Improve Blood Circulation

Grape juice, like red wine, can help prevent blood clots and improve blood circulation.  Resveratrol, commonly found in grapes and other plants, is being studied for its antioxidant properties and its ability to minimize cardiovascular problems.  The “Dr. Sinatra recommended dosage” of Resveratrol is 2–5 mg daily.

Secondly, drinking flavonoid-rich green tea is an easy way to avoid cardiovascular problems and encourage resistance against chronic degenerative diseases, including chronic hypertension, heart attack and stroke.

While plain green tea itself has a delicate flavor, try it in one of the many formulas combining it with lemongrass and other herbs. Add a little honey and lemon, and I think you will find that this healthy heart nutrition tip really is quite delicious. If you can break your coffee habit in the process, you’ll be doubly rewarded, as you’ll also be reducing the amount of caffeine you ingest.

It absolutely amazes me how nature gives us so many opportunities to nurture our bodies and to keep cardiovascular problems at bay.

You may have heard of polyphenols, flavonoids, flavones, Pycnogenol (pine bark), grapeseed, catechins, tannins, quercetin and flavonol. You’ve also probably heard about the benefits of red wine, green tea, and grape juice. All are in the family of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), which are really the cream of the crop.

Discovered about 50 years ago, OPCs are abundant in nature: There are approximately 6,000 flavonoids in the plants around us! These free-radical scavengers are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream where they cross the blood/brain barrier. They show great promise in helping to improve blood circulation and they support blood vessel elasticity, blood stickiness, clotting, plaque buildup, and vein integrity. In addition, they promote healthy blood pressure and good eye health.

You can find grapeseed extract and pine bark extract (under the patented brand name Pycnogenol) in your local health food store.  My “Dr. Sinatra recommended dosage” is 30–60 mg daily.

• numbness of the face or extremities;
• facial drooping, especially the mouth; 
• gait imbalances, staggering, falling;
• problems with numbness or  moving one side of the body (hemi- paresis or hemiparalysis);  and/or
• altered cognition or level of consciousness.

• Mild to intense mid-chest pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Dull pain between the shoulder blades
• Achiness in the jaw
• Pain in left arm or elbow
• Profuse sweating
• Indigestion (often overlooked)
• Nausea

• Dull, aching chest discomfort (vague)
• Acute breathlessness
• Sudden, profound fatigue
• Jaw or neck pain
• Pain in left arm or elbow
• Abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting
• Dizziness, even blackouts
• Vague flu-like symptoms

My campaign to make heart disease a thing of the past is rooted in an ongoing quest to stabilize and root out the calcified plaque that chokes our arteries.

For decades conventional medicine has relied on invasive procedures to unclog our arterial highways but, as most people with cardiovascular problems know, this has been met with very limited success.

That’s why I’m so excited about vitamin K2. K2 gets calcium in the bones, where you want it, and out of your arterial walls, where you certainly don’t want it. Thus, K2 is crucial for both bone and arterial health and is a godsend for individuals with blood circulation problems and other heart risk factors.

Coumadin, the popular blood thinning drug once also thought to be a godsend, works against vitamin K. Researchers suggest that Coumadin inhibits the K2-dependent MGP protein system that keeps calcium out of arterial walls. Thus, Coumadin may actually encourage cardiovascular calcification as an adverse side effect.

As you might imagine, this dilemma has many doctors and holistic health practitioners concerned and our patients with cardiovascular concerns aren’t sure of exactly what to do.

What Should You Do?

If you are taking Coumadin, don’t use any form of vitamin K2 supplement, as it might neutralize the effect of the drug.

On the other hand, vitamin K is critical for your bone and arterial health. Because of this, I tell all of my patients with cardiovascular problems to eat some green leafy vegetables and try to add some cheese and natto (if they can get it) to their diets to get some natural vitamin K. I don’t want them to become vitamin K deficient. I can always adjust their Coumadin level if necessary.

Many people trying to prevent blood clots are taking the blood thinner, Coumadin. But…

There’s something about Coumadin and its cousins that elicits an “anything-but-that-Doc” response from about half the folks who are on it. Many of my patients have asked to discontinue Coumadin because, in addition to the side effects and fear of bleeding, they dislike the nature of the drug (it’s rat poison in high quantities), as well as the discomfort and inconvenience of blood tests every 4–6 weeks.

In fact, whenever I lecture, someone in the audience always asks: “Is there some alternative to Coumadin?” So, let’s review anticoagulants like Coumadin and try and allay some of your concerns.

Before I discuss alternatives to Coumadin, let me tell you why this is the most frequently prescribed anticoagulant. In a nutshell, Coumadin has an unparalleled ability to thin the blood and prevent blood clots. More specifically, studies have shown that Coumadin can protect you from a stroke if you have:

• Mechanical heart valves (their surfaces encourage blood platelets to stick to them).
• Suffered an embolic stroke, one of three types of stroke caused by a fragment or clot of blood pumped from the heart to the brain.
• Atrial fibrillation (AF), where atria fail to contract; blood forms pools and becomes sluggish.
• Had an extensive heart attack (scar tissue weakens heart muscle tissue, which in turn weakens contraction of the left ventricle, possibly allowing blood to stagnate and clot).

Like any drug, Coumadin has side effects. Although the major one is excessive bleeding (bleeding gums, eye hemorrhages, blood in the urine and even a few bleeds in the brain), other rare reactions include weakness, cold sensations, itchy skin, fever and abdominal discomfort.

Indeed, blood thinning is a double-edged sword. While anticoagulants help prevent thrombotic and embolic strokes, I have to bear in mind that the risk of a stroke-induced hemorrhage is higher for those on Coumadin.

So now you can see why people trying to prevent blood clots struggle with this popular anticoagulant and often ask to trade it in for aspirin or other blood-thinning alternatives.

How Yolan Chose To Prevent Blood Clots

Yolan, 78, suffered with cardiovascular problems and, consequently, had a heart attack a few years ago. She began taking Coumadin but reported that she just didn’t feel right. Yolan experienced several unusual body sensations, which she attributed to the drug.

Against her doctor’s wishes, Yolan went off Coumadin and her symptoms abated. She now takes 324 mg of aspirin every other day (more about aspirin in a moment) and says she feels much better.

I’ve gotta tell you, folks, the decision to go off Coumadin can be a very difficult one; patients and their doctors often struggle together for the right answer. So let me offer some guidelines to help make this decision easier for you.

Coumadin is your best therapy—mandatory even—to prevent blood clots if you have mechanical heart valves. Studies show that it’s more effective than aspirin with other anti-platelet drugs. It should also be your first choice if you’ve suffered an embolic stroke.

Coumadin has been shown to protect patients with left ventricular clots and from AF, which can cause thrombotic strokes. Now, if you have AF, a common cardiac condition—you may wonder if you can take aspirin instead of Coumadin. If you have AF, your best bet is still Coumadin. If you’re not on conventional blood thinners like Coumadin, your risk of stroke is at least 5–6 times greater than those who are. This in itself is a disaster! In fact, approximately 75,000 strokes a year are attributed to AF.

Remember, with AF, the upper chambers of the heart may fail to empty completely, creating a perfect breeding ground for blood clots and poor blood circulation. As clots are formed and pumped out from the heart, they can wander around in the bloodstream until they find a vessel too small to get through and then you can have a major log jam in the brain, the leg, the kidney, in fact, anywhere at all. But the carotid artery is the number one spot to worry about because it’s a direct shot to the brain as the blood is pumped out of the left ventricle.

At least 90 percent of my AF patients take Coumadin; the other 10 percent take aspirin. But aspirin is less effective for preventing clots and strokes, particularly in women and people over 75. The best advice I can give anyone with more than two episodes of AF a year is to take Coumadin. If you have fewer episodes of AF and no other health problems like diabetes, congestive heart failure, leaking heart valves, or an enlarged heart, aspirin is a second choice.

As a cardiologist and a holistic health practitioner, I take blood pressure levels of every patient who comes into my office. And sadly enough, oftentimes, I find that that their blood pressure levels are too high. As you probably know, high blood pressure levels are often a precursor to serious cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke, so this is a situation that I take very seriously.

Some of these patients, however, tell me that they are doing all they can to control high blood pressure and that when they go home and measure it themselves, their blood pressure levels are normal. Occasionally they’ll ask if the instruments in my office are off, or if my staff misread the result.

The actual problem, however, is a common condition called white-coat hypertension (WCH). It’s used to describe people who become anxious over a visit to a physician, dentist, or medical facility. The visit evokes a fight-or-flight response, and their blood pressure levels go up.

Research has shown that abnormally high blood pressure readings in a medical setting could be more than just a benign byproduct of anxiety.  Although the condition is poorly understood, WCH could be a precursor to high blood pressure levels, poor blood circulation, and other cardiovascular problems.

A Danish study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension found a heightened cardiovascular event risk for patients with WCH over a 10-year period. A Japanese study reported in the journal Hypertension Research suggests that WCH contributes to carotid arteriosclerosis. And in another Japanese medical report, based on eight years of observation, researchers suggest that WCH is a “transitional condition to hypertension” and may carry a “poor cardiovascular prognosis.”

If you experience WCH, I suggest you take the following high blood pressure remedies to get it under control and avoid potential cardiovascular problems:

• Introduce a regular stress-reduction program into your life. That could include activities such as exercise, tai-chi, meditation, or yoga. This is a wonderful way of lowering blood pressure naturally.
• Watch the salt (again). This cardiovascular nutrition tip can’t be stressed enough.
• Start taking blood pressure-friendly supplements on a daily basis—such as fish oil (2,000-3,000 mg), magnesium (400-800 mg), hydrosoluble CoQ10 (50-150 mg), and a garlic supplement high in allicin (500-1,000 mg). You can find these supplements in most health food stores.

One of the many things you can do to control high blood pressure levels is to carefully watch your salt intake. Doing so is one of those simple high blood pressure remedies that doesn’t involve a doctor’s visit or a pill -- and that’s a very good thing!

Your body requires sodium (a component of salt) to regulate fluid balance and distribution, as well as nerve and muscle cell function. But, while you need some sodium, the standard diet includes way too much. This is one of the reasons why so many people have blood pressure levels that are too high and suffer with a myriad of other cardiovascular problems.

The current recommendation for salt consumption is less than 2,400 mg of sodium a day, which amounts to about one teaspoon of salt. Recent research suggests that people ingesting less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day are better able to maintain healthy blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure levels, you should definitely aim for that number. Don’t use salt from the shaker, and read labels to add up the amount you’re taking in.

Many items at fast food restaurants are high in salt, so you can easily exceed the recommended level with one serving.   That’s why I’ve always strongly urged people who are looking for natural ways to lower blood pressure levels, improve blood circulation, or to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke to avoid fast food restaurants. Going to one once in a while is okay for most people, but regular visits are a sure way to cause cardiovascular problems.

You can easily make up for the reduced salt in your diet by cooking with fresh herbs and spices such as basil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, chives, parsley, and onion. What’s more, all of these flavorings contain natural substances that make them good for any cardiovascular nutrition program, but also good for your overall health.

In the past I've spoken to the medicinal properties of dark chocolate, as well as its life extension and overall health benefits. Well, more recently, we've received some additional scientific data on the cardio-protective aspects of chocolates and cocoas.

As early as 2000, Internal Medicine News featured three separate studies—all of which concluded that dark chocolate and cocoa might actually be good for your heart. The studies were small, but placebo-controlled and double-blinded, so the data is meaningful even though the sample size is limited. (Maybe they just had trouble finding enough folks willing to share their "choc-a-lot" habits!? )

The researchers made a determination that certainly raises my eyebrows: They found that dark chocolate has a positive impact on platelet activity similar to a baby aspirin! In addition, they identified that dark chocolate has a strong antioxidant effect, is "endothelial cell friendly," and causes relaxation of the inner lining of blood vessels. Who'd have ever guessed it? No wonder we give chocolate hearts to those we love for Valentine's Day.

All kidding aside, there is something in dark chocolate that promotes the formation of nitric oxide and improves blood circulation in your blood vessels. But what is it in chocolate that's so medicinal?

Dark chocolate contains compounds called "procyanidins" that have potent metabolic effects. Research performed at the University of California demonstrated that the polyphenol activity of dark chocolate is similar to a class of antioxidants found in red wine, black and green tea, apples, and onions.

Remember, onions contain quercetin, a potent polyphenol that helps prevent the oxidation of LDL. But recent research has determined that the polyphenols in dark chocolate are more potent than the antioxidants in red wine.

In one study, the 205 mg of procyanidins in 1.5 oz. of chocolate were found to have antioxidant activity comparable to a small glass of red wine. And, as you might be wondering when you're deciding between a white or dark chocolate Easter bunny, not all chocolates are created equal. Dark chocolate health benefits are increased because it has the most polyphenol activity, while white chocolate has essentially zip, nada, zilch!

In fact, one study compared white chocolate to dark chocolate with 10 men and 10 women age 25 to 56 years old. They all fasted overnight. Then the "experimental group" ate an 80-g chocolate bar containing 557 mg of procyanidins, while the "controls" nibbled on a white chocolate bar.

Blood samples taken two hours later revealed that the study group had a definite rise in antioxidant activity, which reverted to normal within six hours. In essence, this finding was similar to previous experimentation with red wine. There was no change in antioxidant activity in the control group.

Dark Chocolate vs. "The Grape"

Two glasses of red wine increase the antioxidant activity in your blood for up to 4 hours, offering you some protection from the harmful effects of lipid peroxidation [excessive free radical stress occurring in blood vessels]. Lipid peroxidation is the first step in the accelerated aging of your blood vessels and increased risk of plaque formation.

Although red wine in moderation (about one 6-oz. glass every other day) is reasonable, the daily intake of red wine can injure liver cells, and result in liver dysfunction. Keep in mind that although the French have a low incidence of heart disease, they also have the highest incidence of cirrhosis in the world.

So, instead of reaching for the red wine, you might want to consider some dark chocolate. With this recent data, even I don't feel as guilty when I treat myself to dark chocolate.

Choc-a-little, Not a Lot

Now, with all this favorable research, do we have a license to eat chocolate at will? Sorry. Remember that chocolate contains sugars, caffeine, and trans fatty acids. As in all things, moderation is the key.

If you have considered chocolate and cocoas an absolute no-no, it's time to reevaluate. The dark chocolate health benefits are increasingly clear and these foods can be consumed safely on a limited basis. But if you're the kind of person to sit down with a large bag of M&Ms and scarf them while watching a movie, you're overdoing a good thing. You'll do yourself more harm than good with such habits.

An additional caution is that dark chocolate can act as a trigger-food or stimulant for people with an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). And, if you're diabetic, you must factor in the blood sugar problems that any sweet can cause and decide if chocolate is safe for you. The dark chocolate health benefits are not for everyone.

For the rest of you, the next time you want to have that dark chocolate bar, don't beat yourself up about it. Just savor, enjoy, and know that you're practicing good healthy heart nutrition. You might even have more warm, fuzzy feelings toward others (especially if they gave you the chocolate).

I can’t say enough about the health benefits of exercise. It strengthens the heart and circulatory system, builds stamina, and improves mood. It’s also an effective means for lowering blood pressure levels, increasing HDL cholesterol, and improving poor blood circulation.

I’m often asked what the best form of exercise is. I say it’s the one you will consistently do! Walking, dancing, cycling, lifting weights—it doesn’t matter. The goal of exercise is simply to get out and get moving.

That said, I have to admit I’m a big fan of walking. It’s simple, doesn’t require special equipment or a gym membership, and it can help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. In a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 4,065 nurses ages 40 to 65, without cardiovascular disease or cancer, completed detailed physical activity questionnaires. The surveys revealed that walking was associated with reduced risk of stroke.

Walking is easy to incorporate in your day. Walk up and down stairs instead of taking elevators. Steadily increase the distance while walking your dog. Instead of parking in the closest space to the store or office entrance, park at the far end of the parking lot. Consider walking short distances for errands instead of driving.

If you’ve been inactive for a while, start slow. Walk 10 minutes every other day for one week. Each week, increase your time by increments of 5 or 10 minutes. Within a month, you’ll be taking 30-minute strolls. Do this every other day, and you’ll have a good workout routine. Five days a week is optimal.

As for speed, you don’t have to maintain a brisk pace. Actual walking speed isn’t as important as we’ve been led to believe. In fact, researchers in the JAMA study I mentioned found that speed didn’t matter; it was the length of time women walked that was significant.

Simple, right? If you agree, lace up those sneakers and get out there. It’s one of the simplest—and most effective—steps you can take (literally) to prevent heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.

 

Now that the summer is in full force, you are likely hooking up the barbeque and gathering with friends to enjoy dinner in the great outdoors. As enjoyable as these get-togethers can be, research has shown that grilling meat at high temperatures can create a number of harmful compounds.

High heat from an open flame creates COPs, highly carcinogenic compounds that are similar to the oxidized cholesterol found in your bloodstream. Along with the COPs, high heat creates other groups of harmful compounds, including heterocyclic amines (HCAs), compounds that have been found to increase your risk of several of the most common kinds of cancer, including breast, prostate, colon, and stomach cancers.

Tasty Ways to Protect Your BBQ

Fortunately, a marinade consisting of 10 percent plain soy sauce and one percent sugar has been found to cut the production of COPs by more than 60 percent. Plus, additional research also shows that adding tart cherries, red grapes, or plums (all good sources of pigmented antioxidants) to hamburger meat can cut HCA formation by 94 percent.

While it’s easy enough to mix some soy sauce or a handful of crushed cherries or grapes into a pound of lean hamburger or ground turkey, I prefer to use a marinade for my favorite fish. Not only do you get delicious protection from the potentially harmful side effects of grilling, but you get the heart-health benefits of omega-3s, including increased HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, improved blood circulation, and reduced risk for heart attack and stroke.

So eat up and enjoy how delicious healthy heart nutrition can taste!

A Taste of the Orient

This taste delight combines the protection of soy sauce with the essential fatty acid and fiber benefits of nuts. I find this marinade works best with a mild fish such as halibut.

1/2 cup organic almond butter

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon raw honey

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Warm almond butter in small saucepan over medium low heat.
2. When slightly softened, add soy sauce and remaining ingredients and blend well.
3. Remove from heat and pour into large, shallow bowl.
4. Add your fish and marinate in refrigerator for one to three hours.
5. Can also be used as a sauce.