From the 26th July to the 3rd August, Australians have the chance to learn more about organ and tissue donation during Donate Life Week.  Its goal is to promote the benefits of becoming a donor, inspiring all Australians to register and make a real difference in the lives of others.

As part of this great initiative, we thought it would be a great opportunity to raise awareness of Chronic Heart Failure – a long-term condition often, it is uncurable and may need lifelong management, including medicines.

Chronic Heart Failure
Your heart is a muscle that pumps blood to every part of your body. Heart failure is a condition that occurs when your heart muscle does not pump blood to the rest of your body the way it should.

As your heart may not be pumping blood as strongly as it should, you may feel tired and not be able to do the things you usually do.

Some people with heart failure, viral infection or an inherited heart defect need a heart transplant to survive. Heart transplants are performed when all other forms of medical treatment have failed.  If the whole heart is not suitable for transplantation, heart valves can still be donated.

If you have a family history of health complaints (such as high cholesterol or heart disease) or have noticed your energy levels dropping throughout the day, it may be time to consult your GP.

Maintaining Good Heart Health
There are many easy, healthy, and natural ways to look after your heart, from eating well to supplementing with a naturally occurring antioxidant such as Ubiquinol.

Eat Yourself Healthy
Thinking of your heart as an engine is a good way to help you make the right nutritional decisions.  Research has found that the Mediterranean diet (full of omega-3’s and healthy fats found in fish) is better at protecting the heart compared to a low-fat diet.

A diet varied in healthy fats, carbohydrates and protein should be able to provide you with not only the energy you need to get through the day, but also the necessary vitamins and minerals for healthy heart function.

Watch your Salt Intake
Salt, sometimes called ‘sodium’, holds fluid in your body and can make you feel sick. A healthy salt intake is less than one teaspoon per day. It is not just the salt that you add to your food that you need to be careful of. Hidden salt in some of the foods you eat can be a real problem. 

Some salty foods include: 

• processed meat, such as ham, bacon, sausages, hot dogs, tinned meat, corned meat, and pies.
• takeaway foods, such as hamburgers, pizza, hot chips, noodles, potato chips, many Asian foods, pasta. and fried food.
• other foods, such as tinned and instant soup, packet seasoning, stock cubes, soy sauce, instant noodles, sports drinks, soda water, salted nuts, fish in brine, tomato sauce, pickles, olives, and dips. Some bread and breakfast cereals can contain a lot of salt, so be careful which one you choose.

Supplementation
As we age, our bodies naturally see an increase in oxidative stress.  Supplementing with an antioxidant such as Ubiquinol could prove the difference in reversing stress and inflammation.  In a clinical trial testing the effects of Coenzyme Q10 on morbidity and mortality from chronic heart failure, treatment with CoQ10 for two years on 420 people with heart failure reduced their risk of dying from heart problems.

As the readily available form of the CoEnzyme CoQ10, Ubiquinol has been found to not only improve heart health but also protect our cells from inflammation and fatigue.  We recommend consulting a health professional to see which options could suit you and your lifestyle. 

Always read the label. User only as directed. If symptoms persist consult your health care practitioner.