How To Take Care Of Your Arterial Health: 6 Healthy Habits

Regular physical activity and increased consumption of omega 3 fatty acids can help protect arteries from deterioration and prevent the development of many more diseases. Discover all the good habits to adopt to take care of your arterial health.

Following healthy habits to take care of their arterial health has become a necessity for many people. Although many still ignore it, much of today’s cardiovascular problems result from deterioration of the arteries. This deterioration is in particular due to an excess of cholesterol and toxins.

Most worrying is that a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits are the main triggers of poor arterial health. Although initially this disease does not manifest itself with very clear symptoms, arterial disorders over time cause other heart and circulatory disorders.

High blood pressure, or high blood pressure, is characterized by abnormally high blood pressure on the lining of the arteries. Under stress or during physical exertion, it is normal for blood pressure to rise. But in people who have high blood pressure, blood pressure stays high all the time, even at rest or in the absence of stress.

Since high blood pressure is usually without symptoms, a significant number of hypertensive people ignore their condition. This is also why she is nicknamed the “silent killer”. Therefore, before developing a more serious pathology, the ideal is to know how to change your lifestyle to improve your arterial health.

For this reason, we want to share with you today in detail in this article the 6 most important recommendations for promoting good arterial health. Take care of yourself and put these tips into practice today!

1. Consume omega 3 fatty acids

omega 3 fatty acids for good arterial health

Not all sources of fat damage the arteries. For example, foods containing omega-3 fatty acids are very beneficial for arterial health. This type of lipid increases the presence of good cholesterol (HDL) and facilitates the elimination of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides.

Regular consumption of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, even through supplements, decreases the risk of atherosclerosis, hypertension and heart attacks. In addition, these foods also have an anti-inflammatory effect which helps improve circulatory and brain health.

Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include the following:

  • Blue or fatty fish (sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring)
  • Dried fruits and seeds
  • Lawyer
  • Olive oil
  • Soy

2. Exercise

One of the most recommended habits to take care of your arterial health is regular exercise . Keeping the body active optimizes blood circulation and causes a positive impact on the cardiorespiratory system.

Therefore, whatever sport activity you choose, it will be ideal for combating disorders such as overweight, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. On the other hand, spending at least 30 minutes a day doing physical exercise reduces the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Untreated, high blood pressure can cause many complications such as: stroke, heart attack, heart or kidney failure, retinopathy, arteriosclerosis, among others.

Regular physical activity is an effective way  to lower blood pressure in a person who suffers from high blood pressure. It also has the advantage of improving the function of blood vessels, especially in the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply the heart. In addition, it also burns energy, which also makes it easier to maintain a normal weight.

Exercise doesn’t have to be violent to be beneficial. Walking, an activity that is possible at almost any age, already represents sufficient effort. The important thing is to regularly repeat the physical exercise, at the rate of several 20 to 30 minute sessions per week. Each person must find the activity that suits them best and gives them the most pleasure. Practicing a physical activity in the company of one or more people can also be motivating.

Any physical effort is beneficial, for example going up the stairs rather than taking the elevator, walking short distances, getting off the bus one or two stops before the destination, walking even in bad weather.

3. Follow a balanced diet

Following a balanced diet has many benefits, both to take care of your arterial health but also of your weight. Since a balanced diet offers a combination of varied and healthy foods, it is the best way to lose weight and lower cholesterol but also triglycerides.

Progressive blockage of the arteries, arteriosclerosis, is an increasingly common problem in Western countries. The artery walls fill with fat depending on the food we eat. If our diet is based on high calorie, fatty and sugary foods, it is very likely that we have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and circulation problems.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. This also has the advantage of facilitating weight loss without restricting restrictions.

Now, it’s not about eating an extreme diet or one that involves severe nutritional restrictions. This type of diet suggests eating “a little bit of everything” while respecting the amounts. In addition, it is about limiting the intake of salt and sugar, two main enemies of arterial health.

So, in summary, a balanced and healthy diet is based on the following foods:

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Whole grains and legumes
  • Dried fruits and seeds
  • Lean meats and fish

4. Control stress

When the body is subjected to continuous or prolonged stressful situations, a series of chemical reactions can cause arterial problems. The heart speeds up, the blood pressure increases and very often these disorders interfere with good blood circulation.

Blood pressure can fluctuate greatly and very quickly in any of us. This is the case, for example, during psychological stress or physical exertion. This is completely normal and the increase in blood pressure at these times usually goes unnoticed and should not be of concern.

Blood pressure decreases during relaxation sessions. Unfortunately, this effect does not persist when the hypertensive person returns to their usual activities. Fighting chronic stress can be learned to improve your arterial health.

Although mood states and stress are not directly responsible for arterial deterioration, they do have a negative effect on it. Therefore, it is essential to start practicing relaxation and breathing techniques in order to control stress and its negative consequences on health.

5. Avoid foods containing cholesterol

limiting foods containing cholesterol for good arterial health

The body uses a small amount of cholesterol to respond to certain important processes. However, the excessive buildup of cholesterol in the arteries is a factor that causes the development of many heart diseases.

When the arteries are blocked, blood cannot be transported properly and the risk of heart disease increases. That is why it is very important to maintain arterial health and avoid the accumulation of fat in the body. There are different risk factors that increase the chances of suffering from heart problems due to blocked arteries. For example,  hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity.

Although a large part of lipids are secreted in the liver, they are also absorbed by certain foods that contain them in abundance. Foods high in saturated fat are the first foods that we should stop consuming to improve our arterial health.

So, if the goal is to take care of your arterial health, it is best to avoid certain types of food, the most common of which are:

  • Red meats and offal
  • Dairy products and whole butter
  • Cold cuts and smoked products
  • Donuts and snacks
  • Industrial bakery products

6. Limit alcoholic drinks and tobacco

A small glass of red wine a day provides the body with powerful antioxidants that help take care of the heart. However, when these and other alcoholic drinks are consumed in large quantities, they cause a counterproductive effect on the arteries and blood circulation. Therefore, reducing alcohol consumption has a beneficial effect on blood pressure.

Much the same thing happens with tobacco. Due to its concentration of toxic compounds, tobacco causes damage to the arteries of smokers. Smoking is extremely harmful to health, both at the pulmonary level (chronic bronchitis, cancer) and at the cardiovascular level. The simultaneous existence of several cardiovascular risk factors greatly increases the likelihood of developing other complications. This is a good reason to quit smoking.

Finally, it should be remembered that regular check-ups are also essential to take care of your arterial health. These make it possible to detect diseases even in the absence of clinical manifestations. Start taking care of yourself today. Follow all these tips to improve the health of your arteries!

Diet is one of the most important pillars of care for maintaining good arterial health. Unfortunately, nowadays the industry is shutting down the market because of a wide variety of foods which, far from being healthy, cause the development of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Most worrying is that many of us ignore the importance of this habit. Despite the warnings, many people continue to base their diets on fats, sugars and other harmful substances. Discover in this article the 9 foods recommended to improve your arterial health.

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