February is Heart Health Month!

February is when we start thinking about love and affairs of the heart.  Unfortunately, heart disease remains the number 1 killer in America and it is such a tragedy. In support of healthy hearts everywhere, I offer these 10 steps you can take to keep your heart strong and pumping for as long as you need it!  In no particular order…

1.     Eat a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables; clean, organic meat, poultry and fish; healthy sources of fat from olive oil, butter and avocados.  Avoid junk food, processed foods and sugary drinks.

2.     Keep a healthy body weight.  Being overweight is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease and heart attack.  Being 20% over your normal body weight can significantly increase your chances of heart disease.

3.     Keep active.  Lack of exercise is the single worst risk factor for heart disease.  That doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym 5 days a week to keep a healthy heart.   Just increasing your daily activity level can help.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator or park in the outer limits and walk to the store.  Simple things add up. 

4.     Practice yoga or meditate. Studies have shown that regular meditation can reduce blood pressure and yoga is a great activity to reduce stress and maintain physical fitness. 

5.     Stop smoking and limit alcohol.  Smoking remains a major risk factor in heart disease.

6.     Manage stress levels.  Stress is known to increase the chances of heart disease so take daily measures to reduce stress.  Take time to decompress at the end of the day.  Slow down when feeling rushed.  Remember, “Easy Does It”! 

7.     Get plenty of rest.  The body needs good sleep every night to renew and regenerate itself.  This includes the heart.  A good night’s rest is also important for reducing stress and anxiety. 

8.     Laugh – loudly and often –and be happy!  Laughter dilates blood vessels allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach every cell of your body, including the heart.  Happiness increases levels of endorphins in the brain resulting in an increased feeling of well-being, i.e. less stress!

9.  Get regular chiropractic adjustments!  Every organ of your body, including the heart, is under the control of the nervous system.  When the spine becomes subluxated (misaligned) it can cause interference with the nerves going to the heart, resulting in lowered heart function. Regular adjustments can also reduce levels of stress, improve quality of sleep and improve circulation. When it comes to keeping a healthy heart – or a healthy body –the most important place to start is with regular chiropractic care!

10.  Get a nutrition check-up with Nutrition Response Testing.  Nutrition Response Testing is a non-invasive system of analyzing the body in order to determine the underlying causes of ill health. When these are corrected through safe,natural, nutritional means, the body can repair itself in order to attain and maintain more optimum health.  Supplementation is often necessary and helpful, too.  The modern American diet depletes the body of essential B-vitamins that are essential to heart health.  

To help you keep your heart as healthy as possible, we are offering a special bundle of 3 hearth-healthy supplements.    They include Cardio-Plus, Tuna Omega 3 and Cataplex B-Core.  During the month of February, you can purchase all three as a bundle at a special price of 20% off!  That is a savings of over $17.00!  You can read more about it below or come by the office to pick up your Heart Health Bundle!