Supporting Heart Health

February has been designated as American Heart Month and there are many resources available to guide us on ways to support our heart health.  But, when you think about it, we should be doing whatever we can to keep our heart healthy EVERY month, not just in February!

We know heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, for both men and women, so leading a “Heart Healthy” lifestyle is of great importance. But what exactly does that mean? We certainly don’t want any more complications or challenging routines in our lives today! 

Here are a few simple ways to modify or adjust what you are doing to support your heart health.

The National Institutes of Health provides great information on Heart Healthy Living that will outline some basics for you, including heart-healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight, stop smoking, regular physical activity, manage stress, and get good quality sleep.  Not anything that we all don’t already know, but just some reminders.

Heart Healthy Foods

Many of you may have heard of the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Your health care provider may recommend the DASH Diet because it has been shown to lower blood pressure and the bad LDL cholesterol. The DASH Diet doesn’t require you to eat “special” foods, but outlines food groups to choose from, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish and poultry. It also suggests the foods to avoid, like high saturated fat foods (red meat and full fat dairy) and sweets or sugar sweetened drinks.

Getting 4-5 servings of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables daily, which is recommended with the DASH Diet can seem overwhelming for those of us who are not used to that. An easy way to increase those fruit and vegetable servings is with a smoothie! It is easy to get 2-3 servings of those fresh (or frozen) nutrient dense foods all blended into an easy and tasty beverage.

Heart Healthy Supplements

You might also consider the following supplements to include in your “Heart Healthy” routine.

Cellular Cardio

This unique product provides vascular health support with clinically studied ViNitrox™ Grape & Apple polyphenols that support the production of nitric oxide, an important signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system.

Gut Connection StressBalance

This amazing 3-in-1 formula improves mental calmness and diminishes occasional tension as well as improves gut microbiome health and supports the immune system.  Incorporating the whole food fermentate Epicor® along with Suntheanine® L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine and Sensoril® Ashwagandha that has been shown to equip the body to deal with stress, this product is a great option for gut health as equipping your body to deal with stress.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Needed in every cell for basic cell function it is important for heart function.  CoQ10 may be depleted with age and with certain prescription medications, so to support that heart, a quality CoQ10 supplement should be considered.  The Country Life Vegan CoQ10 is an excellent option.

Support your Heart Health EVERY month and Power Your Greatness with amazing Country Life Vitamins!