Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
PROTEIN (POWDER): THE IMPORTANT NUTRIENT WE ALL KNOW By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Protein is that nutrient that everyone knows and everyone loves. But how well do we know all the proteins available? Let’s navigate through one of our favorite foods and discuss …
Nattokinase! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What the heck is Nattokinase? Where does it come from? What exactly does it do? Is it just for heart health or does it do anything else for us? These are just some of the questions that people have about …
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 …
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 …
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!
