Heart Healthy Hibiscus Gummies

Since February is Heart Health Month, I partnered with my friends at Natural Vitality to make this recipe for heart healthy hibiscus gummies using their Natural CALM magnesium powder. I’ve been a fan of their products for years and have enjoyed supplementing my diet with all flavors of their CALM powder.

Did you know that heart disease is still the number one cause of death in both men and women in the United States? I bet you know someone in your life who’s been affected by heart disease is some way or another. Personally, I’ve dealt with an irregular heartbeat along with arrhythmia for about 10 years and I’m always looking for ways that I can improve my heart health. I truly believe that heart disease can be prevented through a properly prepared, nutrient dense diet along with the helps of some supplements, like magnesium.

In my studies in the Nutritional Therapy Program, we learned that magnesium is most likely the single most important nutrient in cardiovascular disease, especially if a person is deficient in it. Here are some of the roles of magnesium as it pertains to heart health:

• helps normalize/regular heartbeat
• helps keep calcium in circulation, which is crucial for heartbeat and electrical stability
  • calcium is what contracts and magnesium relaxes the heart muscle
• aids in blood pressure control
  • magnesium helps relax and dilate coronary arteries
• regulates tissue growth
• co-factor for your body to be able to anti-inflam

Magnesium is needed in every cell, tissue, and organ every second of your life. Unfortunately, in today’s society a few things have made it difficult for us to get the appropriate amount in our diets through nutrition. Modern farming has depleted our soil. Excess processed carbohydrate consumption strips away the magnesium stored in our bodies. Our environment is overloaded with chemicals and our detoxification pathways are unable to properly do their jobs to remove the toxins if magnesium is deficient.

So, what can we do? We can start by eating a whole food diet and eliminate as much processed, man made “food-like substances,” and supplement with an easily absorbable magnesium product, such as Natural CALM. There are a handful of different types of magnesium, and I like prefer magnesium citrate for 2 reasons: a) it’s super affordable, and b) it’s easily absorbed in the body. I recommend taking magnesium supplements before you go to bed as magnesium helps relax the body and is considered the “anti-stress” nutrient.

In addition to magnesium being great for heart health, 2 other ingredients in this recipe are also quite beneficial! Hibiscus tea and glycine from the gelatin are both helpful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, improving digestion, and blood sugar control.

Okay, let’s get to the heart healthy hibiscus gummies recipe!

Heart Healthy Hibiscus Gummies

5 tbsp CALM magnesium powder (I used unflavored)

3.5 tbsp grass fed gelatin

1 2/3 cups water

1/4 cup monkfruit sweetener

4 bags hibiscus tea

1/2 cup raspberries

In a small bowl, pour 2/3 cup of water and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top. Set aside to bloom.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add the hibiscus tea bags. Let brew for about 5 minutes.

Blend together the brewed tea and the raspberries, then strain into a pan over medium heat. Slowly add the CALM powder. It will start to bubble up, so whisk slowly.

Once bubbles have died down, pour this hot mixture over the bloomed gelatin in the bowl. You’ll want to whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. If the gelatin doesn’t completely dissolve, you can pour the mixture back into the pan and continue whisking over medium heat.

Pour into a parchment lined 8 x 8 pan, or you can use silicone molds if you have them! Let set in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Enjoy a few gummy squares/hearts before bed to help you relax!

Makes 16 squares

*Notes: I used the unflavored gelatin in this recipe, but the raspberry lemon flavor would also be great and add a bit more flavor!