Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
RSV- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to begin our series on respiratory health by talking about something that has been all over the news lately. And that is RSV. But what exactly is RSV? RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. …
Heart Health: The Complete Summary Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I hope this series on heart health has been both informative and interesting! While I took the time in this series to review some rather severe heart conditions I also wanted to do a quick …
Reds Hx… for our heart!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I wanted to talk about Reds Hx next because it’s really the perfect partner to Greens Hx. Since Reds Hx is so full of heart healthy nutrients I am going to jump right into things with our very first nutrient. The very first heart healthy nutrient is in fact the first nutrient listed! And that is carrot. Studies have found a number of benefits regarding carrot supplements on heart health. These include improving blood pressure and even decreasing aortic root lesions. Carrots have also been found to help with atherosclerosis. Studies also indicate that carrots may help with lipid or in other words our cholesterol profiles. (1) According to WebMD the potassium in carrots may help to regulate our blood pressure. (2) As you can see carrots are good for much more than just being a snack for bunnies.
Moving on down the list the next item we will be talking about is cranberry. Now as I always say cranberry isn’t just for our urinary tract! Studies have found that cranberry has benefits for our blood vessels and can keep them healthy. (3) Other studies have found that cranberry can help to reduce blood clot risk, improve circulation and even lower the risks for heart disease. (4) Lastly studies have found that cranberry extract can help moderate cholesterol levels. (5)
The next item is sour cherry and it may sound familiar. This is because sour cherry is simply another name for tart cherry which is a component in our beets formula that I wrote about. Studies have found a number of benefits to using cherry for our heart. These benefits include a decrease in both LDL and total cholesterol. Additionally cherry has been found to help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. (6)
The next item, blueberry was also a nutrient found in Greens Hx. As I mentioned previously blueberry has been found to help total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. Blueberries have also been found to help with lowering our blood pressure. (7)
Pomegranate is another powerful nutrient for heart health. In fact studies have found that pomegranate is much stronger than other antioxidants when it comes to protecting cholesterol from oxidation. As a result pomegranate is one of the best antioxidants for slowing atherosclerosis. Studies have also found that pomegranate is amazing at helping lower blood pressure. (8)
Flax seed is another nutrient that is found in both Reds and Greens. As I talked about in my prior blog on Greens flax is good for our blood pressure and even cholesterol levels. (9) Grape seed has also been mentioned numerous times for heart health. And it deserves to be! Studies have found that Grape seed has numerous benefits for our heart including helping our blood pressure. (10) Other studies have found that grape seed is helpful for lowering both total cholesterol as well as LDL. (11)
Japanese Knotweed is a natural source of Resveratrol. Resveratrol is one of my favorite nutrients when it comes to helping with heart health. I couldn’t possibly review all of the benefits that Resveratrol has for heart health in this humble blog. However I can review the most well studied. Studies have found that Resveratrol can help alleviate many of the symptoms of heart failure. Resveratrol has been found in studies to help with blood pressure. Additionally, resveratrol has been found to help with lowering the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and even help to lower our cholesterol! (12)
Rather than address each antioxidant in Reds Hx separately I’ll be doing an overall review on how they help our heart heath. What are examples of antioxidants? For example 2 well known antioxidants are lutein, and lycopene which comes from sources such as tomatoes, watermelon and even plum! Other examples of antioxidants in Reds include ingredients such as raspberry, green tea, orange, blackberry and even quercetin. In fact Reds Hx is chock full of antioxidants! Studies have found that antioxidants can help slow the development of atherosclerosis as well as help to lower cholesterol. Overall studies have found that antioxidants can help to lower the overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. (13)
Recent studies on probiotics have found that they may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by helping with certain risk factors such as obesity and even diabetes. Probiotics may also help to regulate cholesterol. Kefir, a powerful source of probiotic has been found to help lower blood pressure. (14)
Overall Reds Hx is an amazing formula. Before we leave heart health I will be doing a summary of all the things that you can do to help maximize your heart health.
Sources:
MACA ROOT: THE LIBIDO BOOSTER By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Maca Root is a very interesting nutrient that many people aren’t familiar with but is incredibly versatile. It can be found in a powder, in a capsule form (Maca Root) or even as …
Cardiomegaly- best known as an Enlarged Heart Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What is cardiomegaly? Well basically cardiomegaly means that when doctors look at your heart on routine tests such as a chest x ray the heart is larger than it should be. There are …
FEBRUARY~LOVE AND HEARTS…THE RECIPES
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
February is an interesting month. Not only is it Valentine’s Day which is always full of love but it’s also heart health awareness month….quite fitting if you ask me. Let’s spend this month together discussing love and the heart.
Let’s begin with the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner menu. These are all great recipes that not only contain healthy foods for the heart, but are also said to aphrodisiac-like effects (foods that are said to increase blood flow and libido…more on this in our next article), making this a perfect Valentine’s Day menu. This is great to share with a special someone or for a Valentine’s Day get-together.
BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD
2 Golden Beets
2 oz. Plain Goat Cheese, softened
2 scoops Beets Hx
1 cup Arugula
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus a little extra
Sea Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 400′. Cut off both ends of the beets, including the green tops. Peel off skin and cut beet into six wedges. Repeat with the other beet. Add beet wedges, a tablespoon of olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to a sheet of parchment paper, toss together and fold up. Place package on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until beets are soft.
Blend goat cheese and Beets Hx until well combined. Make six dollops per plate, about an inch apart. Once beets are done, set them aside to cool slightly. As they are cooling, toss arugula with a drizzle of olive oil. Next, place a beet wedge on each dollop of goat cheese and add arugula between each beet stack. Serve and enjoy!
BONUS PAIRING:
WINE~Try a Sauvignon Blanc 2 oz.
MOCKTAIL~Try mixing 1 oz. cherry juice with water and pour over ice
TUNA STEAK with LEMONY ASPARAGUS
2 Tuna Steaks, 4 oz. Each
1 bundle Large Asparagus stalks
2 teaspoons capers
2 capsules Turmeric with Ginger
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra
Juice of a lemon
Sea Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 400′. Take an asparagus stalk and snap off the bottom, leaving the green stalk and “tree top” for to prep. Cut the asparagus stalks so all are the same size and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the juice of a lemon, contents of two capsules of Turmeric with Ginger. Mix together until combined. Add in the capers.
Add asparagus to a baking dish and sprinkle with a dash of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Pour lemon juice mixture over asparagus and lightly toss. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until asparagus is tender.
While asparagus is baking, massage both side of the tuna steaks with olive oil and season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Heat a nonstick pan on medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add tuna steaks and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Place a tuna steak and half the asparagus and each plate, serve and enjoy!
BONUS PAIRING:
WINE~Try a dry Rosé 2 oz.
MOCKTAIL~Try mixing 1 oz. cranberry juice with water and pour over ice…bonus points if you add in the contents of a Cranberry Extract capsule
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
1 Avocado
½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
4 scoops Cocoa Hx
2 capsules Maca Root (contents inside capsule), optional
2 teaspoons Honey
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
6 Raspberries
Set aside raspberries. Add all other ingredients to a blender and blend until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth. Add evenly into two martini, wine or parfait glasses and top with raspberries. Eat and enjoy!
BONUS PAIRING:
WINE~Try a Prosecco or Champagne, 2 oz.
MOCKTAIL~Try mixing 1 oz. white grape juice with sparkling water/seltzer
Each course should make enough for 2 servings, with the exception of the drinks, which is enough for one glass. Share this meal with a special someone, or adjust the recipes to have a small dinner party with great friends and fun conversation. Enjoy….and much love and health to you in February!
