| February has been set aside as National Heart Awareness Month which helps raise attention to heart disease. According to The American Heart Association®, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.
Ayurveda associates diseases of the heart to one’s blood chemistry, including hormones and toxicity. Fermentation of food in the digestive tract causes aggravation in the blood which leads to heart palpitations. Fermentation happens when we’re unable to digest the foods we eat. It might start out with gas, bloating, indigestion and/or constipation which then create toxicity in the blood leading to heart palpitations. The definition of Heart Palpitations is when there is a noticeable increase in the rhythm of your heartbeat. If you’ve ever experienced your heart beating in your chest while sitting or casually walking down the street, you might be experiencing heart palpitations. Your heart, while resting, may feel fast, slow, pounding, like it’s skipping beats, or simply beating at a normal rate. When you experience heart palpitations, you may also notice shortened, quick breaths, chills, or a light sweat. While it’s extremely important to seek medical care from your health care provider, it’s also important to look at what’s causing the fermentation of foods in your digestive tract and lifestyle habits that might also be contributing to the issue. Everyone’s body is unique, and the root causes of a disorder are particular to an individual. Addressing the unique imbalances in your blood and circulation is usually more accurate than following a diet for the general case. Some of the causes association with heart palpitations might be from stress or anxiety. A recent trauma or ongoing emotional challenge can make your heart race. Some medical conditions and medications may cause palpitations or murmurs as well. If your palpitations accompany dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, or chest pain, please contact your doctor.
An Ayurvedic approach to treatment would be to determine where the imbalances are coming from. Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in simple and easy way, using gunas or qualities. Gunas are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. Typically, Heart Palpitations, are an imbalance of one or more of the following qualities: oily, heating, sweet, sour, salty that may be aggravating your system. A person with heart palpitations should avoid these qualities. Because we are all uniquely made, treatment recommendations will vary, and are based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance. Some of these recommendations might include eating warm meals at regular times, getting enough rest, gentle breathing exercises, calming treatments like massage and/or lymphatic drainage. For best results, schedule a one on one Digestive Health Coaching session. These sessions can also be booked in the evening via phone or on Tuesday’s. In Health Lisa
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