The electrical conduction system of the heart is dependent upon the availability of the proper level of vitamins and minerals in the body. Unfortunately, our foods are often deficient in minerals because of poor soil resulting from farming methods geared toward mass production. A plant will only take from the soil what the soil has to give. Large farms only replenish the soil with the few chemicals needed to grow large beautiful crops that will draw big prices. The vitamin/mineral content is not an issue. In fact, you may have to eat 6 bushels of tomatoes today to get the same nutrition your grandmother might have gotten from one tomato when she was a child.
The vitamins and minerals that do exist in our foods are often poorly absorbed by us because of, among other things, the consumption of carbonated beverages with our meals which block the absorption of nutrients. It has long been known that drinking a coke after ingesting lead works very well to almost completely block the absorption of lead into the bloodstream thus preventing lead poisoning.
Other contributing factors are microwave cooking, pre-cooked foods, pasteurization, and purification methods that kill beneficial bacteria and destroy the enzymes that we need for proper digestion. Heat destroys enzymes and time destroys the potency of vitamins. Without the enzymes, we can't absorb the nutrients. In addition, medicated livestock, petrochemicals, and preserved foods compound the problem by blocking our ability to produce our own enzymes thus contributing to a weakened immune system.
What happens to a person with heart disease?
As the heart weakens, blood flow and oxygen levels progressively diminish. The immune system responds by directing the heart to keep blood flowing, especially to vital internal organs. If you are diagnosed with heart disease, conventional medical therapy will be directed at managing the symptoms.
Some of the common symptoms associated with heart attack are: chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, palpitations or heart throbbing, dizziness or lightheadedness, sweating, nausea or vomiting, weakness or fatigue, jaw or neck pain, and upper back pain. It is important to note that some people experience no chest pain at all.
Once the diagnosis is clear, the first step is to use prescription medication to regulate the heartbeat and suppress the hormones that affect blood pressure. If the internal nervous system is highly activated, beta blocking medications are used to minimize this nervous stimulation of the heart. While these medications are directed at the symptoms, they are really addressing the clinical signs that are secondary to the immune system's efforts to save itself.
These medications, while often lifesaving initially, block the body's natural response to long-term healing. Holistically, the next step is to shift our attention to the immune system and its overreaction to the problem. Once your condition is stabilized and your doctor is satisfied with the clinical response, it is time to address the body's nutritional needs.
What can you do to help yourself if you have heart disease?
There is no better place to start than with diet and the ingestion of adequate amounts of heart healthy nutrients. A well-balanced diet containing plenty of fiber is extremely important. Eat plenty of raw foods, fish, turkey, chicken and nuts (no peanuts) especially almonds. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, homogenized milk, sugar and licorice. Replace table salt with Celtic sea salt and make sure your drinking water is pure--no chlorine, etc. The main goal is to first, get the proper nutrients to the heart, then help the heart utilize them...something much easier said than done.
There are various ways to accomplish this. On the following pages, I have summarized some of them in a format you can share with your doctor. Not all of the items mentioned will be right for you but some will be. If your doctor seems unknowledgable or uninterested, I would consider finding a conventional doctor who is also in-the-know about alternative medicine.