Maximize Heart Health With 3 Simple Tips

The heart’s job is to pump blood to areas of the body for oxygen and nutrient distribution. The heart is a muscle with 4 chambers that distributes oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood.

Blood distribution flows through veins and arteries. All parts must work as one for optimal health. Blockages and stiff vessels stem from inflammation which cause serious heart conditions. Even the slight changes in the heart can cause major problems.

These 3 simple tips can improve your vascular function. The tips focus on inflammation reduction and vessel loosening by mimicking exercise and consuming antioxidants and good fats.

Trick Your Body Into Thinking It’s Exercising

Go to a gym, and sit in a sauna. Saunas incorporate extreme heat and moisture to make you sweat. Sauna bathes mimic exercise by increasing heart rate, core temperature, and blood flow.

Finnish studies cite a 23% and 48% reduction in fatal cardiac heart disease. The reduction is found in groups who used the sauna 2-3 and 4-7 times per week. Also, more sauna use continued to drive down the risk of heart disease. On average the participants sat in the sauna for 16-45 minutes.

Saunas mimic low to moderate exercise. Thus, the heat and humidity keep your vessels and heart functioning at optimum.

Eat Your Blueberries

Eating dark colored berries, especially blueberries, increases anthocyanin levels. Anthocyanins are antioxidants which reduce inflammation.

Eating 1 cup of blueberries per day reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease 12-15%  in obese or overweight individuals. High-density lipoprotein (HDL), endothelial function, and vascular stiffness all improved. The endothelium is the inner most lining of the vascular system, and HDL collects the bad cholesterol in your blood.

Good Fats vs Bad Fats

Fat is an essential part of the nervous system. Make sure that you eat enough healthy fats to balance the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Omega-6 fats come from vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. When you use vegetable oils, use them for cold applications only. For instance, use olive oil over a salad or protein.

Omega-3 fats come from fish. Therefore, you want to incorporate fish or a supplement in your diet. The American Heart Association cites that people need to eat 2-4 servings of fish per week.

If you don’t like fish, make sure you use a high quality supplement. Look for products that use molecular distillation and small fish from cold waters.

Other Sources Of Omega-3

Flax seed and oatmeal is a decent source of omega-3. Probably the best part of flax seed and oatmeal is it’s fiber content. Fiber will keep you away from foods with empty calories. Add flax seeds on top of meals for taste and texture, and make over-night oats with dark colored berries for a fiber and antioxidant punch.

Lastly, focus on the tips above to make sure your heart stays healthy. Take preventative measures to avoid reactionary emergencies.

More information about Structural Chiropractic in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dr. Garrett is the founder of Core Chiropractic in Birmingham, AL. While most health care is focused on temporary relief, the staff at Core Chiropractic focus on creating solutions to a wide spectrum of health conditions. Connect with Dr. Garrett at (205) 206-9341 or via online form.