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As the number one threat to women's health, cardiovascular disease is not just a man's disease. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths, reports the CDC. Although more men die of heart disease than women, females tend to be under diagnosed, often to the point that it's too late to help them once the condition is discovered. By integrating acupuncture and Chinese medicine into your heart healthy lifestyle, you can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as eighty percent.

Steps to prevention include managing high blood pressure and cholesterol, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, eating healthy, emotional balance, physical activity and improved sleep - all of which can be helped with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

When we talk specifically about eating healthy, there are certain foods that help keep the heart healthy. Let’s cover a few of them:

Heart Healthy Foods

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables such as kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage are a gold mine of antioxidants and other heart-saving phytochemicals.

Fish

Fatty fish such as salmon and anchovies are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that will help your heart maintain a steady rhythm. Having even one fish serving a week could reduce your risk of death from a heart attack by fifty two percent.

Flaxseed

Flaxseed is one of the most potent sources of heart health-promoting omega-3 fats. Studies indicate that adding flaxseed to your diet can reduce the development of heart disease by forty six percent while helping keep red blood cells from clumping together and forming clots that can block arteries. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. of flaxseed a day on your cereal or salad.

Fruit

Oranges contain folic acid that helps lower levels of homocysteine, a heart attack risk factor. Grapes are loaded with flavonoids and resveratrol, both potent antioxidants that may discourage red blood cells from clumping together and forming an artery-blocking clot. Pomegranate juice is chock-full of potassium and polyphenols, which promote heart health and have been shown to help lower cholesterol.

Garlic

Just one clove a day, or 300 mg three times daily, reduces the risk of heart attack at least three ways: It discourages red blood cells from sticking together and blocking your arteries, it reduces arterial damage, and it discourages cholesterol from lining the arteries and making them so narrow that blockages are likely.

Green Tea

Green tea contains several powerful antioxidants that reduce bad cholesterol and boost good cholesterol, improving an individual’s overall cholesterol levels. Drinking green tea also seems to enhance cardiovascular health by improving the consistency of platelets in the blood and may even lower blood pressure.

Nuts

Studies have found that those who eat more than 5 oz of nuts a week are one-third less likely to have either heart disease or a heart attack. Just don't overdo it as nuts can pile on the pounds.

Red Wine

Scientific studies overwhelmingly show that a daily glass of wine can reduce your risk of a heart attack. Both plant compounds called saponins and antioxidants in the 'fruit of the vine' work to protect arteries. Researchers have found that red is much more effective than white for improving heart health.

Acupuncture for Cardiovascular Disease

Acupuncture has been found to be particularly helpful in lowering blood pressure. By applying acupuncture needles at specific sites along the wrist, inside the forearm or in the leg, researchers have been able to stimulate the release of opioids, which decreases the heart's activity and its need for oxygen. This, in turn, lowers blood pressure.

If you are interested in incorporating acupuncture and Chinese medicine into your heart-healthy lifestyle, contact Earley Wellness today. We would love to help you work on a plan to a healthier heart