Thursday, June 27, 2013

JUNE 2013 - Heart Heart Practitioner's Corner

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of a friend was walking the Pyramid.  He started to get some chest pain and he didn’t feel well.  He kept walking but felt worse, so he went home to his wife and she took him to the hospital. . . he was suffering a massive heart attack.  Fortunately, he is still with us today, unfortunately many other Australians do die from cardiovascular disease everyday.
Cardiovascular disease means heart, stroke or blood vessel diseases. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to cardiovascular disease, inheriting problems such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.  However, many people develop heart problems from poor lifestyle and dietary habits. 
So here is the good news . . .whether you are susceptible to cardiovascular problems because of genes, or because of the way you live, there are invaluable changes you can make to improve your heart and arteries and potentially deter cardiovascular disease.
Firstly, I will reveal some of the risk factors, thereby giving an indication to the changes that need to be made.
Risk Factors
·         High cholesterol levels – readings with high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the bad stuff), and low levels of high-density ipoprotein (the good stuff).
·         High levels of triglycerides - increases when you eat too many fatty foods or when you eat too much -- excess calories are made into triglycerides and stored as fat in cells. Having an abundance of triglycerides has been linked to coronary heart disease.
·         High blood pressure
·         Smoking
·         Lack of regular exercise
·         A high fat diet
·         Overweight or obese
·         Diabetes
·         Ongoing stress or depression
High Cholesterol Levels
The problem with not having the right balance of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, is that the blood vessels can develop atherosclerosis from it. What happens is the bad cholesterol is sticky and adheres to a blood vessel. As more bad sticky cholesterol flows through the blood stream, more can adhere and it can grow, developing a life of its own, the blood vessel narrowing and then a blockage can occur, stopping blood from getting through and thereby causing angina or a heart attack. 
Blood Pressure
When the heart pumps blood into the arteries, the blood pushes against the walls of the arteries.  Blood pressure is the product of the flow of blood times the resistance in the blood vessels.  High blood pressure may cause no symptoms initially but can cause serious long term complications.  Some complications of high blood pressure include heart disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, peripheral artery disease, and aortic aneurysms. 
The blood pressure is easily measured using a blood pressure monitor. A normal BP reading is around 120/80.  High blood pressure is defined as a consistently elevated pressure of 140/90 or higher.  You can come into Calanna Pharmacy to have your Blood Pressure measured.
Weight
If you have excess weight, especially weight around the middle, it may create conditions that increase your chance of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.  Even a small weight loss can be beneficial – losing just ten percent of your weight can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of diabetes.
Smoking
No amount of smoking is safe as tobacco smoke contains more than 4800 chemicals, many of which can damage your heart and blood vessels, making them more vulnerable to narrowing of the arteries.  The good news is that if you smoke, quitting now means that you will reduce the risk of heart disease dramatically within a year.
Changes that MUST be made for a Healthy Heart
Exercise
Exercising helps to prevent heart disease by increasing the blood flow to the heart and strengthening the heart so that it can pump more blood with less effort.  It also helps to control your weight and reduces stress.  You should aim for around 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
Healthy Eating
Healthy Eating is one of the best things that you can do to help reduce your risk of heart disease. 
Eat a lot MORE of:
1.   Vegetables, salads, fruits, nuts.
2.   Legumes, lean sources of meat and fish.
3.   Foods from the Mediterranean Diet such as garlic, artichokes, olive oil. 
Eat a lot LESS of:
1.   Sugar and white flour products i.e. white breads, buns, cakes.
2.   Trans fatty acids – deep fried foods, margarine, and processed foods. (They lower the good cholesterol and increase the bad cholesterol.)
3.   Saturated fats – only eat red meat to the size of your palm and trim off the fat.
Supplements
1.    Calanna Odourless Omega 3 - decreases the risk of heart attack, protect against irregular heartbeats, and lower blood pressure.
2.    Ethical Nutrients Cholestrienol - contains clinically trialled ingredients that may assist healthy people to maintain cholesterol within the normal range and assist healthy cholesterol levels, improving the good and bad cholesterol ratio.  Also, assists in maintaining triglyceride levels within the normal range.
There are many other supplements that can assist in maintaining a Healthy Heart, as well as other diet and lifestyle changes that can be made.
Calanna Pharmacy has Naturopaths available at our Woree, North Cairns and Townsville stores that can assist you with a Health Management plan especially tailored for your health status. Call your nearest Calanna Pharmacy to book an appointment.
Please note that if you have not had a health check up recently, it may be advised to have your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides tested, so please make a visit to your doctor. 
 
Written by: Kim Erhlich - Naturopath
Calanna Pharmacy Woree - Natural Medicine Clinic