Where science meets clarity.
Our blog distills the latest cardiac nutrition research into clear, actionable insights—bridging the gap between complex data and everyday nutritional decisions.
Wholehearted Nutrition and Wellness PLLC Blog
Why Awareness around cardiovascular disease still matters
Every February, we are invited to pause and reflect on the health of our hearts. Since 1964, February has been recognized as American Heart Month in a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD), the associated risk factors for disease development, and promoting heart healthy behaviors. While it might be tempting to think that we have ‘heard it all before,’ as of 2025, CVD remains the leading cause of death in the United States, ahead of cancer and all accidents combined. After decades of steady improvement in reducing disease development and mortality, progress appears to have begun to reverse and stall over the last decade. The conversation around heart health, even in 2026, matters more now than ever.
Five Evidence-Based Strategies for Lasting Health Habits
Building new healthful habits that truly last can feel overwhelming, but science tells a different story. You don’t need dramatic overhauls or endless willpower to create meaningful lifestyle changes. Instead, the key lies in small, strategic shifts backed by research in behavior change and habit formation. If you’re ready to create a sustainable wellness routine this year that supports your long‑term health, these five evidence‑based strategies offer a powerful place to begin.
Is Your Fat Intake Impacting Your Blood Sugar Levels?
Individuals managing their blood sugar levels with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or prediabetes may already be paying attention to their dietary carbohydrate and sugar intake, but is that enough? Providers educate and focus on the blood sugar impacts of dietary carbohydrate intake, but few look at the impact dietary fats can have on insulin sensitivity leading to confusion and frustration when hemoglobin A1c numbers are resistant to improve despite ongoing interventions. Understanding how dietary fat affects blood sugar management, digestion, and insulin sensitivity is crucial for individuals with T2DM and heart disease (HD). Today we dive into how the type and amount of fat consumed can influence metabolic health, while navigating how this relationship is complex and nuanced.
Top Five Foods for Improving Heart Health: A Cardiac Registered Dietitians’ Professional Overview
A heart-healthy diet is a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention and management. We may know the importance of whole, minimally processed foods to support cardiovascular health and reduce overall disease risk; but, which healthful foods are the one’s we should be focusing on the most for our hearts? Decades of research and leading health organizations consistently highlight certain foods that provide the greatest benefits for heart health. Today, we explore the top five foods recommended for supporting cardiovascular well-being, drawing on the latest scientific evidence.
Smart Holiday Eating: Evidence-Based Strategies to Enjoy Festive Meals Without Overeating
The holiday season is a time of celebration, family gatherings, and tons of delicious home-made food! Yet, it’s also a period when many people worry about overeating or consuming excess calories leading to unintended weight gain. Whether you are actively working towards weight loss or aiming to avoid your pants feeling tighter, it is perfectly reasonable to feel a bit of anxiety around this holiday event. Research shows that while the average holiday weight gain is modest—on average 1.1 pounds—it often to linger well beyond January for most adults. The good news is that with mindful planning and evidence-based strategies, you can enjoy holiday meals without compromising your health goals. Today, we review some evidence-backed strategies for controlling your nutritional intake to avoid feeling guilty or anxious around the family holiday meal.
Nutritional Supplements and Cardiovascular Disease: What Every Patient should Know
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and heart failure remain among the leading causes of illness and death worldwide. While medications, diet, and exercise are the cornerstones of management for these conditions, many patients and clinicians are interested in understanding and exploring the potential role of nutritional supplements in supporting disease prevention and/or management. With a growing number of individuals indicating utilizing nutritional supplements daily in hopes of supporting heart health, it leads one to question is this truly evidence-based practice, or are we all being sold on these supplements by marketing companies? Today we dive into the research and explore certain nutritional supplements touted to support heart health, and what the current guidelines and recommendations suggest.
Caffeine and Cardiology: What your Morning Cup Isn’t Telling You
From morning coffee rituals to energy drinks on the go, caffeine is a daily companion for millions of hard working adults around the world. But as its popularity grows, so do questions about its effects on cardiovascular health. Nothing encapsulates this concern better than the attention brought to caffeinated beverages after two individuals tragically passed following consumption of Panera Bread’s caffeinated Charged Lemonades back in 2023 and 2024. Caffeine, primarily consumed through coffee, tea, and energy drinks, is one of the world’s most popular stimulants. Few people know how much caffeine is considered moderate intake, or even excessive. Its impact on heart disease—both in terms of development and management—has been the subject of extensive research, with findings that are nuanced and sometimes conflicting. Today we will delve into the research to understand how caffeine consumption can impact the heart and how we can utilize this stimulant to best support a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Are High-Protein Dietary Patterns Good For Heart Disease Management and Cardiovascular Health?
High-protein coffee, high-protein cereals, high-protein cookies! It’s hard to walk through the grocery isles these days without seeing every food having a new, higher protein variety. These food marketing strategies reflect the greater social trend of higher protein intake to support health, weight management, and muscle mass. But with the rise of focus on adequate protein intake daily, it leads one to question whether these higher protein recommendations are safe for those with heart disease, or heart health markers such as elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure?
Lower that pressure, one brisk step at a time: A Current Scientific Review of Cardio’s Critical Role in Blood pressure and Hypertension management At Any Age
Cardiorespiratory exercise is touted as the cornerstone in the clinical recommendations for prevention and management of high blood pressure (hypertension) across diverse populations. Today, we delve into the current literature on the benefits and applications of cardio for blood pressure and hypertension management, as well as practical recommendations to implement cardio exercise into your daily health routine.
Sleepless Nights and Hurting Hearts: Understanding The Hidden Link Between Poor Sleep and heart Health
We all have felt the effects of a great night of sleep, and those of poor or little sleep. We value sleep, but don’t always give it the attention it deserves. We often think of sleep as a luxury throughout the work week - something we sacrifice for a few more hours of work or social media scrolling, late night hangouts with friends or colleagues, or staying up stressing about a big presentation or the upcoming tax season. Maybe we think we can offset these poor sleep hygiene practices on our weekends when we sleep in longer. But what if skipping out on sleep wasn’t just making you groggy and irritable the next day, but quietly harming your heart and taking years off of your life in the long-term? Poor sleep has been consistently shown to lead to increased heart disease risk, elevated blood pressure, altered metabolism, and systemic inflammation. Today, we will dive into the current research and discover how important sleep is for our health, our hearts, and our longevity.
Dietary Cholesterol: Nutritional Strategies for Lowering Cholesterol and its Impact on Lab Values
Nutrition plays a powerful role in managing our lipid levels and bringing our cholesterol levels back into normal ranges. Understanding how dietary cholesterol affects blood cholesterol and which nutritional strategies are most effective for lowering cholesterol is crucial for heart health. Today we will drive into what the latest research reveals on nutrition and cholesterol.
Sodium Restrictions and Recommendations for Heart Failure and Hypertension: What does the Science Say?
Sodium intake is a central focus in managing both heart failure and hypertension, but recent research reveals a nuanced picture. Here’s what patients and clinicians need to know about sodium restriction, its beenfits, and its potential risks.
Nourishing the Heart: A Science-Based Overview on Why Nutrition Is Foundational In Heart Disease Care
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, yet it is also one of the most preventable and manageable chronic conditions. Nutrition can play a powerful role in prevention and management of heart disease. We will dive into some reasons how nutrition can directly support the heart and keep you on beat.