Having healthy blood flow & circulation is one of the most important factors for a healthy body AND mind.
Blood flow affects your heart, brain, muscles, organs, skin, hair and yes – even sexual performance.
I think healthy blood flow is more important than cholesterol and blood pressure levels. After all, high cholesterol or blood pressure problems are all due to poor blood flow.
But first, let me reveal the top 10 “artery cleansing” foods you should be eating every day.
I’ve listed them in alphabetical order:
Asparagus
All vegetables are great for your health, but asparagus is especially good for arterial health and improved blood flow.
- Asparagus boosts glutathione levels, which helps reduce inflammation and oxidation.
- Asparagus is also high in folic acid, which reduces the hardening of your arteries.
- Asparagus is also a natural diuretic, so it helps lower blood pressure levels.
Avocados
Avocados are a very interesting food. First, most people don’t know that it’s a fruit because it has a seed.
Yet, the majority of the calories come from fats and that’s why I personally categorize avocados as a FAT.Â
And it’s a good, natural healthy fat, especially for your heart.
A 1996 study done by researchers in Mexico found that people who ate avocado every day for one week experienced an average 17% drop in total blood cholesterol.
What’s more, their levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol decreased and HDL (“good”) cholesterol increased.
Another benefit is that it also reduces blood sugar spikes, which is important for healthy circulation.
It contains vitamin E, which prevents cholesterol from oxidizing.
It’s also high in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.
Fat
Make sure you eat lots of healthy fats.
Coconut oil is great, despite the incorrect myth that it’s bad for you because it’s a saturated fat. It does NOT raise cholesterol. The lauric acid in it improves blood coagulation and is a potent antioxidant in your bloodstream.
Eating raw, organic seeds is great – such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and similar.
Macadamia nut oil is great because it’s high in monounsaturated fat, more so than extra virgin olive oil. And it’s very stable, enough that you can cook with it.
Garlic
Garlic has many health benefits.
But as far as artery-cleansing benefits, researchers found that regular intake of garlic may help prevent hardening of the aorta, which is the main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system.
Garlic also helps reduce the “bad” LDL cholesterol.
You want to eat between 2-4 cloves of RAW garlic each day to get the benefits.
Keep in mind that cooking destroys many of the health benefits.
Unfortunately, your body will smell eating the raw garlic – your mouth, skin, hair, and sweat.
Garlic supplements will have the same “smelly” effects. And “odorless” garlic supplements don’t work.
This is why garlic isn’t one of my favorite foods, but it does have many clinically proven health benefits.
Ginger
Ginger is amazing because it’s a very powerful anti-inflammatory, similar to turmeric.
Ginger is also a great alternative and substitute for aspirin but without any of the side effects.
And that’s just the beginning. Ginger also…
- Fights against the hardening of the arteries.
- Inhibits abnormal platelet aggregation, which is a part of blood that can “clump” together and cause blood clotting.
- Ginger can increase the contractile strength of the heart, making your heart stronger
You can put ginger in tea, in soup, with fish, and in a healthy shake.
Nuts
Nuts have lots of health benefits, especially almonds and walnuts.
They consist of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which help improve your cholesterol levels.
Almonds have magnesium, which helps relax your arteries.
Walnuts are high in omega-3 fats, like fish.
Nuts also have carnitine, which plays an important role in brain and heart function.
Do NOT roast your nuts because it changes the structure of the fat. Eat them raw.
Pomegranate
Pomegranates are super high in antioxidants (vitamin C and polyphenols found in wine).
It also stimulates Nitric Oxide levels, which helps open your arteries and improve blood flow.
Don’t drink pomegranate juice because of the spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. It’s better to eat the fruit or take Pomegranate Extract.
Salmon
Salmon is one of the best fish you can eat for overall health, especially for your heart and arteries.
This is because salmon is high in omega fish oils – DHA and EPA.
It helps increase your “good” HDL cholesterol, while also decreasing inflammation – which is key for improved blood flow.
Make sure your salmon is “wild caught” and not farm-raised. Baked or grilled, but not fried.
Turmeric
The spice turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that can help keep arteries free from any kind of blockage.
It contains curcumin, which lowers inflammation, a major cause behind the hardening of your arteries.
According to a 2009 study by French researchers, curcumin can help reduce fatty deposits in arteries by almost 26 percent.
It has vitamin B6 which is important in maintaining optimal homocysteine levels, which in excess causes plaque buildup and blood vessel damage.
Finally, turmeric helps reduce cholesterol oxidation and “bad” LDL levels.
Watermelon
Melons are very healthy and watermelon is extra healthy for your heart.
A 2011 study by University of Kentucky researchers found that watermelon helps reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries.
In addition, the amino acid L-citrulline found in watermelon helps lower blood pressure.
It helps widen the blood vessels by stimulating nitric oxide production.
Moreover, watermelon helps modify blood lipids and lowers belly fat accumulation, which in turn reduces the risks associated with coronary artery plaque accumulation, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
- http://www.pnas.org/content/102/13/4896.long
- http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_4-9-2009-15-8-42
- http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/106/11/1327.full
- http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3054
- http://news.osu.edu/news/1998/01/27/garlic/
- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111027125153.htm