myFM: Steps to a healthier Heart Health Month

by Lianne Phillipson February 22, 2023

The focus on your heart doesn’t need to only happen during February, but every day of every year. From the silent killer of high blood pressure to the confusing high versus low cholesterol, perhaps Heart Health month this year can break down more of where you need to focus. Twenty-five percent of the world's population has high blood pressure, which can be seriously helped by improving your diet and lifestyle.

Inflammation is at the root of heart disease.
Having belly fat increases your blood pressure.
Poor sleep; snoring, waking, and those with sleep apnea are more likely to have high blood pressure.
High blood sugar, insulin resistance, and pre-diabetes are pro-inflammatory to the body.
Highly processed foods - bag, box, or barcode foods, low fiber foods mess up your microbiome and gut bugs and alter digestion. That vitamin D pill that you took this morning isn’t going to help your heart and have its anti-inflammatory effects.
Using processed oils like vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil are all pro-inflammatory. Ditch them.

How to get a handle on all this?

Look at your diet by writing a food diary. How much fiber, greens, and whole foods versus drinks laden with sweetness - apple versus apple juice even?
Add in any greens possible. Fresh or frozen, it doesn’t matter. Broccoli is my top choice, but you can have more spinach, baby kale, or green beans.
Use extra virgin olive oil for dressings, coconut oil, or butter for your frying pan, and ditch all the others.
Include magnesium-rich dark chocolate and take Magnesium Bis-Glycinate daily.
Include more fish - think tuna melt or Salmon Burger from my book Sprout Right Family Food, and take Omega Boost.
Focus on sleep - listen to episode 150 for help there.
Balance blood sugar levels by including protein at each meal, eat your veggies first, and consider a glucose monitor to see where you are at and how foods affect your levels. Test your A1C and ask for an insulin resistance test if you have any belly fat.