Clean Your Arteries Naturally With These Foods And Lifestyle Changes!

Understanding Heart Health

The health of our arteries plays a vital role in maintaining the overall wellness of our cardiovascular system. Arteries are the blood vessels responsible for transporting oxygen-rich blood from the heart to various parts of our body. They work to ensure that our organs and tissues receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly. However, the health of these arteries can be compromised through poor lifestyle choices and lead to compromised health.

Clogged arteries, known as atherosclerosis, occur when fatty deposits called plaque accumulate on arterial walls. This buildup narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow. This increases the risk of serious heart related issues, like heart disease and stroke. Understanding what causes arterial blockage is very important. The following can often lead to serious cardiovascular problems: high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity.

Making wise lifestyle choices is key in maintaining heart health and even correcting heart issues. Engaging in heart-healthy habits empowers us to live a longer, fuller, healthier life.

Simple Habits for Maintaining Clean Arteries

One of the best decisions we can make, is to begin eating a whole foods diet. Eating a diet that is rich in healthy fats, high fiber and antioxidants helps the body eliminate toxins and maintain arterial elasticity. Overly processed foods are often an underlying culprit contributing to the development of cardiovascular issues. Whole foods are far superior in nutrients to processed foods that have been denatured. Heavily processed foods have had most of their life giving properties removed. These junk foods are usually laden with seed oils, table salt, sugars, preservatives, fillers, and other chemicals like artificial colorings that can destroy good health over time. Embracing a whole foods diet is absolutely crucial to maintaining or regaining optimal heart health.

Regular physical activity is vital for maintaining arterial health. It is important to avoid a sedentary lifestyle! Engaging in some form of aerobic activity at least 3 to 5 times a week can help with maintaining a healthy weight. Brisk walking, cycling, and swimming increase blood circulation and contribute to lowered blood pressure over time. Adding strength training exercises two days a week can improve cardiac fitness by building muscle mass and increasing your metabolism.

Hydration is also critical for maintaining cardiovascular health. Drinking water throughout each day supports blood viscosity and flow. This helps our body to flush out toxins from our tissues. In general, 6 to 8-ounces of water daily is recommended. Remember to stop and drink water when you feel thirsty or when you are sweating profusely. Avoid sodas, sports drinks, and sweetened juices. Sodas and sports drinks can be especially harmful because they are full of excessive sugars, artificial ingredients, and empty calories that contribute to overall poor health. Excessive sugar can lead to obesity and diabetes which often increase the risk of heart disease.

Lastly, managing stress effectively can also influence arterial health. Deep-breathing exercises and adding daily relaxation activities helps lower cortisol levels, and reduce inflammation that can lead to heart issues. By managing stress effectively your overall health and heart health will begin to improve.

Foods That Promote Arterial Health

Incorporating certain superfoods into your diet can greatly reduce inflammation and related heart problems. One of the most highly recommended heart healthy foods is avocado. They are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help lower LDL cholesterol levels and boost HDL cholesterol levels. Their high fiber content supports healthy digestion and normalizes blood sugar levels, which greatly promote heart health.

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, is an excellent food choice because of the high omega-3 fatty acid content. Essential fats are known to reduce inflammation and prevent arterial plaque buildup. Consuming fatty fish at least twice a week can significantly benefit cardiovascular health. Walnuts and flaxseeds also provide these beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Almonds, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts are also wonderful for heart health. They are high in antioxidants and vitamin E, which help protect our arteries by reducing oxidative stress.

Extra virgin olive oil is packed with healthy fats and antioxidants that improve blood circulation and lower inflammation. It has potent antioxidants like oleocanthal and hydroxytyrosol which help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Regular consumption of extra virgin olive oil has been associated with a lower incidence of heart disease and stroke. In essence, it is somewhat of a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to preserve heart health and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

And lastly, fresh fruits and vegetables need to be in our diet. We need to be consuming antioxidant-rich fruit like berries, pomegranate, kiwi, tomato, figs, papaya and lemons (to name a few). Fruits help to combat oxidative stress, which damages blood vessels and leads to arterial problems. Vegetables are simply a must! Be sure to include vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, beets, garlic, sweet potatoes, avocados, onions, cabbage, asparagus, Swiss chard, and celery. Vegetables are excellent for heart health because they are rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help lower blood pressure and help reduce inflammation.

Including a variety of these super nutrient dense foods in your daily diet will surely begin to nurture your body back to health over time. Add them to your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Try smoothies and salads for quick and easy on the go meals.

Lifestyle Changes to Avoid Arterial Blockage

Choosing certain lifestyle practices can significantly reduce the risk of arterial blockage. To begin with, avoid smoking. Tobacco use not only damages blood vessels but also promotes the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Additionally, avoid excessive alcohol consumption. This can lead to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems that can cause blocked arteries. If you are already dealing with heart issues, eliminating smoking and alcohol use is absolutely necessary.

In addition to physical activity, adequate sleep plays a pivotal role in overall heart health. Poor sleep patterns can lead to stress and increased inflammation. Both of these can exacerbate arterial issues. Striving for quality sleep each night can help to alleviate these risks. Aim for 7 to 9 hours a night. Getting to bed early is a wonderful way of assisting the body with nightly healing and rejuvenation. Getting sleep between the hours of 9pm and 1am has been shown to be extremely beneficial.

Making lifestyle changes can be challenging, but setting achievable goals is a good place to start. Using apps and journaling your progress can be helpful. Joining a fitness group or gym can provide some added support and needed accountability and encouragement. So begin by deciding on a dietary and exercise plan that may work for you.

If the thought of planning heart healthy meals seems daunting or intimidating, you may be interested in Real Plans. They are a a comprehensive meal-planning platform designed to support people who need a specific diet because of certain health challenges. Having to make sudden but necessary dietary transitions can be extremely difficult, but Real Plans simplifies the entire process by allowing you to personalize your meals and tailor them to your own individual needs. They have a vast collection of recipes that cater to various dietary requirements—including gluten-free, Paleo, GAPS, autoimmune protocol and much more. You can easily choose meals that align with your specific health goals and needs. They also provide a user-friendly interface, making it simple to customize grocery lists and manage meal prep easily. Whether you are managing a chronic illness, food allergies, or simply striving for a healthier lifestyle, Real Plans is an invaluable resource for making meal planning both manageable and enjoyable. Real Plans can help you manage the ideal heart healthy lifestyle meal plan you desire. Why not check out Real Plans today!