The health of your heart – and actually of your entire body – depends upon a strong network of healthy blood vessels. From the womb through old age, healthy arteries, capillaries and veins are essential for optimal functioning of all organs, muscles and nerves. They fuel and cleanse your body in two ways: efficient nutrient delivery (fuel) and removal of toxins (cleanse/detox). Their main job is to deliver more blood flow where needed, or constrict to reduce blood flow when necessary.
If your blood vessels don’t open or narrow as required, then blood, oxygen and nutrients can’t get to where they’re needed, whether it’s the brain, the gut, the muscles, or back to the heart. Poor condition of your blood vessels can lead to major illness of the heart, including atherosclerosis (clogged or blocked arteries), as well as varicose veins, aneurysm, and other diseases of veins and arteries in the periphery of the body.
Tips for Maintaining Healthy Blood Vessels
Many of the things you do for the health of your heart are also important for the blood vessels. The entire circulatory system benefits from exercising aerobically every day, reducing stress and negativity, getting sufficient hours of restful sleep, eating a variety of whole foods, and not smoking. Specifically, here are ways to maintain healthy blood vessels:
Eat Smart: Eating a variety of colorful fruits and dark green veggies daily provides ample amounts of fiber and Vitamin C, both important to blood vessel resilience. When cooking, use plant based oils such as coconut, olive, and sunflower. Limit your intake of refined sugars. Opt for wild caught fish, organic or free-range poultry, and leaner cuts of grass fed beef. Increase intake of healthy fats such as avocado, nuts and seeds.
Stay Calm: Chronic negativity and daily stress take a huge toll on your mind and body, particularly the cardiovascular system. Learn how to achieve inner calm through healthy coping strategies, deep breathing, yoga, meditation, journaling, and aerobic exercise.
Break a Sweat: The most important type of exercise for your circulatory system is aerobic, where you’re moving your body rhythmically to increase heart rate, breathing rate, and circulation. You also break a good sweat. When you’re in the zone for 30 minutes a day, you’ve done your heart, mind and body a world of good.
Supplement Your Diet. Support blood vessel health with key nutrition supplements, which include turmeric, bioflavonoids, anthocyanidins (colored plant pigments), and trace minerals. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties and supports the elasticity of the blood vessels. anthocyanidins contribute to the robust color of many fruits and veggies, and have heart-protective properties. Bioflavonoids support cell growth and can help reduce inflammation. Trace minerals such as zinc and copper support healthy development of the vessels and other tissues in the body.
You might also consider having a conversation with your physician about additional steps you can take to support the health of your blood vessels, and all of the vital organs they nourish and protect.