By Rochelle Wickramaratchi
Cardiometabolic health is a term that refers to the impacts on heart health of a group of conditions sometimes referred to as “Metabolic Syndrome”. These can include abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, high cholesterol and raised blood pressure.
The reason these conditions are grouped together under the same umbrella term, is that they often occur simultaneously within the affected individual, and incrementally increases the risk of heart problems for that individual depending on the severity of each factor.
It can be overwhelming to know where to begin and how to address these conditions. Through the use of integrative and herbal medicine, some of these symptoms may be alleviated over time.
Some ways you can look after your overall health is by following the popular Mediterranean diet by increasing your intake of fresh vegetables and fatty fish and switching to healthier oils can be helpful. Speaking to a nutritionist to review and assess where you can modify your diet and lifestyle is a great step too.
Incorporating daily exercise and movement to offset the sedentary lifestyle is also effective in improving overall physical and mental health in those affected by cardiometabolic risk factors, as are stopping smoking and managing stress more effectively.
If you’re concerned about your cardiovascular health or have been recently diagnosed with one of the above conditions, consider having other risk factors investigated and tested such as liver health and blood sugar.
Consider how you can manage your cardiometabolic health holistically and with a lifestyle medicine approach. Working with a practitioner who can treat your health as a whole and help identify the root cause of your symptoms is often more beneficial in the long-run. Working with a practitioner who can treat your health as a whole and help identify the root cause of your symptoms is often more beneficial in the long-run. It may be for you that your gut microbiome is out of balance, causing inflammation throughout your body, expressed as cardiometabolic issues. It might be that your high-pressure job is creating too many stress hormones. Perhaps these factors only became an issue following the hormonal changes of menopause. Each scenario needs to be factored into your individualised treatment approach.
Book an initial consultation with one of the naturopaths at NIIM to get an understanding of the best approach to cardiometabolic health for you.
Written by Kathleen Robb, one of the naturopaths at NIIM. Kathleen loves helping clients with their cardiometabolic health.
Bibliography
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Damaiyanti, D. W., Tsai, Z.-Y., Masbuchin, A. N., Huang, C.-Y., & Liu, P.-Y. (2023). Interplay between fidh oil, obesity and cardiometabolic diabetes. Retrieved from Journal of the Formosan Medical Association: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2023.03.013
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DISCLAIMER: The content of this post is general in nature, the information should not be relied on as medical advice, and persons should seek advice relevant to their circumstances.
