HEALTHWellness2016

AN

D

A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HOOD RIVER NEWS

HEALTHYHEARTS

SUPER FOODS P2 YOGA for HEALTH P3 YOUR HEART P4

FEBRUARY

Herbs forthe HeartRuth Maletz, RN, CNCDaniel’s Health and Nutrition

A mere eighteen daysafter conception yourheart began to beat, and it has been beatingminute after minute, hour after hour, day afterday ever since. Yourheart never sleeps, itnever rests.

For most of our lives we don' tthink about our heart, which makesit easy to forget how significant it isto take care of this valuable organ,because when our heart stops, lifestops. We all know how importantexercise is for our body, heartincluded; and we know that eatinglots of fruits, vegetables, and whole

grains is good as well. We' ve alsoheard about fish oil which seems tobe good for everything. What manyof us don' t know is that there aresome amazing foods and herbswhich can help rejuvenate the heartas it beats on its endless journeythrough our life.

Lets start with garlic. Garlic has been used as medicine forthousands of years. Garlicimproves circulation, reduces cholesterol and blood pressure,boosts the immune system, suppresses cancer and has numerous other benefits for ourhealth and hearts. Garlic needs tobe crushed to properly release it' sactive ingredients. Most of usshake it powdered from a bottle toflavor our spaghetti sauce, which isgood, but there' s better. Garliccrushed and sauteed and added toomelets and sauces and stir-fryhelps to open up our circulationand increase oxygen to our hearts,but to get the best benefit from garlic it needs to be taken raw andin large amounts. Some peopledon' t have a problem chompingdown a large, raw garlic clove withevery meal. For those of us whodo, taking garlic extract in capsulescan be a good way to get thewhole benefit of this amazing herb.

Next we have beets, not exactly

what most of us eat daily for dinner.I grew up eating Aunt Helen' s pickled beets, pretending to hatethem but secretly liking them. Beetsare a true super food. They haveingredients that lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, andprotect our cells against stress. The blood pressure benefits comefrom molecules in beets that areprecursors to nitric oxide. Nitricoxide is made by our bodies; itrelaxes our arteries so that bloodflow increases to our organs andmuscles. An Increase of bloodmeans an increase of oxygenwhich strengthens the heart. Beetsare a good food to eat before exercising as increased oxygenleads to increased stamina. If youare one of those who really dislikesbeets, beet root powder is availablein capsules as well.

Another herb that opens circulation and increases oxygena-tion is cayenne pepper. Cayennepepper dilates blood vessels andspeeds up the metabolism due to its high amount of capsaicin.Capsaicin is what makes hot pep-pers hot. A 2009 article publishedby the American Heart Association(Circulation 2009; 120: S1-S9 )revealed how rubbing cayenne onthe skin during a heart attack couldserve as a cardiac-protectant, pre-venting or reducing damage to theheart while other interventions areadministered. Not only is Cayenne

great for peripheral circulation, it isalso a wonderful immune booster.Taking it in capsule form after ameal is an easy way to get a therapeutic amount of cayenne.

The king of all heart herbs ishawthorn. Hawthorn is a shrubrelated to the rose. It has beautifulpink blossoms in spring and nastythorns that keep you from pickingthem. Hawthorn is wonderfulbecause it covers so many heartneeds without any nasty sideeffects. A flavonoid contained inhawthorn has been shown to havea natural regulating effect on bloodpressure. Many animal studies that investigated the cholesterolreducing effects of hawthornshowed a significant decrease inblood cholesterol, including theLDL (bad cholesterol). One study reported that hawthorn supplementation caused a 23 per-cent reduction in total cholesterol,22 percent reduction in triglyceridesand also activated cholesterolclearance through bile (Life Sci.11/98). Hawthorn also strengthensthe muscles of the heart. It hasbeen extensively studied and wide-ly used in Europe for heart failure.Hawthorn can be taken alone or asan adjunct to prescription medicine.

With exercise, good diet, andtherapeutic foods and herbs thereis no reason why your heart can' tbeat silently and unnoticed formany long years to come.

2 HEALTH & WELLNESS | FEBRUARY 2016

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Nutrition and Diabetes Education

February is heart month,so it is a great time to tryto add any of these itemsto your grocery basket tohelp improve your hearthealth.

1. Salmon: This fish is high inomega three fatty acids. This fatcan help lower your triglycerides, atype of blood fat that can increaseyour risk for heart disease. Otheroptions are trout, sardines, tunaand mackerel. Try for two servingsa week. A serving is the size of adeck of cards.

2. Oatmeal: Old fashion or steelcut oats have a type of fiber thathelps lower your cholesterol. Try toavoid instant oatmeal as it mayhave added sugar and be low infiber. Other whole grains like wheatbread, wheat pasta and brown riceare also good for your heart.

3. Nuts: Studies show that certain nuts can lower cholesteroland your risk of heart disease.Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, andpeanuts are best. Aim for about aquarter cup a day of nuts. Avoideating nuts with added salt orsugar.

4. Olive oil: It has a healthy fatcalled “monounsaturated fat.”These fats can lower your levels ofbad cholesterol, which may reduceyour risk of heart disease andstroke.

5. Avocados: They contain

monounsaturated fat too, which isgood for our heart. They also arehigh in potassium, which may helpwith lowering your blood pressure.

6. Dark Chocolate: It contains“flavonoids”, which can helpdecrease the bad cholesterol fromsticking to your artery walls. It may also help with lowering bloodpressure and reducing blood clots.Look for dark chocolate with over70 percent cacao content. Eat oneounce 2 to 3 times a week. 7. Berries: Most berries contain

“polyphenol.” Polyphenols can helpget rid of damaging substancescalled “free radicals.” Berries alsocontain vitamin C and fiber, bothwhich can be helpful in reducingyour risk of a stroke.

Of course, eating just one of the above foods is not enough toimprove your heart health. It is

important to eat a variety of foodsincluding fresh fruit and vegetables,whole grains and lean protein.Other important habits for yourheart include daily physical activityand quitting tobacco. For moreinformation, please call a dietitianat Providence Hood River Hospitalat 541-387-6379 or 541-387-6133.

Healthy Active Hood River County(HAHRC) is our community healthyliving coalition. We promote well-ness through increased physicalactivity, healthy eating, tobacco use prevention, behavioral health, prevention of addictions and policyand environmental change. Join usat our next meeting on March 22,11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ProvidenceHood River Hospital Boardroom.

Stephanie Adams,

Yoga Alliance ERYT 500

Co-Creator, Jaya Yoga Teacher

Training/Yoga Alliance RYS

In the last several years there has been a lot of good research that supports how a consistent yoga practiceis beneficial for the heart, physically. From literally creating morespace for the heart to function better to cardiorespiratory benefitsfrom both the breath andincreased heart rate of avinyasa flow, we knowthere are numerous heart-healthy benefits.However, this article is going to focus on thebenefits of an emotionallyhealthy heart.

Yoga means union, connection,and community. Yoga means toconsciously choose an open andwhole heart through broadeningone' s perception to a view thatencompasses wisdom, compassionand understanding. I call this“open-hearted discernment.” Thechallenging part of this practice isto recognize when reactive or patterned judgment arises and tothen consciously choose to stretchyour heart open beyond your previous limits to a point of total

openness — to radical acceptanceand love of others, to continuallychoose a path to a heart thatexpands and does not constrict.

You might be asking yourself,“But what about boundaries andprotection from those who mayhave an intent to harm me?" This is where the discernment comes in.In my experience, most peoplewant to be good and do good. Of course, there are exceptions.When someone is truly comingfrom a place of harm, the yogicteachings recommend “disregardfor the wicked” to turn away andnot give them any attention or energy. Of course, if someone were trying to physically harm youor another, it would be entirelyappropriate to defend yourself, but this is more rare than common.

Fear creates violence. Courageis needed to live freely. Innercourage is necessary to broadenyour perspective and stretch openyour heart. How we treat ourselvesis how we treat others. The first step on this path is simplyawareness. Awareness helps usnotice how we can become morekind to ourselves and live a lifewhere we balance kindness towardourselves and kindness toward others. As we do this, we developcompassion that softens us. Webecome more tender, understand-ing, kind, peaceful and loving.

This all works pretty well until wecome up against challenges likesomeone who disagrees withsomething that we feel stronglyabout. What do we do then to stayopen-hearted?

Whether we agree or disagree,we can do so in loving kindness.Respectful, loving, and friendly discourse is where we can expandour viewpoints and learn from eachother. Threatening to "unfriend"someone who doesn' t agree withus is a bit like burying our heads inthe sand whenever someone

challenges our egoic beliefs. Its not comfortable, its not easy, butwhen we can stay grounded in loving kindness, even when some-thing we strongly believe in is beingchallenged, when we can softeninstead of harden, this is what creates an emotionally healthyheart. This is also what will changethe world. Fear, ignorance, andanger create hardness and violence (physical or mental). Love,peace, patience and truly listeningcreate softening, understanding,and compassion. When we agreeto disagree without losing respectand love — this is BIG! World-changing BIG!

If you want better communica-tion and more connection in yourlife, then avoid absolutes, general-izations, labels, and judgments.These are communication barriers;they detour our energies in a num-ber of ways:

1) They narrow our perspectives, and also our choices.As choices decrease, stressincreases.

2) They create defensivenessand disagreement with those whodon' t agree. As defensivenessincreases, so does stress.

3) They separate us from otherpeople. It’s challenging to cultivateintimacy or friendship when there isthis kind of distance.

4) Notice when you start to useabsolute terms. Practice replacingwith a statement that will keep thelines of communication open.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS | FEBRUARY 2016 3

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American Heart Association

In the United States,coronary heart disease,which includes heartattack, causes 1 of every 7 deaths. Butmany of those deathscan be prevented — by acting fast!

Each year, about 635,000 people in the US have a new heartattack and about 300,000 have arepeat attack.

Some heart attacks are suddenand intense. But most start slowly,with mild pain or discomfort. Hereare some of the signs that canmean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heartattacks involve discomfort in thecenter of the chest that lastsmore than a few minutes, or thatgoes away and comes back. It can

feel like uncomfortable pressure,squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in other areas ofthe upper body.Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, theback, neck, jaw or stomach.• Shortness of breath.

May occur with or without chestdiscomfort.• Other signs: These may

include breaking out in a coldsweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, women’s mostcommon heart attack symptom ischest pain or discomfort. Butwomen are more likely than men to have some of the other commonsymptoms, particularly shortness ofbreath, nausea/vomiting, and backor jaw pain.What should I do if I suspect a

heart attack?Even if you’re not sure it’s a heartattack, immediately call 9-1-1 oryour local emergency medical services(EMS) such as the firedepartment or ambulance. EMSstaff can begin treatment whenthey arrive — up to an hour sooner

than if someone gets to the hospital by car. Patients with chestpain who arrive by ambulanceusually receive faster treatment atthe hospital, too.

What else can I do?Before there’s an emergency, it’s a good idea to find out which hospitals in your area have 24-houremergency cardiac care. Also,keep a list of emergency phonenumbers next to your phone andwith you at all times, just in case.Take these steps NOW.

Why don’t people act fastenough?Many people having a heart attackwait more than twohours beforegetting help. Some people feel itwould be embarrassing to have a“false alarm.” Others are soafraid of having a heart attack thatthey tell themselves they aren’t

having one. These feelings areeasy to understand, but they’realso very dangerous. If you orsomeone close to you shows signsof a heart attack, call 9-1-1 and gethelp right away!How can I help to avoid a

heart attack?• Don’t smoke, and avoid

second-hand smoke.• Treat high blood pressure if

you have it.• Eat foods that are low in

saturated fat, trans fat, sodium (salt) and added sugars..

• Be physically active.• Reach and maintain a

healthy weight.• Control your blood sugar if

you have diabetes.• Get regular medical check-ups.• Take medicine as prescribed.

What are the signs of a heart attack

Rebecca Rawson, FNP, ProvidenceOrthopedics and Sports Medicine

February brings tomind chocolates, treats, messages of love andpassion and….hearts!

When we think of improving ourhealth, for ourselves and those welove, we think of February as theHeart month!

Protecting our heart is one ofthe single most important healthand lifestyle habits we can make.We are all born with a set of genesthat have an impact on our healthand can increase our risk for certain diseases. The good news is there are risk factors for heartdisease that we each have thepower to change:

Physical Activity. Moving asmuch as possible throughout theday is critical. Get up and walkaround every hour. If you canstand at your work station, all thebetter. Just 30 minutes of physical

activity five days a week can helpprevent heart disease. It can bebroken up into several sessionsthroughout the day. If you havebeen completely inactive, seekyour medical provider’s advice. If you are at known risk for heart disease, talk with your medicalprovider first.

Blood pressure. High bloodpressure puts a strain on the heartand the entire body. It is known asthe “silent killer” because there are often no symptoms. Just decreasing how much salt you eatcan reduce your blood pressure.Top salty foods include bread androlls, cold cuts or cured meat,pizza, soup, sandwiches, cheese,and snacks.

Cholesterol forms plaque in our blood vessels that can eventually be like a multi-car pileup on a freeway. This can limit theblood to get to the vital organs. Tolower cholesterol eat more highfiber foods like oatmeal, unsaltednuts and fruits and vegetables. Get your cholesterol, checked atyour medical provider’s office.

Diet. Most research points tothe DASH (Dietary Approaches toStop Hypertension) and theMediterranean diet as excellentstarting points. If nothing else, fillhalf your plate with vegetables.

Smoking. Years of researchlinks smoking with many diseases

as well as heart disease. After notsmoking for one year, a person’srisk of coronary artery disease iscut in half. There are smoking support lines such as 1-800-QUIT-NOW and your medical providercan talk about quiting.

Blood sugar. Increased bloodsugar leads to diabetes, which is a big risk factor for heart disease.Just cutting out one sugary sodatype drink a day cuts your risk of coronary heart disease by 20 percent.

Weight Loss. Increased weightis a major burden for the heart,lung, blood vessels and bones.Just a 10 pound weight loss cansignificantly lower blood pressure.Nutrition and diabetes educators atlocal hospitals can help develop asafe and reasonable plan.

The hard part is putting this intoaction! Here are some tips forchanging habits:

Be easy on yourself. Researchshows that it takes about twomonths for a new habit change tobecome a routine behavior.

Break habit change into smallgoals, like focusing on one newchange each week or each month.

Cut the time you are sedentaryin half. Time in front of screenssuch as TV, computer, and videogames is a risk for your heart. Youcan limit screen time or exercisewhile watching TV.

Ask a friend or family memberto join you on the heart healthjourney to be accountable to eachother.

Allow yourself a treat after eachweek of habit change, half a bar ofdark chocolate has been shown tobe heart healthy!

Excellent options include localclasses through Hood River County Community Educationand One Community Health wellness classes as well as at thelocal hospitals.

Websites include:www.mylifecheck.heart.orgwww.millionhearts.hhs.govwww.cdc.gov/salt/healthy_

amt/tips.htmwww.americanheart.orgwww.eatright.org

A healthy heart means ahealthy you. So consider Februaryas the time to kick start hearthappy habits for you, your familyand friends.

Healthy Active Hood RiverCounty (HAHRC) is our communityhealthy living coalition. We promotewellness through increased physical activity, healthy eating,tobacco use prevention, behavioralhealth, prevention of addictions andpolicy and environmental change.Join us at our next meeting onMarch 24, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. atProvidence Hood River HospitalEducation Center.

4 HEALTH & WELLNESS | FEBRUARY 2016

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