Blood Pumping Calms the Nerves and Heals Hearts

Erica Smith, M.S., B.S., B.S.N., RN, HFS

Heart healthy, what does it mean?  When you reference your heart are you talking about the actual beating organ inside your chest?  Or that place in the center of your chest where all of your emotions seem to let themselves loose?

This month I’m talking not just about your physical beating heart and its health, but the one where all those crazy emotions reside as well.   You know exercise is good for preventing different heart disease and conditions, right?  Such as preventing hypertension and reducing your blood pressure, preventing and reducing coronary artery disease, it reduces the amount of LDL (or lethal cholesterol) in your blood, and various other effects to reduce your chances of having a heart attack or developing congestive heart failure (Myers, 2003).  Did you know that exercising is also good for your emotional heart?

The CDC states that approximately 1 in 10 adult’s report depression.  That means 10% of our population. There are varying degrees and types of depression, but this is still a large sum of the U.S. population. According to the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) 18.1% of all U.S. adults are diagnosed with some form of anxiety. Anxiety and depression can cause major issues in a person’s quality of life and day to day living.  Even if you are not classified under one of these categories, chances are you experience high stress living in a society that must constantly be going, but not necessarily exercising.

Quite a few theories out there have tried to tell you why exercise works.  The most popular theory is the endorphin theory.  I’m here to tell you, sadly, those endorphins cannot go across the blood brain barrier so that theory is false.  However, the proof is inevitable; if you exercise it helps your mood.  For me?  It has a lot to do with the way my body feels so free and light afterwards and how my brain processes so much during that time.  At the end of a work out whether it be 5 minutes or 2 hours, my body feels like its accomplished something and my brain has processed a great deal.  For others, they benefit from the time they had to completely zone out and think about nothing.  In the end though, studies show that exercise not only helps your mood, but also your energy levels.

The benefits of exercise are endless to both your physical and emotional heart.  So what form of exercise makes you feel the best emotionally afterwards?  A long run?  Dancing?  An intense house cleaning?  Yard work?  Power walking through the mall?

For me it’s a nice intense match of tennis or a long interval run.  Afterwards my head is clearer, my muscles are more relaxed, and I often have a new outlook on life.

Get your blood pumping for your heart health!

The Best Low-Carb or Controlled-Carb Diet

By Jason Boehm, MS, CNS, MMC

Whether you do Atkins, South Beach or Protein Power, low-carb diets focus on a few basic principles. Most require you to limit carbs to around 20 or 30 g a day during the weight-loss phase, then slowly reintroduce carbohydrates until your weight loss stabilizes. These diets also encourage quality protein and fats, plenty of fiber and optimal levels of vitamins and minerals. Based on these principles, you can custom design a low-carb diet.

Protein

Focus every low-carb meal and snack on high-quality protein. A 2008 study in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” showed protein keeps you satiated and lean, and helps you burn more calories. Protein signals a hormone called cholecystokinin, or CCK, that lets your brain know it’s full. You don’t need to weigh or measure protein on a low-carb diet. Simply eat until you’re satisfied, but not stuffed.

Whole, unprocessed foods, which are the mainstay of a low-carb diet, offer abundant protein. Three large eggs, for instance, contain 21 g. Lean meats likewise provide protein to keep you satiated throughout the day. You might find protein-based meals so filling that you don’t need to snack. But if you do, nuts and unsweetened yogurt make excellent protein-rich choices.

Good Fats

Dietary fat comes in three types: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Without fat, you won’t absorb important nutrients like vitamins D and E.

Low-carb staples like chicken and almonds contain high amounts of monounsaturated fat. A 2001 study in the journal “Diabetologia” concluded consuming more monounsaturated fat improves insulin sensitivity, which helps you lose weight and prevents type 2 diabetes.

Wild-caught salmon and other fish offer abundant omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat that reduces your risk of everything from heart disease to diabetes. Eggs, another low-carb mainstay, contain a perfect balance of all three fats. Always eat the yolk.

You don’t need to count fat grams on a low-carb diet, and the only type you should avoid is trans fat, often found in margarine, baked goods and processed foods.

Fiber

Aim for 35 g of fiber in a low-carb diet. Among its many benefits, fiber keeps you full longer and reduces post-meal insulin response so you store less fat.

Your fiber quota adds up quickly with the right low-carb foods. Two cups of spinach, for instance, provides 9 g. Add a cup of broccoli for another 5 g. One ounce of almonds provides 4 g. For dessert, a cup of raspberries gives you 8 g.

Flaxseed also boosts your fiber count. Mix 2 tbsp. into your protein shake or cottage cheese. In addition to 4 g of fiber, you get omega-3s and 3 g of protein.

Optimal Nutrients

Low-carb foods provide abundant nutrients, but no diet is perfect. Think of a good multivitamin-mineral as your insurance policy: it covers the gaps you might not get in your food.

A 2010 study in the “Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition” concluded that six nutrients, including vitamins D and E and the mineral chromium, proved consistently low in four popular diet plans, including Atkins and South Beach.

A multi ensures you have optimal levels of these and other important nutrients. Find one that offers 400 IU of vitamin D, 50 IU of vitamin E and 400 mcg of chromium. Also make sure you get at least 400 mg of magnesium. Potassium can help relieve the cramping you might encounter when you begin a low-carb diet.

References

• “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”; Protein, Weight Management, and Satiety; D. Paddon-Jones et al.; May 2008
• “Diabetologia”; Substituting Dietary Saturated for Monounsaturated Fat Impairs Insulin Sensitivity in Healthy Men and Women: The KANWU Study; B. Vessby et al.; March 2001
• “Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition”; Prevalence of Micronutrient Deficiency in Popular Diet Plans; Jayson B. Calton; June 2010

 This article was originally published at http://www.livestrong.com

Heartfelt

By Susan Miccile, Rph CEC

The heart by one definition is a hollow, four chamber, pump like organ located between the lungs.  Its rhythmic contractions move blood throughout the body.  The heart provides all vital organs with blood needed for our body to thrive.  Heart health is the key to our overall physical wellness. If the action of the heart is not in balance, our bodies are not balanced and we become ill. 

Akshobyavajra Mandala

Another definition of the heart is that is a central source of emotion, intuition and feeling.   Heart health is also the key to our emotional wellness.   As I sat down to write about the heart, I came across a picture of the Akshobyavajra mandala.  The four quadrants of this mandala represent the four elements of unity.  Each quadrant is represented by a color:  red presents all-knowing compassion; green represents action through informed wisdom; white is penetrating light and yellow is the treasure of equanimity.  This is a mandala of balance and healing.  I envision this as the heart of our emotional, intuitive feelings.  Emotional wellness is achieved through compassion, wisdom, light and calm stability.  When we move from our thinking mind of intellect and connect the heart of feeling, a gentle balance of peace can be found.

How do we move from our thinking mind to our hearts?  Focused energy on our breath, quiets the busy mind.  Deep, slow breaths in through the nose, expanding the stomach and out through our mouth is the easiest way to begin.  As you breathe, your mind gets quieter and you can hear your heart.  You can feel your heart.  Heartfelt feeling.