Many post-menopausal women worry about weight gain, sagging skin, and breast cancer as they age.

However, it’s heart disease, which can include heart attack and stroke that are the biggest killers. Our protective hormone, estrogen declines greatly after menopause. And with that decline, our cardiovascular health risk grows significantly.

February is heart health month, so we’re sharing a few tips and tactics we take to protect our hearts and minimize our cardiac risk.  We hope they help you stay strong and healthy for the decades ahead! Always be sure a consult your personal physician before adding any supplements to be sure they are appropriate for you.

What’s a woman to do?

  1. Educate yourself to lower your risk
  2. Make sure you get regular check ups and lab work.
  3. Improve your health with a consistently healthy diet and lifestyle

THE GOOD NEWS:
You have a lot of control over this menacing health issue because your consistent lifestyle choices play a huge role in prevention. While nothing takes the place of a nutrient dense, healthy diet and regular exercise, there are many very effective supplements that can support your heart health.

Danna has a high genetic risk on top of being post menopausal for over twenty years. She has improved her blood lipid numbers and her coronary calcium score signifcantly with most of the supplements shared in this post.

 

 

Here are the links to the exact (practitioner grade) supplements we take:

Omega 3 Fish Oil 
Increasing omega 3 intake and working to decrease omega 6 intake is a great preventative strategy for heart disease. Omega 3 fats improve calcium metabolism to prevent the deposition of calcium in the arterial lining.  The EPA and DHA in fish oil can help improve cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood pressure values.  There are also many other benefits to maintaining an optimal Omega 3 level to include brain health and improved skin.

Vitamin D3/K2
Many women are deficient in Vitamin D which is associated with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic disease. It helps regulate calcium distribution throughout the body, especially when combined with Vitamin K. It also has beneficial effects over inflammation and blood sugar control, which are both critical for heart health. In addition, it greatly improves immunity for both viruses and cancer. Be careful! Not all Vitamin D products are effective. You must have the right type (D3) in combination with K2 for proper absorption.

Glutathione.
Glutathione is the most important antioxidant in the human body. It has powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detoxification effects. It also helps regulate all other antioxidants in the body, such as Vitamins C and E. It can be helpful to supplement with glutathione to bring down inflammation in the body quickly.  Oral glutathione is not well  to absorbed unless it is delivered via liposomes. This is why we have chosen this specific brand of Glutathione.

Magnesium Glycinate
Increasing your intake of magnesium-rich foods and supplementing with magnesium on a daily basis can help reduce your risk of heart disease.  It plays a key role in calcium metabolism, helping to make sure calcium doesn’t end up in your arteries.

Curcumin
Curcumin is one of the most studied anti-inflammatory compounds isolated from the Indian spice, turmeric. It is one of the most studied spices and has significant therapeutic value for many different types of diseases. This is likely due in part to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

CoQ10
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble antioxidant. It naturally occurs in the human body and helps to optimize mitochondrial function. The benefits include lowering inflammation, improving cholesterol ratios, and lowering blood pressure. Scientific evidence suggests that our ability to make this crucial antioxidant diminishes as we age and therefore we lose its protective benefits.

NUTRICUETICALS
For those who prefer to take a more natural approach, the two supplements below offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals.

Red Yeast Rice with CoQ10
Danna takes this to lower her LDL cholesterol as she opts not to take statins on the recommendation of her naturopathic doctor. It is very important to take a product with CoQ10 as red yeast rice depletes this important nutrient that supports heart health.

HTN 180
Danna also takes this natural supplement to manage her occasional elevated blood pressure. It has been very effective for her and many of our coaching clients.

HTN may promote healthy coronary blood flow and reinforces healthy blood vessel integrity. Helps to support immune function.
-Cardiovascular Support
-Preserves Healthy Blood Pressure
-Healthy Parasympathetic Activity
-Optimal Vascular Tone
-Blood Vessel Relaxation Support

HEART HEALTH STATS

According to the CDC, about half of Americans with heart disease have at least one of the following three risk factors:

  • High blood pressure
  • High LDL cholesterol
  • Smoking

Other causes of heart disease in women include:

  • Diabetes
  • Menopause, due to low levels of estrogen
  • Family history of heart conditions

Some other causes of heart disease in women include:

  • Emotional stress, depression and anxiety
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Obesity
  • Systemic inflammation
  • High stress
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Poor diet, high in unhealthy fats and processed foods
  • High alcohol consumption

COMMON SYMPTOMS FOR HEART ATTACK IN WOMEN

  • Chest pain, pressure and tightness
  • Pain or tightness that radiates from chest to neck, arms, shoulders or the jaw
  • Weak pulse
  • Feeling of heaviness, like someone is squeezing your heart
  • Feeling lightheaded
  • Heartburn or indigestion
  • Dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sweating
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Clammy skin
  • Dusky skin tone