Stress and Cardiovascular Health: A Wholistic look at Cholesterol

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   Eat Qualitative, healthy food
   
   

   There are many misconceptions about what causes high cholesterol and heart attacks, and it is important to clarify the myriad of factors involved in causing them. Although we ingest cholesterol from over processed food sources and fatty meats, this is only one factor as to why we suffer from "high cholesterol." The fact that most just simply avoid "high fat" foods believing this will lower cholesterol is a misnomer. This common approach has caused a whole generation of individuals to be deficient in omega 3 fatty acids, which is a leading cause in arthritis.

   
   

   In fact, cholesterol is a fat molecule that is created by our liver. It is the precursor to steroidal hormones, it manufactures vitamin D, and it repairs damaged tissue, which confirms the importance and need for healthy cholesterol levels. When LDL cholesterol is seen in high percentage within our blood stream, it is not just because we have taken it in from high fat foods and is now clogging our arteries. It is due to several complex factors, which stem from within our bodies for the most part.

   
   

   One of the main and unknown factors of high cholesterol is emotional and/or psychological stress for extended periods of time. This extensive stress affects our physical body by constantly expanding our arteries to create more blood flow to help mobilize us for the stressful situation. We are in a typical flight or fight response, which becomes a problem when it is chronic, and goes on for longer than a momentary period in time. This extensive response causes our system to become overloaded.

take time to relax, every day in some small way!

The chronic overloading of the cardiovascular system creates small tears in the arteries and veins, just like when we over work our muscles. It is now up to our liver to create the cholesterol to help repair these tears. One of cholesterol's most important jobs is as a repairing agent. Now here is the kicker, because we are constantly under stress, we are constantly destroying our venous system, thus our liver has to work over-time to keep repairing this damage. Therefore, from a strictly bio chemical perspective, this is the main reason we have an over abundance of cholesterol in our systems. 

By the time most people are in their late 20's they have some degree of liver damage which creates an unbalanced liver and  cleansing system. This means the liver is creating cholesterol but is too exhausted to clear up all the excess, thus you are  now stuck in a catch 22!

So how do we prevent or fix this? Instead of trying to kill the messenger- cholesterol by using all kinds of suppressive medications, why not actually work on the multitude of reasons your body is trying to fix itself?

First begin to be aware of your stress level and find ways to eliminate or reduce it. Even if you can't immediately change the causation of the stress, you can do things to help you deal with the stress more efficiently so as to reduce the damage to your body. 

1. When you are aware that you are feeling stressed during the day, take a few minutes to do some deep breathing. Take full deep breathes in to your abdomen, be sure that your out breathe is longer than the in breathe since the out breathe is the relaxing one.  
2. There are a number of different homeopathic remedies that can be employed to help you release stress, the key is to find out what you stress about and how it affects you. Two of the top remedies I employ are Aconite and Ignatia. When dealing with mental and emotional issues it is always best to start with these remedies at a 1M potency and go up from there. Another great support product is the Bach flower rescue remedy bit.ly/5bXr
3. Try to empty your mind of any unwanted thoughts that are helping feed the stress. If you can not do anything about the problem you are stressing about right now then let it go! Come back to it when you are more able to fully deal with it.If you have trouble simply emptying your mind then find something positive to focus on for a few minutes and allow the good emotions that go along with it to well up within you. This will distract you from the old negative thought for a while to allow your stress level to go down.
4. Clean up your diet, removing any over processed foods and foods that are fried or full of bad fats. As this only adds more stress to your digestive system, which your liver is a part of!
5. Cleanse your liver, gallbladder and bowels so that they are working more efficiently. By taking a high potency- 30 to 60 billion count of a multi probiotic, you will enhance your immune system and replenish your bowel with good healthy productive bacteria. To cleanse your liver, work with Chinese herbal bitters that are specific to helping open up and clean out toxins from your liver and gallbladder. Homeopathic remedies that can help are; Chelidonium, Nux Vomica, Lycopodium.
6. Get some exercise! Any form of exercise will help release endorphins, which help to lift your mood and make you feel good. Exercise also releases tension, provided you are not over-extending yourself during your exercise.
7. Add some support supplements for adrenal stress, bit.ly/wqSNLO. A high B supplement taken according to manufacturing standards will also go a long way to helping you cope with stress in a more level manor.

Every organ and organ system is essential in its own way. Being aware of your own body and how it functions in both health and illness will go a long way in helping you to make corrective decisions in time to maintain your own true health.

Get outside, breathe deeply today and enjoy life.

In True Whole Health, 

Andrea