Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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 …
Greens Hx….for our heart? Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Greens Hx is probably one of the most popular products at Invite! Everyone knows how amazing Greens Hx is for our liver, immune system, detox and even energy! What most people may not know is that …
What is Angina?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Angina or heart/chest pain is one of the first signs that many experience when they have heart disease. However there are other conditions that mimic angina. One of these is anxiety. Angina and anxiety share many symptoms including a feeling of chest pain, nausea, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness and a feeling that the heart is being squeezed. Because the two are so similar it is important to see a doctor to confirm what is causing the chest pain. As I always say it’s better to be safe than sorry. (1)
Now let’s do a quick review of symptoms. The general symptoms of angina include chest pain that may feel like its burning, squeezing or even just feels very full. There may be a feeling of pressure in the chest area. The pain may also radiate to the arms, neck, jaw, shoulder or back. There may be a feeling of dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, and even increased sweating. Now remember how when I wrote about heart attack I mentioned that in some cases women are more likely to have atypical symptoms? Well that is also true with angina. Some women may have the typical symptoms or may present with more severe stomach pain, nausea, shortness s of breath, stabbing pain or pain in the jaw, neck or back. (2)
Now I know I spoke about how Angina and Anxiety resemble each other and even went over some of the symptoms of angina but what exactly is angina? Angina is a condition where there is chest pain caused by a decrease in the blood flow to the heat. General signs of angina are as I said a feeling of pain, squeezing, pressure and tightness in the chest. Angina is broken down into 4 types. These are stable, unstable, variant and refractory. (2)
Let’s start with the most common form of angina, stable angina. Stable angina is caused by activity or emotional stress. When you have stable angina the symptoms are often predictable because the same amount of activity will trigger angina to occur. The symptoms will improve with rest or medications. (3)
Unstable angina causes unexpected chest pain and occurs while you are resting. Unlike stable angina it is considered to be an emergency situation. Additionally unstable angina unlike stable angina is not relieved by rest or medication. (4)
Variant Angina is also known as Prinzmetal or vasospastic angina. In this case the angina occurs usually while you are asleep and resting. Unlike other forms of angina where coronary artery disease is the common cause of the decreased blood flow in variant angina the decrease in blood flow is caused by spasms of the coronary arteries. These spasms can be caused by medications, recreational drug use, tobacco and stress. This type of angina is considered rare and according to the American Heart Association accounts for only 2 out of every 100 cases of angina. (5)
The last type of angina is refractory angina and is defined as “a chronic condition of angina caused by coronary artery disease which cannot be controlled by a combination of medical therapy, angioplasty or bypass and the damage caused by ischemia is the cause of the symptoms.” (6) Ok I bet you read that and said ok now what does it all mean? It basically means that the treatments no longer help the angina pain because the decreased blood flow has caused damage to the heart and this damage not just the decrease in blood flow is what is now causing the symptoms.
Now that I’ve gone over the types of angina lets go over the most common risk factors for developing angina. Now I just want to point out that angina is a symptom of an underling heart problem. Having one of these will trigger angina. One of the most common is coronary artery disease (CAD). Now I won’t go into too much detail here because I plan on doing a whole blog on CAD. What I will say is that in CAD the coronary arteries become blocked thus blood flow is reduced. Angina is also caused by coronary microvascular disease where the tiny arteries that branch from the larger arteries are damaged. Lastly, spasms of the coronary arteries can cause angina. Now I know these are underlying heart conditions that can lead to angina but what are the risk factors? Well the risk factors include age, family history of angina, exposure to pollution, alcohol use and a poor diet. Having a history of metabolic syndrome, heart failure, heart valve disease, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy and even anemia can all increase the risk of angina. (7)
One of the most severe concerns when dealing with angina is that it may be sign you are having a heart attack. This is why if you are having chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes or isn’t relieved with medications it is important to go to the hospital just to be safe. (2)
Now when it comes to angina it is important to concentrate on our circulation:
Sources
Purples Hx and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to take the time to talk about one of the most under rated products at Invite health. What product is this you ask? Why its Purples Hx! Purples Hx is an amazing combination …
Mitral Valve Prolapse Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Our next topic is one that will draw heavily upon the anatomy blog that I wrote a while ago. This topic is mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Do you recall how the heart was divided into left and …
COCOA HX: THE DELICIOUS SUPERFOOD
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
When it comes to enjoying something indulgent and decadent, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is CHOCOLATE. It’s comforting as it takes us back to our childhood and brings back all kinds of warm and happy memories. It can also make us feel rich and fancy as it pairs well with so many things, whether it’s in a dessert or as a drink. However, it’s also believed to be healthy and good for us too. How is this possible? Let’s explore everyone’s favorite superfood and find out.
Chocolate, or cocoa, has been around and used by many cultures for centuries. Cocoa is grown in warm climates, typically close to the equator. The beans are extracted from the pods and go through a drying process before they are ready to be ground down into the more familiar form we all know and love. From here, we can nibble on the bitter nibs which have the texture of coffee beans, or can be ground to a powder to be scooped into a drink or recipe or made into the all familiar chocolate bar.
Navigating which cocoa can offer health benefits can be tricky as there are so many types of chocolate varieties available. We see unsweetened, milk, dark, extra dark, and often with the percentage of cocoa on the label….like 72% cocoa. Some may provide health benefits, while others are strictly for taste.
NIBS: These are ground, dried cocoa beans that are extremely bitter. They can be adding to smoothies are you can nobble on them, but the bitterness makes them not very tasty. They thought to be the purest form to consume and believed to be rich in antioxidants and may even have some anti-inflammatory properties.
DARK CHOCOLATE: This is chocolate that usually contains 50%-90%, sometimes even a little higher, of cocoa. This has minimal added sugar while still tasting good. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this type of cocoa can have a wide range of health benefits. It’s shown to be helpful for a healthy heart, blood pressure, protects the skin and is a good source of fiber.
MILK CHOCOLATE/CHOCOLATE MILK: This is most common in commercial bars or in the popular chocolate milk drink. While this still contains cocoa, it is also high in milk/dairy and sugar. This can aggravate those with certain health issues, such as lactose intolerance. According to a study titled “Chocolate Milk Consequences: A Pilot Study Evaluating the Consequences of Banning Chocolate Milk in School Cafeterias” from The National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information, the high sugar content can also be a contributing factor to obesity, especially in school aged children. My Advice: avoid this type of overly processed cocoa at all costs.
COCOA HX is an easy, delicious and nutritious way to incorporate cocoa into a healthy daily diet. This supplies 4000mg of cocoa bean powder with natural sweeteners such as stevia and fruit extracts. It can easily be added to water, smoothies, recipes, plain yogurt or even almond milk for a healthy daily treat. What an indulgent way to get this centuries old superfood and get all the health benefits it offers without feeling guilty!
www.masterclass.com/articles/cacao-guide#KmmtqrcT5NyfUe47T3Hf4
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-cacao-nibs
www.health.clevelandclinic.org/dark-chocolate-health-benefits
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8470865/
www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/nutrition/is-chocolate-milk-a-healthy-drink/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3989166/
