With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, consider forgoing that ostentatious card and overpriced bouquet of roses. Instead, think outside the box of chocolates for a gift that’s lasting and much more meaningful—health.
Heart Disease – the Leading Cause of Death
Did you know that heart disease is the primary cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States? In the US, one person dies every 36 seconds from cardiovascular disease.
Of course, we have medication to lower high blood pressure and statins to drive down cholesterol, but those approaches just treat symptoms versus getting to the root cause of heart disease. That’s like treating anxiety by drinking red wine every day. While this habit may make you feel less anxious, the daily consumption of red wine won’t correct the underlying problem.
The Importance of Heart Rate Variability
Heart disease is deeply linked to how your body processes stress. At Intrinsic Care Chiropractic, there’s a measurement we use called Heart Rate Variability (HRV). It shows how well your body can handle stress. “The wiggle in your heart rate is not supposed to be a metronome; it’s supposed to have a little jazz to its rhythm—up when you inhale and down when you exhale,” said Dr. Matthew.
When you breathe in, the sympathetic or stress system turns on. That’s what elevates the heart rate for a moment. When you exhale, the parasympathetic system is running that function. You can consider exhaling the heart’s one vacation, as it gets to slow down and relax.
The amount of variability between the inhale rhythm and the exhale rhythm is a measure of cardiovascular resilience and health. Beyond that, it’s a measurement of overall nervous system health.
Healthy Nervous System-Healthy Heart
Did you know that there’s a huge link between the function of the nervous system and the function of the heart? “Chiropractic done well is one of the biggest things that helps with HRV-with your nervous system’s ability to handle stress,” said Dr. Matthew.
When the nervous system can handle stress well, there’s increased HRV, which shows someone is more resilient to stress and has a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. There are many studies, including this one, that show that someone with a high HRV has a lower risk for heart attack.
What You’ll Discover at the Dinner
At the dinner, we will dive into what are the factors involved with your heart, and how those relate to your head and your mood. Dr. Matthew will share how things that help your heart can also help your head and vice versa, and he will provide some specific exercises that directly impact HRV.
I want people to have the healthiest spine and nervous system possible, because I know how much it affects their health and life.
We look forward to helping you and those you love experience optimal heart and overall health. Join us on February 13th. RSVP today!