***Therapeutic Lifestyle Program for A Healthy Heart

The heart is one of the most studied organs where research is concerned. It is the number one disease that kills more people every year.  Heart disease is often referred to as a “man’s” disease. But reports show that women are not far behind. 

In the United States, 41 percent of deaths in women are caused by heart disease. It’s shown that women are more than ten times more likely to die of heart disease than of breast cancer. This is a staggering fact to digest.

What can we do about this much researched and vital organ to keep it healthy? There are therapeutic lifestyle options such as eating a healthy diet with foods that are nutrient dense as well as taking supplements.

 The Basics For Treating a Healthy Heart

For many years, doctors knew that tobacco cessation, a low fat, low cholesterol diet that keeps dietary fat to a minimum, incorporating 30 minutes of physical activity daily,
and keeping stress under control are the most important ways to prevent heart attack.

Researchers are now learning a lot more and finding that it takes more than just eating a healthy diet to keep your heart healthy. Specific nutrients in food impact the health of your heart and circulatory system. The antioxidants vitamin C, Vitamin E and Selenium seem to play a role in neutralizing free radical molecules that are linked to some forms of heart disease.

The mineral, zinc is necessary to promote the absorption of these antioxidants. The B vitamins (B6, B12, and folic acid), keep the body’s levels of homocysteine in control. This prevents the formation of plaque.  Researchers also feel that excess iron may play a role in the formation of free radicals and and may contribute to heart problems.

What Causes Heart Disease?

Most heart disease, including angina and electrical problems that are responsible for sudden cardiac death is caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis results when cholesterol and cells roam around in your blood stream and build up along the walls of coronary arteries and cause them to narrow. Narrowing of the arteries reduces the flow of blood to the heart. This increases the chance that a bunch of blood cells might clump together and get wedged in the artery. When that happens, or an artery suddenly spasms, blood flow to the heart is cut off triggering a heart attack.

Hardening of the arteries is another term used to describe atherosclerosis. The Atherosclerosis process can begin in childhood from any of these methods when the cells lining an artery are damaged by constant pounding from high blood pressure, by repeated
exposure to toxic chemicals such as those in cigarette smoke. High concentrations of LDL cholesterol, viral, or bacterial infections can contribute to this process.

Once the damage is done the body tries to heal it. LDL cholesterol and blood cells called monocytes are attracted to the site where they try to repair the damage. If that fails, cells from other areas of the arterial wall move in to give protection and are known as plaque. The plaque hardens as calcium is absorbed and continues to grow until it protrudes into the hollow area of the artery. This condition gradually develops into the most common form of heart disease. When the artery is narrowed to prevent blood flow to your heart, chest pain, or angina results. When the blockage becomes so severe and blood can no longer flow through the heart, a heart attack occurs.

Conclusion
This gives you a brief overview about Heart disease the number one killer in the United States. The next episode will discuss the therapeutic lifestyle program to keep your heart healthy.

Bio: Hope Anderson, RDN and Coach is in private practice online, specializes in healthy lifestyle. She is passionate about food, nutrition and health and empowers her clients with scientific evidence based information so that they can make informed decision about their health.

Click here to get her free report: www.hopenutriservices.com