Heart Health: Supporting Your Body from the Inside Out

Michelle D'Ambra
Jan 21, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Your heart is one hardworking little engine, and it responds beautifully when you support your whole life — not just your diet or your workout routine. Here’s a warm, real-world look at the biggest areas that influence heart health and how to strengthen each one without overcomplicating your life.

Nourishing Foods That Love You Back

Let’s start with the basics: what you eat becomes your chemistry. No big shocker there.

A heart-friendly way of eating keeps things simple:

Try cutting back on:

Sugar
Processed grab-and-go foods
Caffeine
Bleached table salt
Heavy saturated fats

And lean into:

Cooked vegetables (the body digests them more gently)
High-quality organic meats
Unrefined sea salt
Clean spring water

These choices help calm inflammation, balance minerals, and keep your cardiovascular system from working overtime.

Your Personality & Emotional Life (Yes, They Matter!)

Here’s something most doctors don’t bring up: your emotional patterns shape your heart health just as much as your lab numbers.

Some Type A personalities internalize anger. Bottled-up frustration doesn’t just disappear — it raises blood pressure and strains the heart.
Type D personalities (the worriers, over-thinkers, and chronic “I’m fine” folks) tend to carry more emotional weight than their body can comfortably handle.

There is nothing “wrong” with these patterns. They're just signals. And learning healthier ways to express emotions is an act of self-care your heart will feel immediately.

Hidden Toxins & Mineral Imbalances

Your body talks — especially through your minerals.

A few big cardiovascular culprits show up consistently:

Cadmium from cigarettes and marijuana can harden arteries and stress the kidneys. On HTMA, anything over 0.06 mg% is worth addressing.
Copper imbalance — both too much and too little can affect heart function.
Toxic calcium buildup — as we age, calcium can deposit in arteries and kidneys. On HTMA, this often shows up as a Calcium Shell, the body’s way of saying, “This isn’t going where it should.”

Minerals tell a story, and the heart is often the main character.

Lifestyle That Supports Your Heart (And Your Sanity)

This part is my favorite because it’s all the feel-good stuff.

Consistent sleep
Stress-relief routines you actually enjoy (warm baths, gentle yoga, meditation, adult coloring, time with pets, laughter — all the cozy things)
Sunshine
Low alcohol
Dropping old habits that don’t support your future self

Your heart loves routines that bring your nervous system down and remind you you’re safe.

Healthy Weight & Metabolic Balance

Staying at a weight that feels comfortable and sustainable puts less strain on your heart. When weight climbs alongside:

High blood pressure
High blood sugar
High triglycerides
High cholesterol

…you’re looking at metabolic syndrome if three or more are present. It’s basically your body waving a little flag that says, “We need a gentler environment in here.”

Start with small changes — they build.

Nutrient Gaps That Sneak Up on People

Even my healthiest clients are often low in key nutrients.

Why?

Today’s soil isn’t what it used to be
Many medications quietly strip minerals
Stress burns through nutrients like wildfire
Most diets are overloaded with omega-6 fats and lacking in omega-3s

Because fish is high in mercury now, I usually recommend a quality fish oil supplement instead of relying on seafood.

Movement That’s Kind to Your Heart

Exercise is essential — but “all out” is not always the hero.

High-intensity workouts can create oxidative stress, while brisk walking has been repeatedly shown to improve cardiovascular health without overloading your joints or your nervous system.

Your heart loves consistency more than intensity.