Every time the calendar flips to February, you've likely already begun to hear about the importance of heart health during this nationally recognized Heart Health Month . A constant reminder is important because heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

 

Eating right, getting enough rest and staying fit all serve to strengthen the most important organ in our body - our heart. But this heart month, we're focusing on the connection between the heart and the brain. Research has proven that stress, fear and anxiety can lead to inflammation in the arteries, and a higher risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular events.

 

The brain's fear center, or the amygdala , serves as a sensor to evaluate external stress and mount an internal physiological response if necessary. As our bodies relax and learn to control external stressors, the risk of cardiovascular and other internal inflammation decreases.

 

We can help ourselves in times of stress or anxiety by practicing techniques such as yoga or meditation . For a friend or loved one that is experiencing stress or event depression, it starts with listening and then a number of other factors that go into creating an open environment for sharing such as a non-judgmental attitude, empathy and resourcefulness.

 

What if our loved one continues to exhibit signs of stress, depression or even talks about ending their life? It's best to continue to listen and offer support. One critical myth of suicide is that talking about it does not encourage it. It might also be time to encourage professional guidance or a support group where trained individuals or professionals can offer more focused assistance.

 

Our hearts and our brains are connected in ways that science is still discovering, but when the fear, hurt or anxiety of those close to us becomes evident, we have an opportunity to help in their healing process.

 

If you or someone you love is at a place where further assistance might be in order, we encourage you to enlist the aid of local resources such as:

A healthy diet goes a long way to supporting healthy brain chemistry and making it easier for us to take charge of our mental health. One Green Planet offers five diet changes for consideration if you feel managing your mental health is in order.

 

One of the ways we can boost our mood is to seek out foods with feel-good hormone producing ingredients. Did you know that sweet potatoes naturally contain   L-tryptophan , an amino acid used by our body to produce the neurotransmitters that regulate our mood? There's a neurotransmitter in our brain called serotonin, which has also been called the 'happiness hormone'. Serotonin helps to regulate our mood, behavior and memory.

 

Unfortunately, these "feel good" hormones kick in when we consume comforting sources of carbohydrates. But instead of reaching for a doughnut, we suggest eating your carbohydrates from nutritious and low glycemic index sources, such as oats, bananas, blueberries, brown rice, sourdough spelt fruit loaf, homemade muffins, gluten-free pasta and buckwheat pancakes. Other sources of healthy carbohydrates such as brown rice, oats, beans, lentils, quinoa, starchy vegetables, and squashes, also aid in the synthesis of tryptophan to produce serotonin.

 

This Roasted Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Tahini Sauce 

Have you experienced intense pain in your heel or been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis? This inflammation of the plantar tendon, which is a layer of tissue that stretches across the bottom of your foot. The plantar fascia connects the bone in your heel with your toes and presents sharp stabs of pain when inflamed. Plantar fasciitis can be caused by long periods of standing, running downhill, wearing high-heeled shoes and climbing stairs and has become a more prevalent health issue in the past few years.

Innovative Primary Care has invested in a low level laser from Erchonia that offers painless, sterile, non-invasive and drug free treatments for Plantar Fasciitis and other conditions causing acute and chronic pain. The FDA-approved laser treatments have also been found to relieve neck, shoulder and back pain, in addition to treating toenail fungus.

During a laser treatment, the light penetrates the skin and is absorbed by receptors within the mitochondria. Receptor stimulation with light promotes energy production, biochemical reactions, protein and growth factor synthesis, cell growth and proliferation and enhanced blood and oxygen flow. Treatment options vary based on the location and severity of pain, but in the case of plantar fasciitis, positive results have been noticed by patients after two 10-minute treatments per week over the course of three weeks.

If you are looking for a way to reduce pain without starting or increasing pain medication, we encourage you to contact our office for a consultation.

Innovative Primary Care is excited to announce two new additions to our team.

Wendy Sellati is the newest member of our Provider team and is excited to assist with your medical needs. Wendy is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C) who studied at Northern Arizona University and graduated with distinction from the Master of Science in Nursing program in 2017. Wendy's initial career path was psychology but after starting her medical career as a massage therapist, she realized the power of holistic medicine, integrated with medical treatments, would assist patients with health and healing.

Sellati grew up in Orlando, Florida and believes that enjoying nature through an active lifestyle is the fountain of youth. Her clinical interests include exercise, nutrition, weight loss and integrative medicine and she enjoys treating patients from a body, mind and spirit perspective. Learn more about her by clicking here.

In the past few months, Innovative Primary Care (IPC) has introduced several new offerings related to skin care. "Taking care of our skin is an aspect of our health that affects how we feel about ourselves," says Dr. Levitt. "We have added tools and techniques to our practice that continue to assist us in taking care of the whole person through physical, mental and emotional concerns," she added.

To that end, IPC welcomes   Karen Berger, a well-qualified aesthetician, to our Wellness Services team. Karen comes to us from San Diego, where she oversaw the skin care clinic of a prominent plastic surgeon's practice. With more than 25 years of medical skin care experience, Karen's expertise includes Dermaplaning, Microdermabrasion, Oxygen Infusion, customized facial peels and her own

	Karen Berger, Aesthetician

customized "Peel without Peeling" medical facial treatment. She also has extensive experience providing skin care treatments for breast cancer patients.

In addition to traditional aesthetician services, Karen will be utilizing the xeo® skin therapy system that offers safe and effective treatments for a wide range of aesthetic concerns such as fine lines and wrinkles, age/brown spots, small blood vessels and scaring. Karen will also be offering laser hair removal and body contouring utilizing the SculpSure system.

As an introductory offer, Karen is offering an Oxy-Derm Facial for $85 that includes Dermaplaning, Oxygen Infusion and Microdermabrasion. You'll look and feel amazing after this treatment! Schedule your appointment by calling IPC at 480.776.0626.