Aspirin or Fish Oil?

It’s a no-brainer!

Taking a daily aspirin has long been considered a safe way to prevent heart attacks and strokes, because of its blood- thinning effects.  But the FDA has recently reversed this recommendation as a result of several studies that have revealed that the risks outweigh the benefits.  The only exception is for people who’ve already suffered one of those “events” and have already suffered a stroke or heart attack.

Obvious side effects of daily aspirin, even a baby dose of 81 mg, include low grade gastrointestinal bleeding and even ulcers.  But less known effects may be intracranial bleeding, cataracts, and kidney problems.

An even more insidious and rarely mentioned side effect of daily aspirin use has recently come to Angie’s and my attention.  Through new genetic testing,  that we’ll be offering to our clients in the near future, we discovered that it’s possible to have a polymorphism, or genetic alteration, that makes you more susceptible to colon cancer when taking aspirin regularly.

Learn eight much safer ways to decrease your risk of strokes or heart attacks….if you start now and add one new behaviour each week, you’ll have a heart…… and brain healthy…… lifestyle by the New Year!

Fish oil. A much better way to thin the blood, control inflammation and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack is by regular use of Omega 3 fatty acids. Adding a highly absorbable fish oil such as our  Omega Avail, combined with either a Paleo or Mediterranean diet is a foundation for reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.  It’s also great for the joints and brain.

Stress management.  Let’s review why the blood gets thick in the first place?  The stress response.  It’s an early adaptation from those days when we were running for our lives in the jungle or in a sword fight. If our blood was clotting during the stressful event, our chances of bleeding to death if injured were significantly reduced.  The physical activity used up the stress hormones and blood viscosity returned to normal after the “fight” or “ flight”.

These days, our stressful events are most often sedentary and there’s no physical outlet afterwards.   So our blood runs thick and increases the risk of strokes or heart attacks.

We have several excellent adaptogens, which are formulas that help our bodies adapt to stress, that can help reduce the effects of stress.   Call for a free 15 minute consult to see how we can help you with your stress. In the meantime you might want to try one of our adaptogens which include Adrenotone, Endorphinate, Stress Reduction Complex, and CateCholaCalm among others. 

Eat a clean diet of whole foods. Eliminate anything that is GMO or typically allergenic, such as gluten and dairy.  Consider Allergy Testing to determine which specific foods may be triggering inflammation in your body.

Eliminate trans fats.  They turn your blood to sludge and clog your arteries. Use only olive oil or cold pressed canola or any other cold-pressed oils if you like.  Increase the beneficial  fats such as avocados, olives, coconut oil, nuts and seeds and their butters.

Cut down on sugar as much as possible. Anything with more than 5 grams sugar per serving is too sweet.  Even fructose, in fruit, is best limited to about 25 grams per day.  And of course,  don’t replace them with artificial sweeteners.  Your taste buds will adapt.

Increase your intake of raw foods. The enzymes in them digest all kinds of potentially artery-clogging matter in your bloodstream. Aim for about a third of your daily intake to be raw.

Grounding.  Walking in your bare feet ( or socks) on the ground, grass or pavement included, helps to discharge the electrical energy you pick up from daily use of electronics.  Rubber-soled shoes prevent you from absorbing beneficial electrons from the earth and from clearing the disruptive electromagnetic forces from your energy field.   Grounding improves blood viscosity and reduces inflammation.

Being in nature regularly. This is an intangible that has become increasingly important as people are more separated from the earth and her cycles by living in cities or by being anchored to their electronic devices indoors.

I’m adding exercise under nature because I love to exercise outdoors. I prefer walking  dogs, hiking, and yoga on my deck to a gym any day.  But do what you have to in order to get a mix of cardio, weights, and restorative exercise such as yoga, tai chi or qigong. Your body and mind will love you for it!