How to Tackle Inflammation

Want to lower your cardiovascular risk?

Start by tackling inflammation.

Because even though we all hear a lot about managing blood pressure and cholesterol, in functional medicine we dig deeper for the root cause.

One of those potential causes is often a low-grade and chronic inflammation—also known as “inflamm-aging.”

🩺 Research shows that this type of inflammation can trigger the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which are responsible for heart attacks and strokes.

Aside from increased blood pressure, some other signs of chronic inflammation can be:

💥 Joint stiffness

💥 Muscle aches

💥 Skin rashes

💥 Autoimmunity

💥 Brain fog

💥 Anxiety or depression

I don’t recommend self-diagnosis (what you actually have is probably a lot less scary than what you think!).

The best way to address your health and root-causes that might put you at risk for a heart attack, stroke, or other chronic disease is to work with a qualified practitioner.

When we work with our clients, we create individualized protocols to:

✔️ Optimize your diet with anti-inflammatory foods like colorful fruits, veggies, and healthy fats

✔️ Find enjoyable daily movement

✔️ Customize supplements to save money and maximize impact

✔️ Relieve stress in ways that work best for you

✔️ Address specific risks based on your history, conditions, and labs

If any of this is resonating with you, comment “next steps!” and we’ll send you info on getting started with our practice.

❤️ You’ve got this—and we’re here to support you in optimizing your health every step of the way.

3 Nutrients Your Heart Will L🩷VE!

You’ve heard about fiber and omega-3s, but what about these hidden gems for your heart?

🩷 Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 acts like a traffic controller for calcium. It helps direct calcium to where it belongs—your bones—reducing the risk of arterial calcification.. Food sources: Fermented foods (especially natto), hard cheeses, and egg yolks.

🩷 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Your heart works 24/7, and CoQ10 is essential for keeping it energized. It powers your heart cells and protects them from oxidative damage. It’s especially important for anyone taking statins, as these medications can lower CoQ10 levels. Food sources: Fatty fish and organ meats.

🩷 Magnesium

Known as “the great relaxer,” magnesium supports heart health by relaxing blood vessels and maintaining healthy blood pressure. Food sources: Leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate.

While you can get these nutrients from food, supplements can sometimes fill in the gaps. But supplements aren’t one-size-fits-all—they can interact with medications or other nutrients. That’s why working with a qualified practitioner is so important.

Curious about working with us to optimize your nutrition and supplements?

We look at your unique health history, risk factors, and lab results to create a supplement protocol tailored just for you.

Visit our website to schedule your initial visit with Dr. Cantrell! Let's get started!

#elementsnatmed #hearthealth #heartfactsforwomen #cardiachealth #heartmonth #colga #naturalmedicine

❤️ Heart Facts for Women ❤️

February is HEART health month!

Did you know that heart health research has only recently started focusing on the unique differences between men and women?

Let’s break this down:

❤️ Heart disease is the #1 killer of women worldwide.

Yes, the leading cause of death—even in high-income countries like the US. This statistic spans race and ethnicity, which means it’s something we all need to pay attention to.

❤️ Menopause dramatically impacts heart risk.

Estrogen naturally protects the heart. That’s why, if two women are the same age, the postmenopausal woman’s risk of a cardiovascular event is double that of the premenopausal woman. And those hot flashes and night sweats? They’ve been specifically linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure.

❤️ Women have other unique heart health risk factors.

Conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, PCOS, and endometriosis can increase heart disease risks. These are challenges male bodies never deal with.

❤️ Heart symptoms are often misdiagnosed in women.

Studies show women with heart disease symptoms are twice as likely as men to be told that it’s just ‘stress’ or ‘anxiety.’

❤️ Heart attacks present differently in women.

Sure, chest pain is common, but women often experience less obvious symptoms like pain in the neck, jaw, throat, arm, or back—plus dizziness, nausea, heartburn, or sheer exhaustion.

Save this post! Knowing these facts could literally save a life.

Drop a ❤️ in the comments if you learned something in this post—or send it to a friend to spread the word.

Wired but Tired?

Ever get to the end of the day and just crash?

Or maybe you feel “wired but tired”—as if your nervous system is ramped up and yet you have nothing left to give.

The problem *might* be that you aren’t giving your nervous system any chance to rest and reset throughout the day.

I get it!

Society expects us to be going non-stop.

It’s just that our bodies (and especially our nervous systems) were not built for that.

One of the best ways to support nervous system regulation is to build in periods of intentional rest to your day.

This can look different for different people.

You might:

✨ get up from your desk every hour to stretch

✨ set reminders to close your eyes for two minutes and breathe

✨ allow 5 extra minutes on your lunch break to sit in your car and listen to music

The point is to schedule rest breaks into your day.

These breaks act like a reset button for your nervous system so that you won’t feel so fried at the end of the day.

Have you tried this? What’s your experience?

The Goal is Not to Always Feel Calm...

Having a regulated nervous system does not mean you will feel calm all the time.

What it means is that your nervous system can respond to any given situation in a healthy way:

To be resilient.

When your nervous system is regulated and resilient, you’re able to:

✨ experience emotions without letting them take over your life

✨ notice when you feel stressed and come back to center

✨ rest without feeling like you need to justify it

Not only that, but the nervous system connects your brain to every organ of your body.

So with a regulated nervous system, it becomes easier to heal your:

✨ gut

✨ skin

✨ hormones

✨ metabolism

✨ mood & more

In functional medicine, we are always looking for the root cause and removing obstacles getting in the way of healing.

Nervous system dysregulation can be one of those obstacles.

Like this post ❤️ if you want to be sure to see more on strategies to support your nervous system!