Giving our heart and circulatory system a little extra love from time to time can be essential for living well and staying healthy longer. 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
Stay active
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 proven to be important for keeping our circulatory system and heart in the best possible condition.
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 that are super for heart health.
Avocado – has been shown in studies to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Olives – rich in healthy fats and phytonutrients that support a healthy heart.
Walnuts – rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants.
Almonds – have proven to be effective for balancing cholesterol levels
Chickpeas – rich in several vitamins and minerals that are essential for heart and blood 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 consistently appear in studies and in the experience of naturopaths and nutritional practitioners around the world. These are some of the most important supplements you can take to provide extra care for your heart and circulatory system:
Habits for a healthy heart
Of all the organs in the body, the heart and blood vessels are perhaps those that adapt most quickly to our lifestyle choices. When we exercise, our pulse increases and the body has an opportunity to adapt 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:
Exercise
20 minutes of physical activity daily 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 an incredible number of health benefits; especially for the heart.
Good sleep
7-9 hours of regular sleep can protect your heart from high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, and obesity.
Things you should avoid for a healthy heart
These three things are directly harmful to the heart and blood vessels, and should be minimized or completely eliminated to increase your chances of a healthy and strong heart:
Smoking
Bad, oxidized fats (e.g. corn oil, soybean oil, processed foods, fried food, etc)
Refined sugar
Bonus tips
Take care of your teeth
It appears there is 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 care of your teeth in the best way possible to simultaneously 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 bloodstream and pumped out by the heart. If the liver is functioning sluggishly, it will allow more toxins from the environment to pass directly into the blood and up to the heart. So to give your heart the best, make sure to support your body with "cleansing" from time to time and take care of your liver by drinking a large glass of lemon water every morning on an empty stomach.
