February is American Heart Month and the perfect time to focus on lifestyle changes that will improve heart health and increase longevity. Judy Swanson wants to help with those changes.One out of every two people has some form of heart disease, said Swanson, an independent representative for Heart Health Revolution.”I grew up in a family with white bread and Kool-aid,” Swanson said.At age 19, she boarded with a nutritionist who shared information about healthy living and eating from time to time. “It got me interested in it, and over the years I’ve read up on it. It’s fascinating to me,” Swanson said.She said she wouldn’t describe herself as a health nut – just someone who tries to eat the best foods and stay away from preservatives.”You have to take the whole picture into consideration,” Swanson said. “You have a decent diet, you have to get some exercise.” Increasing the amount of nitric oxide in the body will also improve the overall health of the cardiovascular system, she added.Nitric oxide is a naturally occurring molecule in the human body. “When you have enough nitric oxide in your system, everything is good – it increases the circulation by opening up the blood flow,” Swanson said.Although the human body produces nitric oxide, its production slows with age, she said. It is also affected by poor diet and bad habits, such as smoking.A scan measuring the frequency and strength of the pulse wave through the arteries can measure the overall health of the cardiovascular system, Swanson said. She and her husband were shocked when they had the scan. “It was an eye opener; it totally was a revelation,” she said.Both had smoked off and on for most of their lives, and the scan results convinced Swanson it was time to quit for good.After five weeks of not smoking and taking a nitric oxide supplement, she saw huge results. “I was able to go from my heart functioning in the range of a 90-year-old to my heart functioning in the range of a 20-year-old,” Swanson said.As an independent representative, Swanson promotes an all-natural nitric oxide supplement. She also performs before and after cardio pulse scans on clients to demonstrate the benefits of nitric oxide.During the two and a half years Swanson has promoted the supplement, she said she has seen dramatic changes in the health of her clients. Benefits include arthritis relief, decreased blood pressure, increased blood flow, decrease in body fat, help overcoming sleep disorders and increases in energy levels.She said many of her clients, with their physician’s oversight, have weaned themselves off prescription drugs for high blood pressure and other disorders.”All those problems that you have are because blood flow decreases and circulation shuts down. When you reverse that, everything gets better,” Swanson said.Staying healthy is important to Swanson so she can enjoy her favorite pastimes – gardening and travel.Some of her fondest memories are gardening and canning with her grandmother in Montana. “She was a Czech immigrant, was very earthy and lived off the land,” Swanson said.Wanting to get back to those roots, Swanson said she is considering raising chickens and potentially a cow. She also tried a garden last year.”The carrots and potatoes did awesome,” she said. “I had peas coming out my ears.”Swanson’s sister who lives in Colorado Springs grew tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables that don’t do well in Falcon. They combined the produce and pickled and canned the excess.From gardening in Falcon to dining in Paris.Swanson has traveled within the United States and is itching to get abroad. She would like to see the world. “I love to see how other people live and learn other cultures,” she said.”If I could go anywhere, it would be Paris or somewhere with a beautiful beach.”Meanwhile, she is focused on building her business and sharing her passion for good health.”I love doing this because … I get to help people,” she said. “How many people can say they really love what they do?”
