Learn to protect yourself and loved ones from heart disease

Dr. Terry A. Rondberg

Special to the Village News

Heart disease is the No. 1 disease killer in the U.S., taking the lives of about 600,000 people each year – that’s one of every four deaths.

Yet, according to conservative estimates by the American Heart Association, 80 percent of the cases of heart disease and stroke can be prevented. Rather than treat the disease after the fact, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from heart problems before they begin.

To do that we need to live a healthy lifestyle that incorporates scientifically validated wellness techniques, including nutrition, exercise, meditation, and other drug-free, non-invasive approaches to well-being.

"There is much more to the prevention and treatment of heart disease than pills and procedures," explained Stephen Devries, MD, coeditor of the medical journal, Integrative Cardiology.

The first step to take is eliminating any obviously dangerous areas, like obesity, excess alcohol consumption, smoking, or failing to get sufficient physical exercise into your daily routine.

After that, you need to look at your diet and nutrition. While this is a major factor in heart disease, much of the information we receive about a healthy diet is contradictory or confusing. One day, we’re told to eat dark chocolate; the next day, the ‘superfood’ is flax seed and chocolate’s out.

There’s “good” and “bad” cholesterol, soluble and insoluble fiber, saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats – and few people really understand the differences between any of them. Working with wellness professionals who can provide guidance into real life eating choices and special approaches like juicing, detoxing, and drinking ionized alkaline water is essential for those who want to achieve maximum wellness.

Probably the most important factor in heart disease and heart attacks is how your body handles stress. Stress causes a cascade of internal reactions including muscle tension, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

Occasional short-term periods of stress are normal and our bodies have the amazing power to regulate themselves and return to a normal state. But, as the Mayo Clinic explains, “the long-term activation of the stress-response system – and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones – can disrupt almost all your body's processes.”

While meditation, yoga, relaxation, traditional massage, deep breathing, and visualization are useful in managing stress, there are many other things you can do to increase your health.

Most people today associate stress strictly with emotional stress. Yet, physical tension caused by everything from poor body alignment and posture to non-ergonomically designed furniture, can be just as harmful to the system, and creates a loop that produces more stress. The body tension triggers pain and further constriction in nerves and blood vessels. The pain results in more emotional and mental stress, which tenses the muscles, which causes pain, and the cycle continues.

To address this complex situation, I developed a wellness system for correcting interference in your brainstem. Relieving brainstem dysfunction allows the body to work more efficiently and increase total well-being. It also strengthens the immune system which can prevent many diseases and conditions, including heart disease.

The fact is, without toxic drugs or invasive procedures, there are proactive steps you can take to shield yourself from heart disease. For more information on having a brain scan to determine if you have any brain dysfunction, visit http://temeculawellnesscenter.com or call (951) 699-5000.