February is American Heart Month, which is why we are going to discuss it here today.
Twenty-two hundred deaths per day. .That’s the toll heart disease takes on American lives. That adds up to more than 800,000 deaths every year in American directly caused by heart attack and stroke. It is the leading cause of death in the United States.
Women and Heart Disease
While many people still consider heart disease to be primarily a man’s ailment, the public has recently been made aware of just how dangerous it is for women, as well. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in American women. In fact, 1/3 of all women die from heart disease, and about 42 million women live with it. After the age of 50, about half of all women’s death are resultant of cardiovascular disease.
Why is this? While there are many reasons, let’s examine a few of the most significant ones.
Risk Factors for heart disease include:
- Age
- Family history
- Menopause
- Pregnancy complications
- Obesity
- High fat, high-cholesterol diet
- Type 2 diabetes
- Smoking
- Increased c-reactive protein (CRP)
- Metabolic syndrome
- High blood pressure
- Use of birth control pills
Menopause
After a woman reaches menopause, her estrogen falls rapidly. Along with the many reproductive functions estrogen regulates, it also keeps white blood cells from sticking to the insides of blood vessels. Premenopausal women have higher levels of annexin-A1 on the surface of white blood cells than their post-menopausal counterparts, as well. Annexin-A1 is linked to lower levels of inflammation, another condition that correlates with heart disease.
Inflammation
As previously mentioned, annexin-A1 levels fall after menopause. This may lead to a lowered ability to manage inflammation and inflammatory conditions. Inflammation is present related to other conditions as well, such as autoimmune disorders and food sensitivities. According to the American Heart Association, inflammation is a natural immune response that can further narrow vessels around arterial plaque buildup, leading to heart attack and stroke. Doctors can measure inflammation levels by taking a blood test and examining C-reactive protein (CRP). Increased levels indicate inflammation.
Atherosclerosis
Another significant contributor to cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis, which is a hardening of the arteries. This occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the blood vessels, causing them to harden and narrow. As the condition worsens, blockages and ruptures can occur that lead to heart attack or stroke, as well as causing other symptoms.
Blood Lipids (Cholesterol and Triglycerides)
Cholesterol is found in animal products like beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and many others. Your body also produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol a day. You need this naturally produced cholesterol, because it maintains cell walls and structure and plays an important role in synthesizing many hormones. Foreign cholesterol (that is, dietary cholesterol from animal products), on the other hand, can stick to and line the walls of blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis. Note that plant foods do not contain cholesterol.
In America, the average cholesterol level is 210 mg/dL, although ideally your cholesterol should be below 150 mg/dL. Your total cholesterol is a combination of high-density lipoproteins (HDL – good cholesterol) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL – bad cholesterol). Total cholesterol is the most important of these numbers. When it falls, it’s true that HDL falls as well, but an overall low number shows you are protected from heart disease.
Maintaining a careful watch of your cholesterol is important, because if it is falling the plaque inside of your arteries is draining, leaving them healthier, more stable, and less likely to rupture. This is important because ruptured plaque in your arteries is the most common cause of heart attack.
Triglycerides are fats that circulate in your blood to provide it with energy. They are the end-product of digesting and breaking down fat. Then, they bundle together into fat globules for transportation throughout the body. Many things affect your triglyceride levels, including dietary fats and simple sugars (as are found in fruit juice and processed foods). Many experts believe triglyceride levels are a more likely marker for heart disease than cholesterol, multiplying the effects of high cholesterol. Eating unrefined whole grains such as millet and quinoa can lower triglyceride levels.
Homocysteine
This amino acid is found in the blood, and it gets there when you eat meat. High levels of homocysteine correlate with increased risk of heart disease, low levels of vitamin B12, and renal disease. Methionine, which also raises homocysteine levels, is found in red meat, poultry, and fish.
Mitigating the Risks
While you cannot mitigate every heart attack risk, such as age or menopause, you can make many dietary changes that contribute to better heart health.
- The single most important thing you can do to protect your heart is to cut out (or significantly reduce) your intake of animal products including dairy, meat, and poultry. These foods clog the body, leading to plaque buildup and elevated homocysteine levels.
- Add more green vegetables in your diet. Adding these vegetables is also an extremely important step in protecting your heart, because they contain folic acid, which can lower homocysteine levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Implement glowing green smoothies into your daily routine! This exponentially increases your intake of raw, leafy green vegetables and provides you with important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients associated with decreased risk of heart disease.
- Eat a plant-based diet. Plants don’t have cholesterol, which can help lower your overall levels.
- Eat garlic, which helps lower cholesterol, by incorporating it into your cooking.
- Oats contain high levels of soluble fiber, which may help lower cholesterol. Eat your oats in an unprocessed form such as oat groats or steel cut oatmeal. Processed and instant oatmeal may be high in sugar. Avoid oats processed in a factory that also processes wheat, or gluten cross-contamination may be a problem.
- Brightly colored vegetables such as red peppers and lemons contain high levels of vitamin C. This antioxidant vitamin can protect you against inflammation, and has been shown to lower cholesterol.
- Eat chia and flax seeds, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. This helps boost immunity, reducing triglycerides and inflammation. It can also help reduce blood pressure, prevent blood clots, protect your arteries from plaque buildup, and protect you against heart attack.
- Eat acai and other berries, which are high in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory, protective properties.
- Eat papaya. Not only is it delicious, but it is high in beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, and antioxidants.
- Drink red wine in moderation. It contains resveratrol (flavonoids), which have been shown to be helpful to heart health.
- Eat carrots, which are high in the antioxidant carotenoids, which have been shown to protect heart health.
Hi Kimberly!
This is such a great post! Heart Disease has been very much on my mind lately since my father was diagnosed with it last year and my boyfriend has high cholesterol and other issues that we have to be very careful about to protect him from the risks of heart disease. As usual, I love your blog posts and they provide insights that I carry with me each day.
I have tried contacting you via email the past few weeks but have not received any responses. Is there a way that I can contact that is not so public and that will reach you?
Thanks and thanks again for all the great advice!!!
Arianna
Hi Kim,
Your book is wonderful!! I lost alot of weight very quickly, and have so much more energy. My question is, I would love to try chia seeds. However, I am on blood pressure medicine, and I read that chia seeds can reduce your bp dangerously low, esp
Hi Kim,
Your book is wonderful! My question is, I would love to try chia seeds. However, I am on Blood Pressure medication, and read that chia seeds can reduce blood pressure dangerously low, especially if you are on bp meds. What are your thoughts on that? Btw, I have so much more energy, and have lost alot of weight since reading your book. I thank you for that!!
Rhonda
Hi Kim,
This is a question unrelated to pregnancy; just hoping you can help me. I have been following your diet for a year now. The first 6 months were incredible. Now, after I drink the GGS, I feel weighed down, bloated, gassy, irritable, and have been constipated a lot. (I went a week without going to the bathroom, even while drinking the GGS every morning.) I used to have the flattest stomach naturally. Now after I have the GGS, I feel like it’s stuck in there and not digesting for some reason, and at the same time, I’m still hungry after it. (I drink about 20 ounces worth a day). Maybe I’m putting too many greens in? Or should I maybe switch to a juice?
Thank you,
PK
(Sorry I accidentally included ‘pregnancy’ sentence from last post. not applicable here.)
I just sat down and really tried to go over everything including dates of when I started the program and the changes in my body….
I realized that things started to go downhill on the plan when I started taking birth control (Yaz). Have you heard of this happening before? Even though I was continuing on the eating plan (healthy eating 80% of time plus GGS every morning), I started to become depressed on bc with a lot of mood swings, weight gain, and digestive issues. April was when I started your eating plan. July was when I started BC. I remember things were great up until then. I’m at least hoping that’s the cause since I love the GGS and Beauty Detox Solution so much!! Hopefully I will get straightened out when I get off the bc next month…
Hi Kimberly,
Happy Valentine’s Day! Thanks for everything you’ve done for me!
I’d been having your green drink for a couple of years before I read TBDS a few months ago and it completely changed my life. Since I’d already been having green drinks every morning and have been a vegetarian , I started in the Radiant phase, but then I suspected candida and was having some major constipation issues so I jumped back to blossoming beauty. I’m missing my GGS and fruit and it’s been about two weeks. I was worried I wasn’t getting enough greens even though I have Darhma’s Kale Salad everyday for lunch and dinner so I added some spinach to your morning avocado oat groats recipe and it works really well, can’t even taste it!
So that’s where I am now, but have a few questions. I have hypothyroidism, so I am quite worried about soy (as I know I should be) I know there is soy in our Dr. Ohhira supplements even though it’s fermented, will that hurt me?
also, when eating at family and friend’s homes for dinner parties, how do I prepare/ explain why I’m not eating much of what’s served? any advice?
Also, worried about traveling and staying with family and friends at their homes, any advice would be wonderful!
Thanks again for everything you and your book have done for me!
Hi Kim I really hope u can help me as I don’t want to go to the dr n b put on medication… I’ve been on ur program about six weeks still in blossoming beauty but most times in morning when I eat I get terrible pains n makes me so sick I want to be sick n feel terrible it lasts hours sometimes all day even today just after my celery n I haven’t yet had my oats can u tell me what u think is going on not sure how much longer I can take it.. Thanks in advance Jess xx
You go girl!!
Love the article!! Very well written especially for health and wellness amateurs like me:)
Keep it coming,
Shweta
Hi Kim,
I saw you not to long ago on Good Day LA and watched you make the almond mild smoothie with the Chia Seeds. Since I daily have a Green and Glowing Smoothie I thought I should try this one too. I went right out to Whole Foods and bought all the ingredients but on TV when you put in the Hemp Protein in looks like it’s white but the only Hemp Protein I could find is a dark green? I’ve watched the segment many times over on line and it is definately white when you pour it in? Am I buying the wrong thing?
Please help
Thanks
Susie
Thanks for that great article. Yes, to many people don’t think about Heart Disease
until it is to late.
But chaning is not difficult you have to be motivated to do so.
Be the great work up
Hi Kim!
Another great post :)
I have 2 questions/comments
1) What brands for skin care/makeup/hair care do you recommend other than Sally B’s? I have used some Sally B products (and loved them!!) but I would like to have more shopping options for safe/organic cosmetics. I really value your opinion, and I would love to hear some other brands you suggest!
2) This was just a little idea for a blog post, but maybe you could put together a “Beauty Detox Shopping List.” Sometimes I get a little confused in the store, and I would love to see what your general shopping list looks like :)
Best regards,
Jackie
You’ve taught me that lemons are cleansing. But what about limes? And for that matter grapefruit? I’ve used lime juice in my green smoothie when I’m out of lemons and wondering if I am getting similar benefits from it? Also, with so much lemon juice, I get concerned about my teeth. What is your advise on that?
Thanks, in advance “)
Hi Kimberly,
I had a question about the young coconut vs. regular/white coconut: Is there a difference on which one you use and can you use both?
Thanks,
Tina
Hi Kim,
I would love to know more of what you think about lime/lemon.
I was having half a glass of hot water with lime every morning, and my teeth started getting very sensitive. I went to dentist and the dentist asked to stop right away. Not only because the teeth sensitivity, but the dentist also said that lime/lemon is extremely acid to be ingested everyday.
So I got very confused. The lime was really clearing up my skin, and I would love to be able to continue taking it.
Would be great to know what you think about it.
Thanks, Luciana
I read your book this week and am loving the results already! Correctly pairing the foods has been the most confusing for me though. e.g. for lunch today I prepared black eyed peas mixed with organic stewed tomatoes, fresh garlic, and a little crushed red pepper. Is this considered mixing fruit with a protein? Or vegetable with a starch?
Thanks Kim for sharing, I love getting mail about your blog it never fails! Carrots never knew that one thanks!
Hi Kimberly, I have been following your book for almost 4 months. I am very grateful I found it! Thank you :)
I started with blossoming beauty, then did radiant beauty with GGS for breakfast. I found that with re-introducing sweet fruit, my sugar cravings became very intense again. Do you think it sounds like I still have a candida issue? I’ve switched back to having greens & raw rolled oat cereal for breakfast. This does help with lowering my cravings, but sugar seems to be the only bad thing I can’t kick :( How long do you think I should stay on blossoming beauty? I’m very keen to get back to having GGS & am saving for vitamix! Also, I have high copper levels – any suggestions for lowering this? Thank you very much xx
Hi Kimberly!
Just wondering why I would feel bloated after eating cooked veggies like sweet potato? I don’t seem to get this with raw veggies though.
Thanks, Julia xx
Read also that almonds and oranges are good for heart!
Hi Kim!
I have a very important question (I feel is)… I hope you can help as I am feeling pretty nervous. I’ve been told I need my wisdom teeth taken out, I will only need local anathesia which means just novacaine because I don’t want to “fall asleep”, I don’t like feeling out of control and it’s just not a good feeling having drugs inside of me. Well I’m nervous about the afterwards part, where they would require or prescribe pain medication, I don’t want to take them… Again another thing I just don’t want in my body. Do you have any other suggestions that would help with the pain? I know you would understand, thanks girl!
Love, Shannon
Hi Kimberly,
Love the book! I had a question about the young coconut vs. regular/white coconut: Is there a difference on which one you use and can you use both?
Thanks,
Tina
Hi Kim,
I was wondering if you had any replacement ideas for eggs.
Sensitive Teeth
I am having same trouble as Luciana (posted on 2/17/12). My teeth got so sensitive that I could not even eat the saurkraut, which I really need because I have major candida issue that has been going on for 2 years. I have quit drinking the lemon water and I have had to reduce the saurkraut intake because it hurts to much to eat it. I also got a floride rinse from dentist to try to help my teeth. It was hurting to eat even crackers. I am going back to dentist in one month if I don’t see an improvement on teeth being sensitive. BUt I am scared to quit eating saurkraut because I am sure its helping with the candida issue. Frustrated.
Hi Kim!
With your emphasis on minerals and vitamins in whole foods, I was wondering what you thought of the product “Juice Plus”. It seems like it would have to be processed? Kind of like a multi-vitamin?
Kim,
If I freeze the GGS, how long will it last in the freezer?
Thanks.
-Stacy-
Great suggestions here Kim – – I have implemented almost all of these ideas in my lifestyle. I have a couple I need to add in. Abandoning the supplements and transitioning to foods to get my vitamins. I also can’t suggest enough the brand of Chia that I eat, it’s called Mila, chock full of 3000mg of Omega 3’s in one tiny scoop. Great stuff!
Great advice
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Aerobic exercise (also known as cardio) is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process.Aerobic exercise and fitness can be contrasted with anaerobic exercise, of which strength training and short-distance running are the most salient examples. The two types of exercise differ by the duration and intensity of muscular contractions involved, as well as by how energy is generated within the muscle.’
Oats and peanut butter have amino acids that the herpes virus cannot break down… so if you are one of the unfortunates who has herpes… you can lessen out breaks or possibly prevent them. I experimented with this and found it to be true.
I already had high amounts of the amino acid in my system from eating that everyday for years thinking it was the best thing … Not in my case. I am back on anti- rejection drugs as I was going into rejection. I have herpes in my eye.
The cold sore appeared on my upper lip after an few months off oatmeal/peanut butter.
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