did you know that over a 100 million us adults have high blood pressure that's nearly one in every three people hi I'm Barbara O'Neal your friendly neighborhood expert here to help you navigate the twists and turns of heart health and blood pressure you may not know this but this stuff really matters high blood pressure doubles the risk of heart disease and stroke too leading causes of death it's like a ticking Time Bomb yet despite these Stark facts about half of those with high blood pressure don't have it under control but before you start panicking let
me assure you this is something we can tackle together and effectively too so friends let's get this conversation started and take control of our heart health shall We heart health is more than a number it's about a healthier happier you and I can't wait to be your guide on this journey heart disease is the number one killer in the world today so what I'd like to look at today is heart disease preventable is can heart disease be conquered can the arteries be cleaned out can the heart be strengthened but when you understand that the human
body has been designed to heal itself I think you'll realize that the answer to all those questions is yes and we've seen some incredible turnarounds in the health Retreats that I've been running so what I'd like to look at is I'd like to start with a Bible verse and it's found in Proverbs 4:23 where the Bible says keep the heart with all diligence because out of it are the issues of life so keep the heart with all diligence meaning we're going to look after this heart we've got to strengthen this heart and it can be
strengthened so we're going to look at that and then the next part says because out of it are the issues of Life Leviticus 1711 the Bible says that the life of the flesh is in the blood and we know that the that the heart is the pump that pumps the blood all through the human body so any part of the body that is not getting blood will actually die it'll quickly die so there are some simple treatments that can strengthen the heart there are some simple herbs and things that can keep that blood nice and
thin and even open and strengthen the arterial walls but what the heart is is it's a muscle so let's have a look what the muscle is made up of it's made up of cells and as we've looked at a few times this week the glucose goes into the cell under the action of insulin and we're going to be looking at insulin in a little bit more detail after the break so the insulin is the key that unlocks the door to get the glucose into the cell when the glucose gets into the cell it goes through
a 20-step pathway and this 20-step pathway delivers two units of energy the end result of the 20-step pathway is a chemical form of glucose and this chemical form of glucose is called pyruvate pyruvate is the chemical form of glucose gets fed into the what's often called the PowerHouse of the cell called the PowerHouse of the cell because this eight-step pathway delivers to US 36 units of energy what makes the difference is oxygen whereas the 20-step pathway does not use oxygen the 20-step pathway creates energy by the process of fermentation achieving a healthy heart involves adopting
a holistic approach to Wellness regular physical activity such as aerobic exercises and strength training not only strengthens the heart muscle but also improves circulation and helps maintain optimal blood pressure a balanced diet rich in fruits vegetables whole grains and lean proteins provides essential nutrients and antioxidants that support heart health avoiding excessive consumption of processed foods saturated fats and sugars can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases additionally managing stress through relaxation techniques like meditation yoga or Hobbies can lower blood pressure and reduce the strain on the heart adequate sleep is crucial as it allows the
body to repair and rejuvenate promoting overall cardiovascular health monitoring cholesterol levels and maintaining a healthy weight are also vital components of heart disease prevention so we're going to look at a few things this afternoon we're going to look at blood we're going to look at the vessels that pump the blood and we're going to look at the pump which is the heart how can we keep the heart with our diligence exercise is the very condition of life of the human body activity activity is life and activity or exercise is the number one uh best way
to strengthen the heart stagnant pools breed disease and stagnant bodies breed disease when I was in Brazil a few weeks ago I had an excellent interpreter in fact he one of the best interpreters I've had and there's been some good ones I would say something and he' just jump in and say it and then I said the phrase stagnant bod's breed disease and he went I don't know Brazil didn't seem to have a word for stagnant so whenever I a body that is not moving let me give you an illustration my son Peter he's 38
now but about 10 years ago he was training for a triathlon he was running up and down the hills behind Brisbane great way to train up the hills high intensity down the hill a little bit of slack and he's a Tyler and at that point he was retiling an old bathroom that had been done in about the 50s you know those big chunky ceramic uh vanity units and it had a big chip in it and he was getting it out it slipped out of his hand and that that bit that was cut hit the corner
of his ankle and I think if he hadn't had a bone there might have just taken his foot off and the blood hit the roof and he yelled out to my other son my older son who's about 8 years older James and said and he said James and apparently James said I'm on the phone mate I tell you that to show you there was a little delay and Peter apparently said help now so James rushed in and by the time James rushed in the whole of the ceiling and the and the walls had this beautiful
spray of blood all over it so of course they pinched it bound it and took it to the Hospital why did Peter's blood hit the roof well the nurse kept testing is feeling his pulse cuz it was 50 beats per minute she couldn't believe that it was 50 beats per minute why was it 50 beats per minute because he's running up and down Hills and the stronger the heart gets the less it beats because it is so strong it's like this it's gush rest gush rest so it's having a great rest but he's so strong
it doesn't have to beat that much because every beat is so strong it delivers quite a nice amount of blood now if Peter's heart rate resting heart rate had been 80 beats per minute the blood wouldn't hit the roof the blood would have gone but that heart would have been going booom gosh booom gosh booom gosh how much rest booom gosh rest B gosh rest how much rest is Peter's heart getting bo gosh rest can you see how much more rest his heart is getting just by exercise and this is nothing to do with genetics
it's actually how much we use our body so the more you exercise the more you challenge your heart and the stronger that your heart gets and there's one form of exercise we already looked at this earlier that gets the heart beating at such a rate more effectively than any other type and it's the high-intensity interval training which is the exercise that Peter was doing which you will automatically do up and down Hills and it's those periods of high intensity that put a challenge on the heart not a challenge to weaken it but a challenge to
strengthen it regular physical activity offers numerous benefits Beyond just heart health it improves overall circulation increases energy levels and helps maintain a healthy weight EX exercise also boosts mental health by reducing stress anxiety and depression while improving mood and Sleep Quality engaging in a variety of physical activities can keep exercise interesting and enjoyable reducing the likelihood of burnout to maintain a healthy heart it's essential to combine aerobic exercises like running or cycling with strength training and flexibility exercises aerobic exercises enhance cardiovascular endurance while strength training builds muscle mass and supports metabolic Health flexibility exercises such
as yoga or stretching improve range of motion and prevent injuries it's also crucial to incorporate physical activity into daily routines simple actions like taking the stairs instead of the elevator walking or cycling to work and engaging in Recreational Sports can make a significant difference remember consistency is key Reg moderate exercise is more beneficial than occasional intense workouts number two is sunshine there are 2,500 recepto sites on the DNA for vitamin D did you get some vitamin D today the sunshine is important yes you can overdo it and you can underdo it you're the doctor there
your body will tell you if you get bir it's a clear sign what have you you're done you've overdone it take your watch because if you wait till you feel like it if you feel burned you you've you've already been burning for 10 minutes you got to go carefully if you're not used to Sun go carefully moderation is key when it comes to sun exposure it's essential to balance getting enough sunlight to synthesize adequate vitamin D while avoiding overexposure that can lead to Sunburn and increase the risk of skin cancer early morning or late afternoon
sun is generally less intense making these times ideal for getting sunlight without as much risk of burning wearing protective clothing and using sunscreen can also help manage your sun exposure safely remember vitamin D is crucial for many bodily functions including bone health and immune system support however your body's response to sunlight can vary based on skin type geographic location and the time of year it's a good idea to educate yourself about how much sun is appropriate for you personally Consulting with a health care professional can provide guidance tailored to your specific needs taking these precautions
ensures you get the benefits of sunlight without the drawbacks number three there are some things that must stop if you want to keep your heart with all diligent so what stops if we want to keep the heart with all diligent caffeine caffeine causes a crisis response and whenever there's a crisis in your body your body naturally raises blood pressure in preparation because you're about to do the run or the climb or the file of your life as usually happens in a crisis but actually the person's just sitting in the coffee shop or in in the
kitchen and there is actually no crisis even though a crisis was created but meantime the blood pressure has gone up so now the body reacts and adapts to that rise to try and bring out the balance and that's why when you come to the retreat and stop the coffee oh the headaches come additionally caffeine stimulates the central nervous system which can lead to increased heart rate and a heighten state of alertness over time this constant state of arousal can lead to chronic stress on the cardiovascular system increasing the risk of heart disease and hypertension moreover
caffeine can disrupt sleep patterns leading to inadequate rest and recovery for your heart and body lack of proper sleep is another significant factor that can contribute to cardiovascular issues another important aspect to consider is that caffeine is a diuretic which means it can lead to dehydration dehydration affects the balance of electrolytes in your body essential for maintaining normal heart function when you are dehydrated your heart has to work harder to pump blood putting additional strain on it what I'd like to look at now is C pepper C pepper is a remarkable herb C pepper is
a blood mover and Leviticus 1711 in the Bible it says the life of the flesh is in the blood and BAS basically that's what hot and gos are doing they're moving the blood and C pepper will bring blood to an area C pepper can be used internally and it can be used externally internally it can be used for a sore throat you might think well that's the last thing you feel like taking if you've got a sore throat if you take it yes it'll tingle but when the tingle settles down within a couple of minutes
you'll find that the sore throat has has been relieved and you'll notice that it's in the flu bomb you can also take it for low hydrochloric acid if someone's um has a lot of bloating that can be low hydrochloric acid see this will wake anything up internally out of the gut and into the blood it thins the blood what it will also do is it'll open the capillaries and it will strengthen the arterial walls so it's a great additive to people who who've had a stroke or who've had a heart attack they're often put on
blood thinners no need for blood thinners you can uh take the can pepper how much you might start with a/4 of a teaspoon in a little water three times a day personally I think it's the easiest way to take it4 of a teaspoon into a third of a cup of water and just throw it down might tingle a little but then it settles quickly some people love it and put it on their food three times a day three times a day build build up to half a teaspoon three times someone can't handle that they could
have maybe a capsule three times a day if someone's coming off medication it's important to have it three times a day can pepper can be used externally and where you use can pepper externally and you might be surprised at what I'm about to say if someone's had a cut and you sprinkle that into the cut it'll stop the bleeding and it can even help to pull the cut together obviously there might be some serious cuts that might need stitches and you might also remember the other day I talked about Pine Pitch Pine pitch can be
poured into a deeper cut and as that dries it'll seal it but can pepper can be used to stop bleeding with a cut can pepper can also be used to bring blood to an area and when a person has had chemotherapy often they suffer from peripheral neuropathy which means they lose feeling in their feet and I am told that this is an incredibly uncomfortable um experience one man said I can't feel my feet but when I go to bed at night it feels like there are two rocks hanging on the end of my legs it
is so uncomfortable and so what we did was we we uh put cayenne pepper compressors on the bottom of his feet cayenne pepper supports cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol levels regular consumption can improve overall heart health and decrease the risk of heart disease it's also known to enhance circulation ensuring that new nutrients and oxygen are efficiently delivered throughout the body in the realm of respiratory Health cayenne pepper can help clear congestion and improve breathing it acts as an expectorant helping to break up mucus and Flem making it easier to expel this
makes it a valuable remedy during colds and respiratory infections I'm so grateful to have you here today as we explore heart health and blood pressure remember the path to a healthier you is a long-term Endeavor that requires meaningful lifestyle changes I wholeheartedly urge you to use the knowledge you've gained from our talk and integrate it into your daily routine even the tiniest alterations in your habits can usher in remarkable improvements over time and remember I'm always here if you have any queries or want to discuss your experiences feel free to connect with me anytime I
wish you the very best for your health and well-being hoping that this journey of yours towards a healthier and more contented self is filled with accomplishments and joy
