Heart Health: Keep Your Ticker in Tip-top Condition
Did you know this about your amazing heart?
• The human heart weighs between 7-15 ounces and measures about the size of your fist.
• It functions as a pump, moving blood through thousands of miles of blood vessels, veins and arteries, pumping more than 30-times its weight in blood each minute.
• At rest the human heart pumps more than 1800 gallons of blood a day.
• The amazing heart contains a “built-in-pacemaker”––it rests twice as long as it beats so life- giving blood pumps through all parts of your body.
• The heart beats approximately 100,000 times a day and about 40-million times a year, moving nutrients and oxygen replenished blood to all cells while collecting wastes, carbon dioxide and heat for dispersement.
• The blood comprises several components: 80% water; 20% other substances including salts/ sugars/digested nutrients/respiratory gases (O2 in - CO2 out) as well as protective and regulatory chemicals.
• Blood loss through injury or natural body processes activates cells in the bones to produce new replacement blood
• The heart is the “CEO” of the body: Central Energizing Organ
Heart Health Statistics
• 90% of Americans are at risk of experiencing a serious illness relating to the Cardiovascular System. By the age of 15, teens already have fatty streaks in their major blood vessels.
• Each year 1.5 million Americans suffer a heart attack; nearly 1/3 of those die on their 1st attack
• Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the United States
Factors that Contribute to Heart Disease
• Diet: too many processed, high fat (un-healthy fats), high sugar foods; nutritional deficiencies weaken arterial walls causing them to become less elastic and less adaptable to stress; hardened arteries make the heart work harder to move the blood. Damaged arteries lead to inflammation; inflammation is the fundamental cause leading to heart disease.
• Fitness: the heart is a muscle that needs to stay toned and strong
• Stress: the high cost of our modern times leads to reduced health
• Chemical Stress: smoking/pesticides/chlorine/fluorides/etc.
• Hormonal Stress: the human body produces hormones as protection for several body systems (adrenalin, nor-epinephrine, cortisol & others); high stress leaves the “signals” turned on, causing these hormones to disrupt and potentially damage the very systems they’re designed to protect and preserve. Long term effect may result in:
Heart Disease Obesity
Sleep Problems Memory Impairment
Digestive Disorders Skin Disorders
Depression Inflammation & Oxidative damage
And the Good News Is . . .
• Heart Disease is one of the most preventable of chronic conditions! *Dean Ornish,MD 1990 study
• Only about 35% of our genetics are not in our control; 65% of our health is in our control!
• Science now proves that the human DNA is adaptable; we can improve––or worsen the condition.
Nurturing a Healthy and Happy Heart
• Include or increase:
• Omega-3 Fats (walnuts, flaxseed, cold-water fish and fish oils)
• *Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Selenium, CoQ10, Vit-E are excellent heart supplements
• B-vitamins: B6, B12 and Folic Acid (B9), found in dark leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, oranges, avocados, or a full-spectrum B-complex supplement with all 11-B vitamins
• Eat plenty of fresh high fiber fruits and vegetables; include garlic and cayenne for their circulatory benefits
• Watch those extra pounds; a slight increase in weight puts a burden on your heart
• Stop smoking; reduce/avoid second-hand smoke; check your exposure to other chemical toxins
• MOVE! A simple, daily fitness program will improve numerous aspects of your health
*Magnesium is considered the most important mineral for the heart. It acts as a smooth muscle relaxant and supports the cardiovascular system by lowering blood pressure and dilating the heart blood vessels.
Essential Oils Desk Reference, 3rd Edition, 2004
The human body was not created to self destruct. The body innately strives for wellness and balance (homeostasis). Your heart was designed to last a lifetime––make that a long, healthy lifetime!