February is American Heart month, a month when the media focuses on spreading awareness on heart health. If this is the time of year when one becomes more educated and aware that’s great but come March, we can’t forget what we’ve learned. These lessons and heart healthy habits must be focused on every day of every year. Let’s use this time of year, where we can educate more on one’s overall cardiovascular health. Truth is, heart disease is still the leading cause of death in America. We must act and take our heart health more seriously.
But WHY?
Your heart is the circulatory system and is part of your muscular organs. Your circulatory system transports nutrients, oxygen, minerals, and antibodies throughout your body and cells to help them operate properly. The hearts’ function is to continuously pump blood throughout your body. A healthy heart is crucial to maintain good health. Embracing an overall healthy lifestyle at any age while focusing on heart health can prevent heart disease and lower your risk for a stroke and/or heart attack. You are never too young or too old to begin taking care of your heart!
& HOW?
Whole foods should always be the main source of nutrients; however, most people cannot be consistent with the exact amount they need to be intaking every single day, which is where supplementation come into play. Supplements cannot make up for unhealthy eating habits, but they can be used to help fill in the gaps to where we need it the most.
Below are 5 Heart Health Supplements:
Specific compounds found in Red Superfoods including antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins help fight free radicals and oxidative stress. To neutralize these harmful, free radicals we must increase the stability of nitric oxide in the bloodstream by incorporating and utilizing Red Superfoods. This can be tough to do daily just with whole foods. A Reds Superfood powder can assist us in healthy nitric oxide levels and improving blood flow throughout the entire body. Besides improved blood flow and reduced blood pressure, Opti-Reds 50 can boost metabolism, increase energy, and reduce signs of aging! Win, Win, Win!
The benefits of Fish oil are a lot more than just reducing inflammation. To name a few; stabilizing blood flow in and around the heart, reducing blood triglyceride levels, lowering blood pressure, preventing blood clots, and of course decrease of inflammation. The improvement of blood pressure and decrease triglycerides (unhealthy fat in your blood) increases by 30% in the body by taking Fish oils! When shopping for a good quality fish oil supplement, you want to be sure the combined amount of EPA/DHA is at least 1,000mg (1g). I have been taking Fish oil ever since I have started my supplement regime.
CoQ10
Our bodies naturally make this enzyme in small amounts and is used to produce energy in the cells for growth and maintenance. Also functioning as an antioxidant, protecting the body from damage caused by harmful molecules. CoQ10 may also help lower blood pressure, either on its own or along medications. Individuals who are on cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, can sometimes lower the amount of CoQ10 the body makes on its own; therefore, anyone on a statin could benefit from this supplement. CoQ10 can be found inside the Micro Factor Nutrient Packet (which ALSO contains 5 other daily essentials including; Antioxidants, Probiotic, Multi Vitamins, EFA, Fruits & Veggies) Which is why it’s a “complete daily nutrient packet” and this should be your #1 GO TO when it comes to a supplement regime. Does come in a powder form for those who don’t want to swallow a bunch of capsules 😉
L-CarnitineL-Carnitine is looked upon as a fat burning supplement, as it does assist in metabolizing stored fat, it cannot work as a magic powder and burn fat right off the body (unfortunately no supplement can do that). What it can and does do is transport fatty acids to the cells using it as energy rather than storing it (now that is pretty cool!) L-Carnitine is an amino acid needed to transport fats into the mitochondria (where fats are turned into energy). Adequate amounts of energy are essential for normal heart functioning. A proper dosage of L-Carnitine can improve heart function while reducing symptoms of angina. Hopefully, you’ll never have to experience this, but something good to know and share; L-Carnitine can help reduce damage and complications following a heart attack.
Magnesium is crucial to the body to support muscle and nerve function, especially energy production. Low levels of magnesium may not cause many symptoms in the short term, but in the long term it can be threatened by diseases. Low magnesium levels can be a predictor of heart disease and have been linked to risk factors including high blood pressure/ cholesterol, arterial plaque buildup. These risk factors then become an extreme issue like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. This supplement acts as a muscle relaxant, relaxing muscles and reducing stress on all our muscles including our heart. Ditch the melatonin and replace it with Magnesium two hours before bedtime for a higher quality night of sleep. More than half Americans are deficient in the recommended 420 mg daily intake. One scoop in this Magnesium is 420 mg.
These supplements listed above can help your heart function at its highest capacity, but supplements will never out do a healthy diet. Create a life where most of your nutrients come from whole foods and use supplements where you need help with the most. Vitamins & minerals are essentials where supplements fill in those gaps where needed. Remember, for supplements to work, you must be continuously taking them every single day and the right dosage amount. As always, be sure to speak to your doctor before starting any new supplements along with your current regime including your medications.
