Palm Springs, CA

In support of this year’s National Heart Health Awareness Month in February,Dr. Steven Gundry wants to empower and educate people with tools to support their heart health, starting with nutrition.

• Incorporate more olive oil into your diet: The purpose of food is to get olive oil into your mouth! The more olive oil you incorporate into your diet can help support your heart health. There is increasing evidence in the power of olive oil thanks to polyphenols. Dr. Gundry’s own Gundry MD Polyphenol-Rich Olive Oil has 30 times more hydroxytyrosol polyphenols than regular olive oils to support healthy arteries and healthy blood flow.
• Eat the rainbow: Rainbow-colored foods are beneficial because they are also rich in polyphenols that support cells lining our blood vessels, helping them perform better and grow stronger. Dr. Gundry’s colorful superfood recommendations include kiwi, kale, avocado, yams or sweet potatoes, pomegranate, blueberries, and blackberries, all of which are also lectin-free.
• Get a good night’s rest: Melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone, is an important proponent of heart health because it helps support the surface of blood vessels. If you don’t get enough sleep, you probably won’t produce as much of this heart-helping compound. To help supplement a good night’s rest, you can also add foods that are rich in melatonin to your diet, such as pistachios, mushrooms, coffee, olive oil and red wine.
• Stay active: Your heart is a muscle, so you want to keep it strong and fit like you would the rest of your body. Even just 20 minutes a week of exercise helps build muscle just as good as daily gym attendance. Walking and hiking are some of the easiest ways to help burn calories and keep your heart pumping.
• Find time to relax: Soaking your feet in warm water for 15 minutes with one cup of Epsom salts can help lower your blood pressure; your body absorbs magnesium from the salt, allowing your blood vessels to open.

Founder of Gundry MD, Dr. Steven Gundry is a cardiothoracic surgeon as well as medical director at The International Heart and Lung Institute and The Centers for Restorative Medicine in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara, California.