Accordingly to TCM, the heart is the Emperor to all organs, playing a fundamental role in ensuring health of the whole body. This makes protecting it from being attacked by pathogenic factors critical.
There are several ways that TCM can protect the heart’s health, including the following:
Foods
There is a certain time of day that is considered the “heart time” in TCM, 11am-1pm. From 11am-1pm, it is best to provide the heart with nourishment and rest, making it a good time to eat certain foods that are beneficial to the heart’s health, including the following:
- Beets: Eating beets can increase nitric oxide in the body, which helps the heart. They are also rich in iron, making it nourishing to the blood.
- Bitter Chocolates: Bitter chocolate is a good way to tonify the heart, and is especially beneficial when eating it during the designated “heart time.”
- Protein: Eating sensible portions of foods rich in protein, like chicken and beef, eggs, and nuts, seeds, and beans can play a role in supplying enough nutrition to the heart’s blood.
- Dark Green Leafy Vegetables: Naturally dark foods like kale, spinach, kidney beans, and watercress are all considered to be rich in iron and are nourishing to the blood and heart.
Nitric Oxide
There are a variety of Chinese herbal formulas that can help the heart. In fact, many cardiovascular issues are thought to be due to a nitric oxide deficiency, which can be caused by things such as a poor diet, aging, lack of exercise, and smoking.
With the use of Nitric Oxide supplements, you can restore the nitric oxide levels in your body, aiding in your heart’s health.
There are other supplements that are good for the heart such as:
- Nattokinase: Nattokinase has the distinct ability to break down the adhesive substance that makes arterial plaque very sticky. In this way, it supports a preventative and reversing effect on blood clotting and plaque build up in the arteries. This helps to normalize blood pressure, aids in preventing blood clots from forming and aids in the natural dissolution of existing clots and successfully dissolves fibrin and enhances the system’s natural ability to keep blood vessels clean
- Reishi: Used for thousands of years, this herbal supplement not only prevents tissue degeneration, avoiding the occurrence of various diseases, but also oxygenates the body and aids in the improvement of blood circulatory imbalances.
Infrared Sauna Therapy
Infrared saunas has been used for decades to treat a variety of health issues, and have recently become a beneficial tool in restoring the heart’s health.
By inducing a deep sweat to make the heart pump faster, thereby increasing blood flow, infrared saunas offer the ability to lower blood pressure, and help improve the blood’s circulation.
So, whether you are older, unable to exercise regularly, or need to supplement your existing workout, an infrared sauna may be a good solution for improving or maintaining your heart’s health.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is essential in returning the flow of blood and oxygen to normal, as well as reinstating optimal organ function in the body, making this TCM practice one of the best tools for nourishing your whole body and mind.
With its ability to induce relaxation and relieve stress, which are one of the most common causes of high blood pressure, as well as the specific acupuncture points used for hypertension and irregular heart beats, acupuncture has a lot to offer when preventing or treating heart disease.
It is important to note that your lifestyle plays a huge role in your heart’s health, making maintaining a healthy lifestyle of great importance. For more information and to see how we can help you with your heart health, visit Nature’s Balance Acupuncture & Wellness Center today.