Touchstone Naturopathic-Healthy Heart

: Healthy Heart Month!

Statistics show that heart disease is still the primary cause of chronic disease and death for Canadians. The use of medications to control high blood pressure and cholesterol is rising. The need for surgical procedures, like coronary bypasses and angioplasty, isn�t slowing down either.

This is a clear indication that Canadians have not won the battle against heart disease. It might be managed better and many lives have been saved by high-tech procedures and medicines. Canadians need better direction in 2005 for preventing heart disease. It�s especially important when people understand heart disease is correlated with Type 2 diabetes, a condition that is reaching epidemic rates in young as well as older adults.

There is a wealth of information about treating heart disease available during this particular month of the year. MD�s as well as holistic practitioners preach about the benefits of healthier diets and exercise. It�s time to check closer to your individual needs, so please read on. Then call for your personalized assessment and treatment recommendations.

Let Food Be Your Medicine Hail Garlic (Fresh as well as Aged Garlic Extracts)!!

It�s time to be open-minded about using more garlic in your diet. Fresh, raw/cooked garlic as well as Aged Garlic Extracts has many healthy-heart promoting properties:

�         Lowers total and LDL (�the bad�) cholesterol

�         Reduces blood pressure

�         Inhibits fibrinogen and platelet aggregation (platelets sticking together cause atherosclerotic plaques that harden arteries and raise blood pressure, plus can be a pre-cursor to strokes)

Other heart-healthy herbs and foods include:

�         Ginger � also blocks platelet aggregation, lowers cholesterol and improves the heart muscle (use fresh ginger for this last enhancement)

�         Onion � lowers blood sugar levels, which if elevated can be associated diabetes (a condition related to heart disease)

�         Omega-3 fish oils � reduce cholesterol and lower heart attack risk, especially for women

�         Soy foods � tofu, soy milks and cheeses

�         High fiber foods, such as oat bran, apples (pectin), legumes (chickpeas, lentils), nuts (walnuts, almonds)

Herbed Garlic Chicken (from Eating Alive, by Jonn Matsen, ND)

�         4 pieces of chicken

�         3-4 Tbsp. wheat free tamari soy sauce

�         4 large or 6-8 small garlic cloves

�         lots of dried parsley and paprika

�         � tsp each of basil and thyme; a pinch of sea salt.

Place the washed chicken in a Pyrex dish, with � to 1/3 inch of water in the bottom. Pour the tamari over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle each piece generously with crushed, dried parsley. Add paprika, basil and thyme (save some for the end). Crush the garlic and place in the liquid around the chicken. Bake at 350�F for 30-40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes until crispy and done.

: Knowing if you are at risk = ability to prevent heart disease

Enjoying good health and knowing that your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are in the average range can suggest that you have a lower risk of heart disease. Do you understand the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that they differ through the day? What is HDL vs. LDL vs. Total cholesterol? Do you have a family history of heart disease? Take control of heart disease before it controls you! Consider the following steps:

�         Ask your family doctor for a stress EKG to determine how fit you are, and how well your heart handles extra work

�         Homocysteine: a (relatively) new marker for atherosclerosis, thrombosis or ischaemic heart disease, giving a better risk assessment than cholesterol levels in health individuals

�         C-Reactive Protein, Fibrinogen: protein markers of inflammatory reactions that cause acute cardiovascular events, predicting future risk of coronary artery disease in healthy people

�         Heart Rate Variability: low variability between heart beats has been shown in research to be an indicator for chronic diseases (including heart disease), aging and early mortality

�         Genomic testing: salivary tests showing markers that indicate your predisposition to diseases

Complete assessment of your risk of heart disease involves tests that may not have been ordered for you. It is wise to educate yourself and request these tests if you think they are appropriate. All tests are available at Touchstone Naturopathic Centre.

Top Herbal Medicines for Healthy Hearts (besides Garlic)

�         Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Valerian, Capsicum, Bilberry, Ginkgo and Milk Thistle

�         Nattokinase: an enzyme extracted from a mushroom called natto that stimulates the dissolution of blood clots or thrombi (a natural process called fibrinolysis)

Do not use herbal medicines or nutritional supplements for treating cardiovascular conditions without the advice of a trained, regulated health practitioner. If you are using prescription medications, there can be harmful interactions with many natural medicines.

Acupuncture � You Don�t Know What You�re Missing

Many patients find they are overwhelmed with prescription medicines and supplements or herbs. If you feel the same way and would like to avoid another pill, consider the following evidence:

�         87 hypertensive patients that had other diseases all experienced reductions in systolic blood pressure after their acupuncture regimens. J Trad Chin Med 2003 Mar; 23(1):49-50

�         110 hypertensive disease (HD) patients (Stage I to III) receiving acupuncture therapy, where the study showed �efficiency, expediency and pathogenic value � in the treatment of HD�. Lik Sprava 2000 Jan-Feb; (1):95-7.

�         50 untreated patients with essential hypertension. After 30 min. of acupuncture, Systolic BP dropped from 169 to 151, diastolic BP from 107 to 96, and heart rate from 77 to 72. Blood renin (controlling water retention) also decreased. Clin Exp Hypertens 1997 Oct;19(7):1047-63.

These studies show that an integrated (multi treatment) approach to treating high blood pressure is effective.

Three practitioners at Touchstone are trained in acupuncture. Call for more details.

Let Food Be Your Medicine Hail Garlic (Fresh as well as Aged Garlic Extracts)!!

Knowing if you are at risk = ability to prevent heart disease

Acupuncture � You Don�t Know What You�re Missing