Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
The Benefits of Beets Hx Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Everyone has heard about beets. Beet powder, beet chews and even beet juice! It’s everywhere you look! But what really are the benefits of using beet supplements? Why is the tart cherry in the Beets …
IMMUNITY MULTI: THE MUST HAVE WINTER MULTIVITAMIN By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT As kids growing up, most of us took a daily multi, probably chewable. We looked forward to taking these every morning before heading off to school, many of us picking our …
Congestive Heart Failure
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Our next topic is something that may seem uncommon but is actually more common than you would think. This is congestive heart failure. When people refer to having a “weak heart” they are referring to congestive heart failure. What is congestive heart failure? Basically what happens when you have Congestive heart failure or CHF for short is the heart is unable to pump blood throughout the body. Over time blood and fluids start to build up in different parts of the body. The 3 types of CHF are left sided, right sided, and high output failure.
What causes our heart to fail? There are a number of situations that can cause our heart to fail. Recreational drug use, including tobacco use as well as certain medications can lead to heart failure. Having a family history of CHF also places you at risk of CHF. Having a personal history of high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes and having a past heart attack all increase risk of CHF. Additionally being over 65 increases risk of heart failure. Having an enlarged heart known as cardiomyopathy can also increase risk of CHF. There are congenital heart disorders which are present at birth that over time can cause CHF. Having a history of arrhythmia is also a risk factory. Life style risk factors that can increase our risk of heart failure include alcohol use, BMI over 30, being inactive and eating a diet high in saturated fat and salt. Lastly having a history of rheumatic fever can overtime increase the risk of developing heart failure.
Heart failure is broken down into 4 stages. These stages start with high risk of developing heart failure and end with having advanced heart failure. Other conditions that can affect heart function include chronic lung disease, thyroid disorders, anemia and even kidney disease. It is important to address these concerns to help keep our heart working as well as possible.
What are the classic signs of heart failure? While not everyone will experience these symptoms it is important to know what you may experience especially as the disorder gets worse over time. Now as I said the most common symptoms are swelling in the ankles, legs abdomen and even a bloated or heart stomach. This swelling occurs due to the hearts inability to pump fluids and gets worse as the heart fails to do its job. Because of the buildup of fluid in the body there may be weight gain without any change in diet. There may also be nausea. Our ability to breath can be impacted with a feeling of shortness of breath or SOB. You may also wake up with a feeling of SOB. There may also be a chronic dry cough. There can be chest pain and heart palpitations. As fluid builds up there may be a need to urinate at night. Lastly you will experience fatigue that gets worse over time.
Unfortunately, chronic heart failure gets worse over time. Because of the hearts inability to pump blood throughout the body there are some series complications that can occur. This includes a buildup of fluid in the lungs which can lead to pulmonary hypertension. There may also be kidney damage, liver damage and even heart valve damage. CHF can even lead to an irregular heartbeat. Due to nausea there may be malnutrition. Lastly, over time CHF can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Heart failure has to be taken seriously. While there is no cure there are certain things that can help improve our hearts function. (1, 2)
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Boosting Energy and Supporting Heart Health all with Ribose Complex Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of my favorite products for heart health is called Ribose Complex. This is an amazing and complete formula for keeping our heart healthy. Ribose Complex contains D-Ribose, Alcar, Malic Acid, …
What is a Myocardial infarction or Heart Attack? Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What exactly is a myocardial infarction or MI? Well in layman’s terms, it is what is known as a heart attack. But what exactly happens during a heart attack? Basically during a …
HEALTHY HOLIDAY RECIPES
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
The holidays are always a time when we naturally indulge in all kinds of delicious meals and treats. To help keep you on track, here are some festive and healthy holiday recipes!
CANDY CANE COCOA
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite milk alternative)
1 scoop Cocoa Hx
¼ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Heat milk alternative in a small pot on stove top until hot. Turn off heat and add Cocoa Hx and peppermint extract. Stir until combined and dissolved. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!
EGGNOG SMOOTHIE
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite milk alternative)
1 cup ice
1 egg yolk
2 scoops Whey Protein Powder (or 1 scoop of Plant Protein Powder)
1 Probiotic Hx (just the powder inside the capsule)
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a blender until well combined and smooth. Pour into a glass, sprinkle top with some extra nutmeg and enjoy!
MAGICAL COOKIE SMOOTHIE
1 cup water
1 cup ice
2 scoops Whey Protein Powder (or 1 scoop of Plant Protein Powder)
1 scoop Cocoa Hx
1 Probiotic Hx (just the powder inside the capsule)
1 ½ Tablespoons nut butter (peanut, almond, or cashew)
1 Tablespoon raw honey
1 Tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon raw organic coconut oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender until well combined and smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
HEALTHY HOLIDAY LATKES
2 ½ cups shredded potatoes (regular or sweet), bonus if you can get this already shredded
2 ½ cups shredded zucchini
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Plant Protein Powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper taste
4 Apples
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup Beets Hx
Pre-heat oven to 350′. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Core and slice apples into 36-40, or 10 equal slices per apple. Put onto baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with a dash of sea salt.
Put shredded potatoes and zucchini into a cheesecloth and squeeze out water into a bowl or sink. Get as much water out as the drier you get the potatoes and zucchini the better. Once this is completed, put dry potatoes and zucchini into a dry, large bowl.
In a separate bowl combine all-purpose flour, Plant Protein Powder, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix until combined. Set aside.
In another bowl, add eggs and beat with a fork. Add to potatoes and zucchini. Toss together. Add dry ingredients and mix everything until well combined.
Form mixture into 16-18 equal sized patties (will look like haystacks). Put into an air fryer at 375′ for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
While these are air frying, put the apples into the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until soft yet cuttable.
While everything is cooking, mix together the Greek yogurt and Beets Hx until well combined.
Once everything is fully cooked, top latkes with a dollop of yogurt and top with 2 baked apple slices. Serve and enjoy!
WINTER HOLIDAY IMMUNITY BOOSTER
1 ½ cups water
Juice of ½ lemon
1 scoop Oranges Hx
1 scoop Reds Hx
1 Vitamin C Buffered capsules (just the powder inside the capsules)
1 Probiotic Hx capsule (just the powder inside the capsule)
Blend all ingredients together and pour over ice. Drink and enjoy!
