart health. Essential oils can help this by supporting positive emotions, mood and energy levels. Application can be done by inhaling for 20 minutes, using a diffuser, or topical application to the abdomen. You can also add to  a gel capsule  (only vitality line oils, FDA approved for ingestion) with a carrier oil, like olive oil, to make your own supplements.

    1. Some great oils for chilling out are: Stress Away, Neroli, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Marjoram, Clary Sage & Frankincense
    2. Young Living’s Aroma Life- blend supports improved cardiovascular, lymphatic and circulatory system and reduces stress.   Apply topically to the heart or abdomen, diffuse or use in bath. This blend contains Cypress,  Helichrysum, Ylang Ylang and Marjoram.
    3. Other areas to apply oils are the Vita flex points for the heart. These are on the sole of the left foot, 1 inch  below the base of the fourth toe and on the palm of the left hand, 1 inch below the ring finger joint at the lifeline.
    • Vita Flex essentially stands for “vitality through the reflexes” and is a method of topically applying essential oils. It uses the reflex system of the internal body to release tension, congestion, and make other adjustments.
(source: https://www.theresaneoforthat.com/how-to-use-vita-flex-points/. Now What? Scripts book – Susan Richardson & Bobbi Decker)

YL Supplements to try:

    1. NingXia Red is an antioxidant beverage that reduces inflammation, normalizes blood pressure and strengthens cardiovascular system.  Click here for more information.
    2. Mindwise: has glycerophosphocholine (glisero – phospho-koleen) or GPC, that helps with memory and other cognitive functions and can cross the blood/brain barrier. Clinical studies show that is supports cognitive function and mental acuity. Also contains MCT and generous amounts of vitamin D3 to promote heart health.
    3.  OmegaGize3 (Omega-3’s, D-3 and COQ10), – DHA rich fish oil and essential oils to help brain, heart, eye and joint health
    4. Cardiogize: containing CoQ10, Selenium & Garlic extract. Especially formulated by founder D. Gary Young, this supports the entire vascular system, including proper blood circulation. Studies have shown that combining CoQ10 and Selenium you can help protect the heart from oxidative stress – which can reduce cardiac incidents.  Garlic supports the body’s natural response to artery plaque formation and blood stickiness and helps maintain healthy blood pressure, triglycerides and blood glucose levels
    5. Super B: with bioavailable- B1, B2, B3,B5,B6,B7,B9 and B12; promotes the production of red blood cells and ability to effectively and naturally deal with sticky blood. It is also a great supplement for boosting your energy.
    6. Detoxzyme -this supplement is great for cleansing the liver and colon, which will increase circulation and help to normalize blood pressure.
(source: Essential Oils Desk Reference by Life Science Publishing 7th Edition; Now What? Scripts book – Susan Richardson & Bobbi Decker)