As you know February is Heart month and it is very important to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels within normal range to help keep your heart healthy. There are some simple and effective steps you can start taking right now to ensure a healthy heart!!

• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL has been shown to decrease blood pressure in hypertensive individuals and decrease total and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) in individuals with elevated cholesterol levels. It also has the added benefit of normalizing blood glucose levels in diabetics.

• Increase your consumption of high quality organic wild FATTY FISH such as salmon, mackerel, sardines which decreases the risk of heart attack and cholesterol levels.

• Fresh raw GARLIC and aged garlic extracts decrease bad cholesterol, lower blood pressure and decrease platelet sticking together that harden and cause atherosclerotic plaques leading to high blood pressure and increased heart attack risk.

• GET MOVING – regular exercise has been proven time and again to help decrease blood pressure, assist in weight loss and benefit the heart.

STOP:

• Smoking which contributes to the build-up of plaque in the arteries, increases the risk of blood clots, reduces oxygen in the blood, increases your blood pressure and makes your heart work harder.

• Eating fried and processed foods which are high in saturated and trans fats both of which increase the risk of heart disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia affecting memory, thinking and behaviors that progresses over time. Unlike age-related memory decline, Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging and early diagnosis can sometimes be missed as it is mistaken for that normal forgetfulness we all get. Some of the early signs of Alzheimer’s include getting lost on familiar routes, difficulty performing tasks that take some thought but used to come easily (balancing a checkbook, playing a complex game), having problems remembering the name of familiar objects, and misplacing items. As the disease becomes more progressive one might start noticing the more characteristic signs such as forgetting events in your own life history, difficulty reading and writing, forgetting details about current events, doing everyday basic activities such as preparing meals and choosing proper clothing etc.

Some of the risk factors associated with this disease include aging, a family history with Alzheimer’s, having certain genes, being female, having high blood pressure of a prolonged period of time and a history of head trauma. As there is yet no cure for this disease the medications developed are primarily to slow down the progression and manage the symptoms.

So what are some natural measures that can be taken to decrease your risk:

• Keep your blood pressure in a healthy range

• Stay mentally active throughout your life – take up a new hobby, try some crosswords, scrabble, or soduko!

• Make sure your diet contains cold-water fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. These include wild salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies. Fish not a big part of your diet, then try supplementing with a high quality fish oil.

o One study showed that low DHA (fish oil component) in the blood represented a statistically significant risk for the development of Alzheimer’s in a subsequent 10yr period.

• Increase your intake of antioxidants, by eating lots of colourful fruits and vegetables. Try to eat something blue/purple, red, green, yellow and orange everyday.

• Decrease the amount of vegetable oils in the diet (omega-6s and they compete with your omega-3s for absorption), and don’t overdo it with the saturated fats.

• Get your vitamin B12 levels checked to make sure they are in the proper range because a deficiency has been shown to lead to neurological deficits and damage.

• While there is still some controversy on the relationship between aluminum and Alzheimer’s, we all know that aluminum in the body is not a good thing. Magnesium supplementation can lower aluminum levels by blocking the absorption.

These are just a few tips, for further information please consult Dr. Joanne, ND

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