The heart is the essence of our lives, the center of emotional wisdom, and sometimes referred to as our heart chakra which is the source of our love.

It is imperative to take care of our heart and the good thing is YOU are in control and it starts with your LIFESTYLE!

What action can you take to start moving towards a healthier heart? You can start by understanding metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that influence the risk of developing heart and other health challenges. These factors place people at a higher risk for heart challenges.

 

Let’s take a look at the risk factors for metabolic syndrome:

  1. Larger waistline (more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women)
  2. Elevated fasting glucose (more than 100)
  3. Elevated triglycerides (more than 150 mg)
  4. Elevated blood pressure (more than 130/85)
  5. Low HDL (less than 40mg in men and less than 50mg in women)
  6. Inflammation (specifically an elevated C-reactive protein)

The presence of three or more of these factors will put you at greater risk for developing heart and other health challenges.

 

There are several ways for you to start working on these numbers. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can start today.

  1. For a smaller waistline, consider increasing your fiber and reducing your sugar intake.
  2. To improve your fasting glucose, start reducing sugar, reducing simple carbohydrates, drinking more water and adding spices like cinnamon to your morning drink.
  3. For elevated triglycerides, blood pressure and HDL, increase your activity, add in some cayenne pepper, hawthorn, CoQ10 and essential fatty acids for circulation.
  4. For inflammation, increase your water intake, reduce your salt and reduce high processed foods with hidden sugars. A good mineral supplement is great for all of these risk factors.

 

The link between diet and heart health is becoming clearer. What you put on your plate can influence just about every aspect of heart health, from blood pressure to inflammation to triglyceride levels. Start taking these necessary steps, follow a well-balanced diet and get in some physical activity to minimize your risk for heart and other health challenges.

—

Dr. Tabatha Carr, ND

Livingandlovinglife.org