Angry outbursts can kill you. The more you have the more chances you have of having an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A study published in 1995 in the journal Circulation reported that an angry outburst can often trigger a heart attack within 2 hours. Twenty years before the time of this research I was a nutritionist at The Nutritional and Preventative Medical Clinic in Toronto where we planned diets and chelation therapy for thousands of people to help reduce clogged arteries and reduce their chances of dying. We used many tests to determine the balance in a client’s body to plan an appropriate healthy eating pattern. We used a plant-based diet under the supervision of Dr. Jerry Green. During the 1970s practitioners used to refer to the ‘Type A Personality’ which was a description of a person who had massive stress and anger. The Type A personality person was known to finish your sentences before you could, asked you to speak faster, ran hither and thither doing things really fast, tried to do way more than they could possibly do and worked at getting everybody else to do the same, and got mad easily. By the 1990s they determined that the A in Type A Personality actually stood for anger.
This is when I first realized that there was a simple answer to this problem by using nutrition to stabilize the blood sugar and prevent anger and rage. We used a nutritional and holistic approach. Many of the clients who didn’t have chelation but did follow the personal diets we planned reduced their anger, chest pain, total lipids, and panic attacks. They felt better, looked younger, and enjoyed life more.
Anger, regular frequent outbursts, can trigger the production of lipids that clog arteries. We have known this for decades. Most research does not go into the aspect of diet, but reports on the percentage of incidents associated with anger.
A newer study published in August 2013 in the American Journal of Cardiology repeats the same information. They found “The incidence rate of AMI onset was elevated 2.43 fold within 2 hours of an outburst of anger.” They also found that “greater intensities of anger were associated with greater risks.” So the more times you get angry and the stronger your anger is, the more chances you have of experiencing a myocardial infarction.
The latest review published in March 2014 of all the literature on anger and heart problems showed a connection between angry outbursts and all cardiovascular events including arrhythmia and ischemic stroke. All the results showed it happen most often within 2 hours of the angry outburst.
Reducing the incidents of angry outbursts should be the aim of anyone who has a history or family history of cardiovascular problems. This can easily be attained by following a heart healthy natural food diet. This means eating a lot of vegetables, especially dark green and dark orange ones. These foods contain the minerals that can help with relaxation of the muscles in the heart and chest. Eating the right foods at the right time can also prevent the drop in blood sugar that often triggers the adrenal cascade that creates the angry reaction in the first place.
My favorite radio show host in Boston, Frankie Boyer, is fond of me talking about the phrase “the first half hour”. This is the most important thing to remember in your lifestyle to prevent almost all health problems associated with anger. What is the first half hour? That’s when you need to eat something first thing in the morning that will raise your blood sugar levels and prevent your blood sugar from dropping and creating anger or a need for sugar, caffeine, or nicotine, which can trigger a stress reaction that can lead to anger. If you do not eat something to raise your blood sugar, you can create the ideal situation in your body to cause anger and many other reactions that are bad for your health.
The simple solution is to eat a little snack within the first half hour of getting up and then eat healthy foods throughout the day. What can you eat first thing? A few unsalted unroasted nuts, a small piece of cheese, nut butter on some lettuce or celery, a small piece of an apple and some nut butter or cheese, a sardine, a green smoothie with no sugar, or even a hardboiled egg.
You can eat a small snack so you can do a workout and/or meditation and then eat breakfast. Or you can eat your breakfast then. A protein smoothie with a vegetable protein source like hemp, soy, or sprouts can be a really fabulous way to start your day and reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems. You’ll have more energy and feel better.
This way of reducing anger is fully explained in The Anger Cure. This book is a total nutritional system for reducing anger and includes personal questionnaires that can show you which habits need to be changed to have better cardiovascular health and reduce anger, rage, negativity, and depression.
You can reduce your anger levels and feel better, look younger, and have more energy.
Kathleen O’Bannon, CNC, is the author of 11 books on nutrition and healing including The Anger Cure: A Step-by-Step Program to Reduce Anger, Rage, Negativity, Violence, and Depression in Your Life and Sprouts, The savory source for health and vitality. She has a private Wellness Practice and teaches nutrition and natural food cooking. She can be reached through the email on her web site: http://www.healthaliveproducts.com.
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