Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
WEIGHT LOSS~A TASTY WAY TO HELP REACH THAT GOAL By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT As we enter a New Year, a common goal for many people is to lose weight…and their mantra is usually “New Year, New Me”. But, how can we stick …
The Confusing World of Heart Arrhythmias Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Arrhythmia is a word that you may have heard of but may not know what it means. So what exactly is an arrhythmia? Basically an arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. In general we can …
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/
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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