Healthy Heart

The heart excels as a barometer, telling us how much pressure the body is under. It is one of the most researched of all the vital organs in our body, yet remains the source of over 39% of all deaths in the UK. (British Heart Foundation, 2002).

The causes are complex and therefore I believe treatment has to inevitably be multifactoral. Don’t feel that exercise alone is simply going to solve all of its problems. A natural approach can work extremely effectively alongside any medical treatment.

Individuals diagnosed with heart problems are likely to be on several different pills and I have found that clients taking medication tend to be particularly low in certain vitamins and minerals. This corresponds to various studies which have shown that calcium, magnesium and B vitamins are often lacking in individuals with heart disease. You don’t have to go overboard in taking a plethora of extra supplements, I always advocate using food sources where possible. Good fresh juices will often do the job such as an (alkaline) vegetable juice like carrot, apple and ginger. A food based remedy which is a must is garlic. Known as a heart and circulation remedy since Roman times, garlic helps to balance high or low blood pressure. Garlic also has the properties to lower blood cholesterol levels significantly and has so many other beneficial properties that several books have been written just about Garlic!

There are some wonderful herbs that are extremely useful for the heart. One that I highly recommend is Hawthorn. Research in Japan showed that Hawthorn is effective in improving symptoms of mild congestive heart failure, including poor heart function and increased blood pressure, dyspepsia, palpitations and oedema.

Regardless of making relevant adjustments to diet, if the emotional health is not dealt with then there is likely to be continued stress placed upon the heart. Two factors I particularly focus on in this area are dealing with unresolved emotional issues and attitudes towards dealing with stress. Note here that it is often not the stress itself that’s the problem but how we respond to it that matters. One client, a senior executive who came to see me after his heart bypass surgery, found that the operation had helped his heart to function better, but he still had not really addressed the cause - some of his underlying emotional issues. After various discussions and reflections with my client I was able to help him increase his self-awareness, adapt his behavioural patterns and how he responded to his anger and frustrations.

I believe that we can learn a lot about ourselves through illnesses and often it is a time for reflection and opportunity to change. Of course, you don’t have to wait until something goes wrong before doing something about it!

Rumana Zahn is a Naturopath and Medical Herbalist and runs clinics in Newcastle (within a GPs practice), Darlington and the Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall. She is a leader within the field of Natural Medicine and writes and speaks extensively on the subject. Rumana can be contacted on 01325 722803 or visit her website www.rumanahealth.com

Rumana is a member of the British Register of Complementary Practitioners.

 

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