FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER: HEART HEALTH MONTH

By: Gleason Center Editors, Dr. Daniel Gleason DC

F​ebruary is Heart Health Month and our doctors would love to share some ways to keep your heart healthy!

Are you skeptical about what you’re being told about heart health? Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer worldwide with 610,000 Americans dying annually.  So with our numbers of morbidity and mortality increasing, wouldn't it stand to reason that the current "standard of care" could use a review?

Dr. Dwight Lundell, author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie admits that after 25 years of experience and performing over 5,000 open heart surgeries "today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact". Dr. Lundell was taught that the only accepted therapy in practice was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. Any deviation from these standards of care could result in the doctor being charged with malpractice. He further asks the question, who is really in control of your health care, the doctor, the government, or the insurance company?

The major cause of almost every disease is Inflammation. Our diet is the major contributor to inflammation. When government agencies changed the food pyramid 50 years ago to emphasize "healthy grains" and to vilify fat, our nation’s health quickly began to decline.

What are the 3 main ingredients on store shelves these days: Flour, sugar and vegetable oils, including corn, canola, soy, peanut, sunflower and safflower.  All of these inflammatory omega-6 oils disrupt the sensitive omega-6: omega 3 anti-inflammatory balance. One of our functional lab reports, the ION panel, explores this ratio in depth. We consistently see this ratio at 20:1 or even 50:1; the goal being less than 3:1 to limit atherosclerosis. Even if you can’t take the ION test at least take a high quality fish oil supplement. Most people require 1000mg//day of EPA + DHA.

The best way to combat heart disease is with an ounce of prevention.  Our top clean foods for your heart are:

Avocado - high in vitamin C, fiber, magnesium and potassium

Nuts - almonds, Brazil nuts, macadamia, cashews, just no peanuts please

Cruciferous Veggies - broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts: rich in phytonutrients

Healthy Oils - Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Eggs, Butter

Organic Grass-fed Meat - you are what you eat, and what your food eats.

Beets - healthy nitrates that dilate your blood vessels to reduce hypertension

For more information on what to eat check out the Ketogenic Diet. You can get a copy at the Gleason Center.                ​

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