Most people think of Heart Failure as a heart attack or as fatal when in fact it doesn’t mean that at all.  Heart failure means that the heart is failing to do what it should be doing, i.e., pumping blood.  The most common side effects are:  fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling in the legs.   Although these issues may be indicative of other issues as well.  Regardless, they need to be addressed.

Whether these conditions are indicative of heart failure or other cardio issues or other non-cardio issues they are manageable.   Medications are usually not the best bet – even the leading heart cardiologists are now recognizing that the medications are not the best route!!

Also identifying the underlying cause is very important:

1. inflammation

2. toxicity

3. allergies

4. non-alcoholic fatty liver

5. blood deficiency (unhealthy nutrients in the blood)

6. nutrient deficiency:  glutathione, amino acids, good healthy omega fats, etc

7. cholesterol issues – note there are many types of HDLs and LDLs – don’t make your assumption on the simple ratios that an MD might provide

8. stress issues that may be causing issues with the adrenals that are the root of the problem

9. imbalance or deficiency in your microbiota

Abiding by a healthy diet, doing effective exercise and taking appropriate herbs and/or supplements strengthen the heart and cardio and liver and gut so that the body has a better capacity of absorbing the nutrients the needs; eliminating the toxins; and engaging in the 1001 activities that different cells and organs need to engage in to maintain optimal health.

Healthy diet means eliminating:

1. toxic processed table sugar and hi fructose corn syrups – instead use stevia, beet sugar, coconut sugar

2. table sat – instead use mineral salt – full of necessary alkalizing minerals – good for the heart and the whole body

3. unhealthy fats (French fries, potato chips, ice cream, margarine, etc) – instead eat healthy fats: avocados, flax seed, hemp seed, salba/chia seeds, walnuts, almonds, etc; replace margarine with organic butter or    ghee (margarine was designed to make cattle fatter, faster and is only one molecule away from being a plastic)

4. fast foods (their *health items are often worse then the regular items) – instead eat real whole food: fruit, vegetables, organic meats, nut & seeds, etc

5. pasturized, microwaved, processed foods -  instead eat real whole food: fruit, vegetables, organic meats, nut & seeds, etc

6. GMO (genetically modified organisms) – instead eat real whole food – watch your labels

Healthy exercise means:

1.  walking every day – you don’t need to run; runners may be healthy in the short term, but in the long term they may get an enlarged left ventricle in the heart; deplete their glutathione; and wear out their joints; and die of a heart attack

2.  move, stretch, do yoga, Tai Chi, palletes, etc; - you don’t need to go to the gym & pump weights – our bodies were designed to move not to pump weights; now if your muscles are weak, you may need to do some weight lifting to build them back up again – but work at it slowly

3.  low cardio – again we don’t want to create an enlarged left ventricle in the heart – doing low grade cardio is great – but hi cardio work outs can cause lots of problems

Good muscles do burn more calories than fat but it is not as much as they would like you to think.  Regular movement is more important than intense movement – that doesn’t mean getting up off the chair and going to the bathroom!! Let’s get out there and go for a walk – do a little stretching – do some deep breathing – now you got it.

Appropriate herbs &/or supplements:

Herbs:  there are a variety of herbs that address different types of cardio (& other health) conditions.  For instance, herbs that help the entire cardio system from cholesterol to hi blood pressure to arteriosclerosis to liver/kidney etc and then there herbs that are good for specific issues:  heart valves or strengthening the membrane of the vascular system or thinning or building the blood, etc

Supplements:  again there a variety of supplements that may help you.  However, determining a good one can be difficult :

1. do they have stearates in them; are they full of fillers

2. are they man made (usually mirror images of the real thing) or are they the real thing

3. are they what they claim to be (often Vitamin D3 has 60% D2 in it even though it doesn’t say so & it has magnesium stearates which may will argue : prevent uptake of the active ingredients and is toxic)

4. would you better off with a tincture than taking pills

5. would you better off with a food than taking pills

6. would you better off taking a homeopathic

7. should you be taking a combination

Find a good health practitioner that can determine what is the best for you.  A good alternative practitioner to determine what and how much you need.  Alternative practitioners look at your specific issues in conjunction with the rest of your body and design a protocol specific for you and do not put everyone into one of a few categories.

Symptoms of Heart Failure are:

If you have heart failure, call your doctor if you notice any of these signs:

1. Sudden weight gain (2–3 pounds in one day or 5 or more pounds in one week)

2. Extra swelling in the feet or ankles

3. Swelling or pain in the abdomen

4. Shortness of breath not related to exercise

5. Discomfort or trouble breathing when lying flat

6. Waking up feeling short of breath

7. Coughing or wheezing

8. Increased fatigue

9. Mental confusion

10. Loss of appetite