Giving our heart and circulatory system a little extra love sometimes can be essential for living well and feeling good for a long time. But how do you do that? Essentially, all lifestyle-related health issues can be boiled down to three seemingly simple pieces of advice:
- Eat well
- Move your body
- Relax
These are the three most important aspects whether we want to strengthen our immune system, increase our energy levels, or take care of our heart.
In this article, we focus on which specific nutrients, supplements, and habits have been shown to be important for keeping our circulatory system and heart in the best possible shape.
Food for a healthy heart
Eat plenty of these for a healthy heart.
- Berries – contain antioxidants and polyphenols that help protect the heart.
- Green vegetables – especially spinach, broccoli, and asparagus protect and cleanse the blood with powerful minerals and phytonutrients.
- Garlic can contribute to normal blood pressure and healthy cholesterol levels.
- Chia seeds – rich in soluble fiber and omega-3, which are great for heart health.
- Avocado – studies have shown it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Olives – rich in healthy fats and phytonutrients that support a healthy heart.
- Walnuts – rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants.
- Almonds – have been shown to be effective in balancing cholesterol levels.
- Chickpeas – rich in several vitamins and minerals essential for heart and vessels.
- Whole grains like oats, quinoa, and wild rice are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers, vitamins, minerals, and slow-release carbohydrates.
Supplements & herbs for a healthy heart
Certain nutrients repeatedly appear in studies and experience from naturopaths and nutritionists worldwide.
These are some of the most important supplements you can take to take extra good care of your heart and circulatory system:
- Omega 3
- Q10
- Resveratrol
- Turmeric
- Chaga
- Reishi
- Magnesium
- Olive oil
- Beetroot powder (contains nitrates)
Habits for a healthy heart
Of all the organs in the body, the heart and vessels may be the ones that adapt fastest to our lifestyle choices. When we move, our pulse rises and the body gets a chance to adjust to a more active lifestyle.
When we meditate or rest deeply, we give our entire system a chance to recover and release “calm and relaxation hormones” through the bloodstream.
The habits that have proven especially important for the heart are to:
Exercise
20 minutes of physical activity a day has been shown to lower blood pressure, balance cholesterol levels, support the immune system, reduce stress, and contribute to feelings of happiness and satisfaction.
Meditate
An effective way to manage stress and trigger the body’s “rest-and-digest system,” which provides many health benefits; not least for the heart.
Good sleep
7-9 hours of regular sleep can protect your heart from high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and overweight.
Things you should avoid for a healthy heart
These three things are directly harmful to the heart and vessels and should be minimized or completely avoided to increase your chances of a healthy and strong heart:
- Smoking
- Bad, oxidized fats (e.g., corn oil, soybean oil, processed foods, fried foods, etc.)
- Refined sugar
Bonus tips
Take care of your teeth
There seems to be a connection between oral health and cardiovascular health. Poor oral hygiene has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular problems later in life.
Therefore, it can be very worthwhile to take good care of your teeth to also give your heart some care.
Take care of your liver
All nutrients that enter the body through the stomach must pass through the liver before being released into the blood and pumped out by the heart.
If the liver is sluggish, it will allow more toxins from the environment to pass through directly into the blood and up to the heart.
So to give your heart the best, make sure to support your body’s "cleansing" now and then and take care of your liver by drinking a large glass of lemon water every morning on an empty stomach.
Support for the liver is an important topic for good health.
