Tinker With Your Ticker: Five steps to a healthier heart

I am increasingly seeing more and more patients seeking my advice for better management of their cardiovascular health.

Typically, this may include management strategies for their cholesterol and blood pressure.

While I would never recommend anyone stops taking their prescribed medication, there are plenty of wonderful things you can incorporate to work alongside your medical regime, or if you are not taking any medication.

I am a huge fan of cardiologist Dr Ross Walker and his philosophy on better managing his cardiac patients.

Dr Walker is a medical cardiologist that still performs surgeries, prescribes medications and minimises patient risk, but also places high value on dietary and lifestyle factors.

He has even developed natural medicines that stack up in many studies managing high cholesterol and routinely recommends his patients take supplements such as magnesium, Co enzyme Q10, and omega 3s to name a few.

He has five top tips for keeping your ticker healthy which I strongly align with, so I thought I’d share those with you today.

1. Kick the addictions. You know what I’m talking about here. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Naturopathically this also may extend to addictive behaviours that may also cause emotional stress.

2. Get adequate sleep and rest! In bed before 10pm, up before 7am ideally. Melatonin is the body’s most powerful antioxidant. Melatonin levels increase at night, not only making us sleepy, but they aid in healing, repair, detoxification and rejuvenation. Think about melatonin as the legend who mops the floors every day!

3. Good nutrition! Goes without saying, but specifically including lots of whole, fresh foods, as close to their natural state as possible. Fruits and veggies, seafood, a little good quality meat and minimal grains, no sugar. Lots of fresh water and avoidance of the nasties from my first point!

4. Exercise! It’s thought that the sweet spot for exercise is 3-5 hours a week, no more, no less. A combination of moderate, huff and puff exercise like brisk walking with undulations, swimming and something relaxing such as yoga. Restrict stressful exercise such as endurance events or super high impact training.

5. Happiness. It’s so so important. You can do all of the top four things, but if you are not happy, then it loses its potency. Happiness, relaxation, doing things that bring you joy. Volunteer, see friends and be social, start ticking off that bucket list! Life is short, do what brings you peace, calm and happiness.

Bec Winkler is a naturopath with more than 10 years’ experience. She works at the Chiropractic Centre, Jan Juc.