Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Understanding Fasting part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In our last blog on fasting, we were focused on shorter fasts such as water or juice fasting. We also talked about how you would go about doing a detox or cleanse, which lasts longer than a …
Understanding Fasting Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Fasting can be done for so many reasons. It can be done for religious reasons, cleansing or for general detoxification of the body. Fasting can also look vastly different depending on the reasons behind your fast. Several types of …
Winter and Heart Health
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Wintertime, as we all know, can have negative effects on our immunity, mood and even our heart health. But how exactly can the cold of winter impact our heart health? What can you do to protect your heart? Let us get into it, shall we?
If you are watching the news after a storm, you may notice that it is common to hear about people having a cardiac event after shoveling snow. This can happen for a number of reasons. Lifting snow is exercise. This type of exercise can put an added strain on your heart. This extra hard work and stress on your heart can trigger a cardiac event. As you can imagine this is especially true in those who do not regularly exercise or who are elderly and /or have any underlying heart conditions. This makes sense if you think about it. Have you ever used a muscle that you do not normally use? It tends to hurt and feel strained, right? Well, the heart is a muscle and if you suddenly start exercising just like any other muscle the heart can be overworked. If you go from no heavy lifting in the summer to heavy weightlifting aka shoveling snow your heart will feel it just like any other muscle.
Another reason winter can have a negative impact on heart health is the cold. When it comes to blood flow and heat the body will prioritize the core organs. For example, your lungs are more important to your body than your skin. I know what you are thinking, what does this mean and how does the body prioritize heat? It means that the body makes sure that your organs that keep your alive stay warm by clamping down on the blood vessels that lead to the skin making them narrower. This affects the heart because the heart must work harder to pump blood through the narrow passages. In fact, studies have found that for every 10 degrees drop in temperature there is a 5-10% increase in the risk of heart attacks. (1) Chilly weather can also affect blood pressure. As we all know, high blood pressure is a risk factor for both heart attacks and strokes.
Something else that may be unexpected but that comes up often in the winter is the issue of dry heat. For some people, this dry heat can lead to nosebleeds. For others it can lead to dehydration. This dehydration can increase the blood, increasing the risk of blood clot formation.
And while some people exercise more in the winter due to activities like snow shoveling others find themselves staying inside their homes and as a result exercise less. In some cases, this decrease in activity can lead to an increase in heart disease risk factors.
The risk of other heart related conditions can increase in winter. For example, you are at an increased risk of angina, irregular heartbeat, and even chronic heart disease in the winter. This can be due to the combination of wintry weather, temperature changes, reduced physical activity and seasonal stress all putting a strain on your heart. (2)
It’s important to seek medical help if you suspect you are having a heart attack. Please see the attached diagram for the symptoms of a heart attack. While the most common signs of a heart attack include chest pain, weakness/lightheadedness, and a squeezing sensation in the chest there are other signs that you may not expect. (1) Men and women can have slightly different symptoms, so I have included the signs of a heart attack usually experienced by men and by women. (3)
Now what can you do to improve heart health?
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Energy in the Body written by: Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) Energy is essential for all body functions. Involuntary processes like breathing and circulation, and voluntary actions like movement and thinking all rely on energy. Most people think of energy in terms of …
Managing Diabetes during the Holidays Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Managing diabetes during the holiday time may seem to be an insurmountable task. But with a little twist to some classic recipes and a little help from classic invite supplements, eating healthy during the holiday is …
Stress and Holidays
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Holiday time can be both fun and exciting. However, it is also a time that can induce stress. As a person who has both hosted holiday dinners and attended them, I can confidently say both situations are stressful in their own way. And then there is the stress of travel. And do not get me started on gift giving! It is a lot to ponder so grab some tea or hot cocoa and let us get into it, shall we?
We all understand the different ways that holidays can trigger stress but how does this stress affect our health? Being under stress at bedtime can make it difficult to sleep at night. Both stress itself and its link to poor sleep can increase restlessness, cause a lack of motivation/ focus, and even affect our memory. Stress can also lead to muscle tension/ pain as well as trigger headaches. Chest pain and upset stomach are both common symptoms of stress. Stress can even affect your immune system, making it easier for you to get sick. Stress can also affect our mood, triggering sadness, depression, anxiety, anger outbursts and just overall a feeling of grumpiness! Being under stress can even affect your appetite and you may find yourself over or under eating. In addition to changing your appetite you may also find yourself avoiding things you enjoy such as exercise or even socializing with friends or family. Stress can increase alcohol use as well as tobacco and drug use. (1) Long term stress can even affect our cardiovascular health. For example, stress is associated with both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Even our joints are not immune to the effects of stress! This is because stress can increase any inflammation in our body. In my experience this inflammation increases pain in our joints. Long term stress can even impact how we look by affecting our hair, skin and nails! Anyone who has ever been stressed knows it bothers our digestion leading to either diarrhea or constipation (or in some cases both). It can also affect our digestion by triggering indigestion, bloating and stomach pain. Stress can even affect how well we process our food! It can and does slow down nutrient absorption from the food we eat. Every woman knows that stress can affect hormone health and thus affect our menstrual cycle. (2)
So, what can you do to help reduce the effects of stress?
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