The Best Holiday Gift – A Healthy Heart

No matter your age or gender, the way you live affects your risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.

In North America alone, over 1 million people die of heart disease every year, making this the leading cause of death for both men and men.

Poor lifestyle choices put people at higher risk for heart disease. These include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Poor diet (fatty, fried, sugary and over-processed inflammatory foods with a distorted omega-6 : omega-3 ratio)
• Diabetes
• Lack of exercise
• Excessive alcohol, drug or tobacco use
• Repressing emotions
• Not properly managing stress and negative emotions
• Lack of heart health education

Protecting your heart with holistic nutrition

The best way to protect the heart is by blending potent supplements, whole foods and positive lifestyle techniques to ensure vitality and longevity.

Heart Healthy Supplement - CoQ10 for cardiovascular strength 

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a natural antioxidant synthesized by the body, with the role of supporting various biochemical enzymatic functions. CoQ10 is an essential component for the metabolic chemical reactions needed to generate energy within cells. It is found in every cell of the body and is especially critical for the kidneys, liver, and heart.

Why is CoQ10 so important? 

Coenzyme Q10 is advantageous for heart health in many ways. It helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, promotes good circulation and allows the heart muscles to function optimally. To find out more of CoQ10's benefits click here

Healthy heart tonic – Drink your beets! 

This beetroot recipe is perfect for protecting the cardiovascular system, purifying the blood, boosting the immune system, fighting infection, providing natural energy and simply being a delicious drink!

Cuisine: Healthy, detox

Author:  Samantha Lotus

Serves: 1 tall glass

Ingredients

• 1 large beetroot
• 3 beet greens
• 1 large carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 lemon
• 1 inch ginger
• (Optional, add turmeric and cayenne for a bigger kick)

Instructions

1. Wash the beets and peel the lemon (and ginger if you want or if your juicer isn’t that great).
2. Put everything in the juicer, I like to add the less wet things first, i.e. the ginger, carrot and celery and then finish with the greens, beets and lemon.
3. Sprinkle with some spices and drink fresh!

Why beetroots? The benefits of beets for heart health:

1. Lowers Blood Pressure

Drinking beet juice may help to lower blood pressure in a matter of hours. One study found that Drinking one glass of beet juice lowers systolic blood pressure by approximately 4-5 points. The naturally occurring nitric oxide from beets helps to relax and dilate blood vessels, which improves blood flow.

2. Boosts Stamina

Beet juice is valuable for providing natural energy. This can mean getting you to the end of a workday without having that mid-day crash, or providing a powerful boost to crush a workout! Beets increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood which assists in endurance, low-intensity and high-intensity activities.

3. Fights Inflammation

Beetsare an excellent source of betaine, a nutrient that protects cells, proteins, and enzymes from the various sources of stress. Also, it fights inflammation, protects internal organs, improves heart risk factors, enhances performance, and assists in the prevention of numerous chronic diseases.

4. Cancer Fighting Properties

The powerful phytonutrients found in beets help ward off cancer. Beetroot extract is currently being used for the treatment of pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers.

5. Detoxification Support

The betalin pigments in beets support the body's detoxification process by breaking down toxins so they can be evacuated from the body. Beets are valued for their support in cleansing and helping to purify the blood and liver.

In the majority of people, the main cause of heart disease is inflammation. By combining healthy lifestyle habits such as stress reduction through exercise, eating heart healthy foods and taking quality supplements, such as CoQ10 we are able to give ourselves the greatest gift possible – health, vitality and longevity.

In health & happiness,

Samantha Lotus