In the wake of our beloved DMX’s passing on from this earth, we continue to explore Heart Health. We know that there may have been many factors that contributed to Earl Simmons’ heart failure, but if you’re like me then you know that Dark Man X had a lifetime worth of unhappiness before many of us even knew what love was about. As mentioned in Open Your Heart: The Black Health Struggle in America, increased workload of the heart is often associated with increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and adrenal glands. This means that constant stressful situations, rage, anger, frustration, and the inability to give and receive love in a nurturing way all contributes to increased blood pressure and imbalances in the heart. Obviously, we don’t claim that this is the only factor that plays a part in decreased heart function, but the imbalance of the Heart Energy Center creates a block that radiates throughout the human ashe’, making true wellness harder to attain.

The Heart Center is centrally located in the human body. It is the 4th energy center and it connects a person to nature, love for self & others, and a compassionate viewpoint. Emotional storms can cause physical manifestations of heart complications because it is so intimately connected to the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS is the part of the nervous system that supplies the internal organs, including the blood vessels, stomach, intestine, liver, kidneys, bladder, genitals, lungs, pupils, heart, and sweat, salivary, and digestive glands.

The autonomic nervous system has two main divisions:

• Sympathetic

• Parasympathetic

After the autonomic nervous system receives information about the body and external environment, it responds by stimulating body processes, usually through the sympathetic division, or inhibiting them, usually through the parasympathetic division. An autonomic nerve pathway involves two nerve cells. One cell is located in the brain stem or spinal cord. It is connected by nerve fibers to the other cell, which is located in a cluster of nerve cells (called an autonomic ganglion). Nerve fibers from these ganglia connect with internal organs. Most of the ganglia for the sympathetic division are located just outside the spinal cord on both sides of it. The ganglia for the parasympathetic division are located near or in the organs they connect with.

Function of the autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system controls internal body processes such as the following:

• Blood pressure

• Heart and breathing rates

• Body temperature

• Digestion

• Metabolism (thus affecting body weight)

• The balance of water and electrolytes (such as sodium and calcium)

• The production of body fluids (saliva, sweat, and tears)

• Urination

• Defecation

• Sexual response

Many organs are controlled primarily by either the sympathetic or the parasympathetic division. Sometimes the two divisions have opposite effects on the same organ. For example, the sympathetic division increases blood pressure, and the parasympathetic division decreases it. Overall, the two divisions work together to ensure that the body responds appropriately to different situations. (Merck)

Generally, the sympathetic division does the following:

• Prepares the body for stressful or emergency situations—fight or flight

Thus, the sympathetic division increases heart rate and the force of heart contractions and widens (dilates) the airways to make breathing easier. It causes the body to release stored energy. Muscular strength is increased. This division also causes palms to sweat, pupils to dilate, and hair to stand on end. It slows body processes that are less important in emergencies, such as digestion and urination.

The parasympathetic division does the following:

• Controls body process during ordinary situations.

Generally, the parasympathetic division conserves and restores. It slows the heart rate and decreases blood pressure. It stimulates the digestive tract to process food and eliminate wastes. Energy from the processed food is used to restore and build tissues.

By now you can probably piece together that this system is responsible for a lot of the body’s functions and so when it is even slightly imbalanced… it is triggered. The information in this excerpt is meant to help fill the gaps and help individuals make a connection as to how the body works energetically. We must understand that our lifestyle and everything we endure has a direct affect on our health. Throughout our lifetime, we go through things that change us emotionally, physically, and energetically. The person that we were before a traumatic event can no longer be. The chemical changes that take place in our physical being through each experience throughout our lives either brings us closer to health or farther from it. The dietary, nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle recommendations listed here are compiled for overall heart health, prevention, and support of recovery.

Herbs

MINERALS: For proper regulation of heart rhythm

• Alfalfa

• Borage Seed

• Nettle

• Pau d’Arco

Calming herbs that may help to regulate arrhythmias

• Black Cohosh

• Oat Straw

• Passionflower

• Valerian rt

• Scullcap

• Wood betony

Caution: Do not use Black cohosh if you are pregnant or have any type of chronic disease. Black cohosh should be avoided by those with liver issues. Please consult an experienced Herbalist.

Strengthening the heart muscle

• Butcher’s broom

• Hawthorne berries/leaf

• Motherwort

• Red sage

• Garlic

Caution: If you are taking a blood-thinning medication, consult your Doctor before using Red sage.

For chest pains and strengthening

• Cayenne

• Ginger rt

• Ginkgo biloba

Caution: Do not take Gingko biloba if you have a bleeding disorder, or are scheduled for surgery or a dental procedure.

Lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol

• Cordyceps

Managing angina

• Gotu kola

• Evening Primrose

• Rosemary

Protection against heart disease

• Green tea

Note: If you are taking prescription blood-thinners, consult your doctor before taking Green tea in capsule or powder form. The forms contain the highest amounts of vitamin K, which promotes clotting.

Lowers blood cholesterol, anti-inflammatory

• Turmeric

Recommendations

• Make sure your diet is high in beneficial fiber such as: whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

• Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B6 and B12 and folic acid, which are needed to keep homocysteine levels in check. The best foods to support this are: cereals, asparagus, spinach, chickpeas, and beans.

• Include almonds, brewer’s yeast, grains, and sesame seeds in your diet. (Start with a small amount of Brewer’s yeast to ensure that you are not allergic)

• Enjoy red onions regularly for valuable antioxidants.

• Add kelp and sea vegetables for necessary minerals. For the best fusion of WHOLE sea vegetables, roots, and fruits try our proprietary Seamoss blend capsules. They can be taken in capsule form with water or opened and added to smoothies or food.

• Juice regularly. For juicing recipes or to learn how to juice, see our Juicing excerpt in The Freedom Haus .

• Drink steam distilled water only. Steam distilled water is the nourishing one.

• Stay away from red meats, sugar, and white flour. A diet high in red meat could elevate homocysteine levels.

• Eliminate fried foods, coffee, black tea, cola, and other stimulants from your diet.

• Sip barley throughout the day for its healing and fortifying properties.

Heart Smart Alternatives

• Instead of whole or 2% milk and cream, use 1% or skim milk. (Non-dairy may be best)

• Instead of fried foods, eat baked, steamed, or boiled foods.

• Instead of lard, butter, palm oil, or coconut oil - cook with unsaturated vegetable oils such as corn, olive, canola, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower, or peanut.

• Instead of one whole egg in recipes, use 2 egg whites.

• Instead of sauces, butter, and salt, season with herbs and spices and liquid aminos.

Wellness Routines for the Heart

Connect in nature OFTEN! Meditation in nature raising your vibrations, increases awareness, and connects you to self and the world around you.

1. Stretch and engage in exercise each day. It doesn’t matter if its stairs, walking, running, or anything else that exerts energy and moves your joints.

2. Get some Cold Therapy! Try Cryotherapy (make sure its a safe chamber… NO CHEMICALS, if you can help it), or if you can’t stand the chamber then take one cold shower each week. This will help with circulation.

3. Do some breathing exercises to increase the amount of oxygen in the body. If you’re lucky, you have a wellness spa in the area that submerges you in 100% oxygen through Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy.

4. Fast 3 days a month to cleanse and detoxify the body. Check out this guide for Detoxification in The Freedom Haus.

5. To relieve stress and promote relaxation, add a few drops of lavender, sandalwood, or ylang ylang essential oil to a bath, simply place a few drops in a tissue and inhale the aroma from time to time throughout the day.

6. Try some of the herbs in this list as well as recipes on our blog for heart health. For herbal blends specifically formulated for heart health, visit our online store.