Healthy Habits: Heart Disease Triggers

When it comes to heart disease, we’re mostly familiar with the triggers that our doctors tell us about. Lack of exercise, bad diet, etc. But did you know one of the biggest factors that can lead to heart disease is your environment?  

Environmental specialist Douglas Mulhall has uncovered that there is much more than what meets the eye when it comes to the why and how we lose the elasticity in our fibers which can lead to heart disease.

“It was hard to establish cause-and-effect for some of these triggers until advanced diagnostics were developed to detect them. Likewise, technologies weren’t available until recently to treat things like degraded elastic in arteries, and the calcification that comes with it. As a result, a huge healthcare industry grew up around treating symptoms. It’s tough to change the direction of that inertia. Also, many healthcare professionals receive no environmental training, so they don’t consider environmental triggers,” says Mulhall.

Here are Mulhall’s top five heart disease triggers that current therapies don’t target

Trigger #1: Toxic metals
Buy certified organic foods that keep out pesticides and artificial fertilizers containing heavy metals. Organic isn’t foolproof, but it’s usually better for this than non-organic. Use filtration to remove harmful microparticles from the air and water in your home and office. If you cook with open flame, use a ventilation hood & fan over your stove. Get tested for low levels of toxic metals. Investigate with your doctor methods for removing metals from your tissue, including nutraceuticals. Above all, don’t smoke. 

Trigger #2: Infections
First and foremost, wash your hands and practice good oral hygiene. A lot of infections start with hand contact and in the mouth. Keep your gut microbiome in good shape, many chronic infections start with the gut. If you have the resources, get your blood proteomics checked for stealth infections. 

Trigger #3: Chronic noise
If you live in a noisy area, consider having soundproofing windows and doors installed or retrofitted. Try noise-canceling headphones (I use those a lot). Move your bedroom to a quieter part of your home. Take steps to get rid of the source of the noise, if those don’t work, consider moving, if that is an option for you. Noise pollution should not be underestimated as a source of health concerns.

Trigger #4: Nutrition
There are many diets out there and one size doesn’t fit all, but the ones to pay attention to are those that use anti-inflammatory foods. Books by Caldwell Esselstyn, Joel Kahn, and other physicians who advise on plant-based nutrition can be a great resource for this. Doing things like avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and getting your weight down to levels considered healthy for your body type are also beneficial. Optimize your microbiome and its ability to properly digest and process the foods you do eat. What you choose to eat and not eat plays a major role in wellbeing.

Trigger #5: Emotional stress
This is a tough one because stress is constant these days, but try to limit piling one stressor on top of another. Investigate stress coping techniques. Read books like The Soul of Purpose by Jaya Jaya Myra. Get more exercise. Fight stress with good nutrition (nutrition is directly connected to mental health as well as both serotonin and dopamine production in the body). And as Monty Python says, always look on the bright side of life.

Finally, don’t rely on standard healthcare to keep you informed about the latest technologies. Do your own research.