Love Yourself! Heart Yourself!

In order to give to and be present for others you have to Heart/Love yourself first!!  I know it is easier said than done.

We as humans are not good at self appreciation which is why we often put self care/love on the back burner. We have also perfected the art of negative self talk.  My hand is up and I am trying to do better everyday. I take a minute to soak up all the goodness without always quickly jumping to the next moment.

I am also in the business of helping others and I have learned over the years that in order to be an exceptional wife and Doctor I have to be on my A game. That means that I have to take care of myself.

I bring this up because February is the month that we typically focus on the heart.  Heart Disease is still the number one killer of Humans. It seems like maybe we are not loving ourselves enough, Right?

We can change that statistic if we begin to listen to the signals and clues and start with some self love/care.

Heart issues are usually secondary to other primary problems.  The body has a fascinating way of  trying to tell us in no uncertain terms that we need to pay attention.  The body will do what it can to make sure that the Heart and Brain are functioning right up until then they don’t.  Read that again !! Does that make sense??

6 THINGS THAT COULD BE AFFECTING YOUR HEART

STRESS

Stress can be great!!! in the short term, however we all know that over time it can have devastating effects… Here’s how stress affects the Heart.

1. Stress shuts down Stomach acid production.  That means that we do not digest and absorb the food we eat. That means that the Heart does not get the nutrients it needs to function.
2. Stress over time also causes Blood Pressure changes.  Most often High Blood Pressure is not a heart problem primary.  It is secondary to long-term stress, mineral depletion, kidney stress or chronic inflammation.

A LOW FAT DIET

We all know that this type of diet is not good for us, however it is still prescribed…!!!

Good Fats are a must to tamper down inflammation which in turn helps support heart function.  Good fats also help stabilize blood sugar spikes and dips which helps support metabolic stress and lowers Cholesterol.  Yep High Cholesterol is not about eating Good for you Fats, like Avocado, Olive, Coconut, Nuts and Seeds.  High Cholesterol is due to inflammation in the body.  Cholesterol gets a bad rap however it is there to patch up the holes in the vascular system due to inflammation.

LIVER/GALLBLADDER

The Liver is one of your primary organs of Detoxification.  If it is not doing a good job then the body struggles to remove harmful by products.  This has a big effect on the Heart. A visual sign that the Liver/ Gallbladder is not working as it should is Varicose Veins. Another sign is Hemorrhoids.  The Vein that runs between the Liver and the Gallbladder is called the Hepatic Portal Vein. When there is dysfunction or stress then the HPV will not work as it should and in some people it will show up farther down the vascular system.

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCES

The heart is a primarily a muscle and it requires B Vitamins and Magnesium for function. Along with Zinc and Calcium, Magnesium is one of the top three nutritional deficiencies in the USA Today. Magnesium also has over 300 enzymatic functions in the body, so it is important that we have adequate intake.

B Vitamins are mostly found in animal products. So if you choose to have a mostly or totally plant based diet it makes good nutritional sense to supplement with a Methylated B Vitamin like Super B Zyme from Apex. It is one of my favorites and safe for pregnant or soon to be pregnant parents.

OXYGEN

The heart needs fresh blood and oxygen in order to be healthy. So exercise is super good for the heart.  A work out that gets your heart rate up for a period of time (20 Minutes every day is very beneficial). I am talking about a fast walk or Zone 2 training.

I also like the idea of deep breathing and getting out in Nature. Big Deep Breaths not only help the heart but they help us manage stress.  Vitamin E along with other antioxidants like Glutathione, Vitamin C etc also helps support oxygenation to the blood vessels.

If you suffer from anemia due to low iron levels it can also have an impact on Oxygenation as iron is the center of the Heme molecule.  Ladies if you have heavy periods, please take a safe iron supplement to replace the blood loss and help improve the fatigue and air hunger during your period.

MINDSET/CHAKRA

We started the post talking about LOVE so I want to close with LOVE. How we talk to ourselves has a big impact on our health, so Heart Yourself! 🥰.

The main meanings or functions of the heart chakra are:

Love for oneself and others
Relating, relationships
Compassion, empathy
Forgiveness, acceptance
Transformation, change
Ability to grieve and reach peace
Compassionate discernment
Center of awareness, integration of insights

When the heart chakra is open, you may feel being deeply connected, the harmonious exchange of energy with all that is around you, and the appreciation of beauty. However, when there’s a blockage in the heart chakra, you may experience difficulties in your relating with others, such as excessive jealousy, codependency, or being closed down, withdrawn.

THE MANTRA OF THE HEART IS PEACE

Tapping on your heart while saying the word peace is very helpful if you are feeling anxious or your heart feels like it is racing. 

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Have a healthy and loving week.

Dr Pia