Cardiovascular Wellness


MaxLiving Perspective

Incorporating 5 Essentials™

Cardiac or heart muscle is the middle layer of muscle tissue that contracts quickly and repeatedly, distributing blood throughout your body. (1) The heart is a vitally crucial muscle that keeps you alive. Needless to say, when your heart muscle stops working, your body follows. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, means blood doesn’t flow optimally through stiff arteries. Plaque buildup can eventually lead to heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for American women and men.(2)(3) 

Talk with your healthcare professional about incorporating these and other strategies to help improve and maintain your cardiovascular performance. 
Core Chiropractic

Core Chiropractic

  • Get a chiropractic exam. The fundamental premise of chiropractic care is to balance the spine to support the health and integrity of the central nervous system, which controls all systems of the body, including the cardiovascular system.

  • Maintain regular chiropractic care. Your chiropractor may specifically assess your spinal structure as it relates to the health of the cardiac plexus and other nerves associated with circulation and endocrine support.(4)

Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Flavor your meals with garlic. Garlic contains a compound called allicin, which can help reduce blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.(5)(6)

  • Eat pomegranates. Pomegranates contain the compounds tannins and anthocyanins, which can help prevent hardening of the arteries. (7)

  • Increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from cold water, wild-caught fish. (8) Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and can help to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. (9)

  • Avoid refined oils like vegetable oil, peanut oil, and canola oil. These harmful omega-6 oils are a main contributor to heart disease since they can increase oxidative stress, oxidized LDL, inflammation, and atherosclerosis.(10)

  • Eat foods containing CoQ10 like spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli. CoQ10 is also produced by the body but production decreases with age, and deficiencies are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. (11)(12)

  • Consume foods rich in L-arginine. Sources include chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and organic, free-range turkey breast. (13) L-arginine is an amino acid that is converted into nitric oxide in the body. This process can help boost blood flow and circulation. (14)

Mindset

Mindset

  • Learn to manage stress. (15) Stress can increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including increased desire to smoke, tendency to overeat, and blood pressure spikes.(16) Practice techniques to manage stress such as utilizing social support and practicing gratitude daily. (17)(18)

  • Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night. (19) Due to busy schedules, sleep can frequently be sent to the back burner. However, a pattern of sleep deficiencies can increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease, leading to heart complications.(20)

Oxygen and Exercise

Oxygen & Exercise

  • Exercise regularly. Any type of exercise can help to improve heart health and circulation. (21) Take a walk during lunch, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or take a bike ride after work. Move at your pace, but set a goal of at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like walking, swimming, or biking, 4-5 times per week. (22) 


    Please consult with your healthcare practitioner before starting any exercise program.  

Minimize Toxins

Minimize Toxins

  • Avoid smoking. Smoking is considered to be a considerable risk factor, causing about one out of every four cardiovascular disease deaths. (23) There are over 4,000 chemicals in smoke which work together to narrow blood vessels. (23)(24)

  • Limit exposure to environmental toxins. Environmental factors, such as pollution, can contribute to the risk, recurrence, and severity of heart disease.(25)

Minimize Toxins

Tests

  • If you have any concerns about your weight, please consult with your healthcare practitioner about performing the proper blood tests.

Minimize Toxins

Nutrient Support*

Talk to your healthcare practitioner about including these and/or any other nutraceuticals in your dietary practices.

Cardiovascular Wellness Nutraceutical Recommendations

Nutraceutical

Curcumin +

CoQ10 with Lipoic Acid

Instructions for Use

Two capsules daily with a meal.

One capsule 1-2 times daily.

Daily Essentials for Men or Women

Nutraceutical

Two (2) capsules of Multivitamin (Men's or Women's)

One (1) capsule of Vitamin D3 + Probiotics

One (1) capsule of B-Complex with Delayed Release

Two (2) softgels of Optimal Omega

Two (2) capsules of Magnesium Glycinate

Instructions for Use



One packet daily with a meal.



Cardiovascular Wellness Bundle


Daily Essentials for Men or Women

Never modify any medications or other medical advice without your healthcare practitioner’s support.

*For optimal results, we recommend you perform a metabolic analysis profile test, which tests for key biomarkers that identify nutritional deficiencies, toxicities, bacterial overgrowth, and drug effects. Talk with your MaxLiving Chiropractor about the Metabolix Program to get tested and be able to obtain a more customized health plan.

References

1. Cardiac Muscle. Biologydictionary.net. https://biologydictionary.net/cardiac-muscle/. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

2. Watson, S. The Effects of High Cholesterol on the Body. healthline.com. https://www.healthline.com/health/cholesterol/effects-on-body#1. Reviewed August 29, 2018. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

3. Agarwal SK. Cardiovascular benefits of exercise. Int J Gen Med. 2012;5(1):541-545. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S30113.

4. Special chiropractic adjustment lowers blood pressure among hypertensive patients with misalined c-1 vertebra. Uchicagomedicine.org. Published March 14, 2007. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

5. Bayan L, Hossain Koulivand P, Gorji A, et al. Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2014;4(1):1-14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103721/. Published January, 2014. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

6. Ried K, Travica N, Sali A, et al. The effect of aged garlic extract on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors in uncontrolled hypertensives: the AGE at Heart trial. Integr Blood Press Control. 2016;9(1):9-21. doi: 10.2147/IBPC.S93335. 

7. Aviram M, Rosenblat M, et al. Pomegranate for Your Cardiovascular Health. Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2013;4(2):e0013. doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10113. 

8. Siriwardhana N, Kalupahana NS, Moustaid-Moussa N, et al. Health benefits of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2012;65(1):211-222. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-416003-3.00013-5. 

9. Bowen KJ, Harris WS, Kris-Etherton PM, et al. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease: Are There Benefits? Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2016;18(11):69. doi: 10.1007/s11936-016-0487-1. 

10. DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, et al. Omega-6 vegetable oils as a driver of coronary heart disease: the oxidized linoleic acid hypothesis. Openheart.bmj.com. https://openheart.bmj.com/content/openhrt/5/2/e000898.full.pdf. Published September 26, 2018. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

11. Flowers N, Hartley L, Todkill D, Stranges S, Rees K, et al. Co-enzyme Q10 supplementation for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;12:CD010405. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010405.pub2. 

12. DiNocolantonio JJ, Bhutani J, McCarty MF, O’Keefe JH, et al. Coenzyme Q10 for the treatment of heart failure: a review of the literature. Open Heart. 2015;2(1): e000326. Doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2015-000326. 

13. Bowman J. Arginine: Good For the Heart. Healthline.com. https://www.healthline.com/health/arginine-heart-health#sources. Published August 10, 2016. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

14. Arginine: Heart Benefits and Side Effects. WebMD.com. https://www.webmd.com/heart/arginine-heart-benefits-and-side-effects#1. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

15. Tello M. A positive mindset can help your heart. Health.harvard.edu. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-positive-mindset-can-help-your-heart-2019021415999. Published February 14, 2019. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

16. Stress and Heart Health. Heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/stress-and-heart-health. Reviewed June 17, 2014. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

17. Cadzow RB, Servoss TJ, et al. The association between perceived social support and health among patients at a free urban clinic. J Natl Med Assoc. 2009;101(3):243-250. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19331256. Published March, 2009. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

18. Sansone RA, Sansone LA, et al. Gratitude and Well Being. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2010;7(11):18-22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3010965/. Published November, 2010. Accessed January 23, 2020.

19. How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? Sleepfoundation.org. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

20. How Does Sleep Affect Your Heart Health? Cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/features/sleep-heart-health/index.html. Reviewed December 3, 2018. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

21. American Heart Association. Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults. Reviewed April 18, 2018. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

22. More People Walk to Better Health. Cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/walking/index.html. Published August, 2012. Reviewed August 6, 2013. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

23. Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease. Cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50th-anniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_CVD_508.pdf. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

24. There are 4000 chemicals in every cigarette. Lung.ca. https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/smoking-and-tobacco/whats-cigarettes/there-are-4000-chemicals-every-cigarette. Updated December 10, 2016. Accessed January 23, 2020. 

25. Bhatnagar A. Environmental Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease. Circ Res. 2017;121(2):162-180. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.306458. 

Disclaimer

This content is for information purposes only. Any statement or recommendation in this publication does not take the place of medical advice nor is meant to replace the guidance of your licensed healthcare practitioner. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. MaxLiving information is and products are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or provide medical advice. Decisions to use supplements to support your specific needs should be considered in partnership with your licensed healthcare practitioner.