For those of us that are starting to get a little mileage on us it is time to think about how we can do some artery cleaning.
After all there is a better than average chance that a lifetime of eating fried and/or fatty foods, stressful long work days, and not being able to squeeze in the time for daily exercise may have caused arterial plaque to form in our arteries.
What is plaque? Plaque starts to form when the inner lining of the arteries becomes nicked or damaged.
It really starts out pretty harmlessly with the body trying to repair the damage but what happens over time is that the damaged area collects blood fats that are floating by.
As plaque deposit begin to grow fibrous tissues starts to form, along with hardening of the burgeoning obstruction through calcification.
Why does this matter? As a plaque deposit grows blood flow is gradually reduced to affected organ or organs such as the heart, eyes, kidneys, legs, stomach, or the brain.
The plaque deposit may eventually result in total blockage, causing death of the tissue supplied by the artery.
Examples would be heart attack and stroke.
Obviously, none of us are interested in having a heart attack or stroke so a serious dose of artery cleaning is our best defense.
An additional motivational thought to get you going in the right direction is that recent research has revealed arterial plaque can begin to form as early as 6 years of age.
So when you were in first grade begging for that discount value meal deal little did you know how long it was actually going to stay with you.
Who said fast food didn't have any staying power! A simple 7 step approach to artery cleaning So now you are motivated to embark on an artery cleaning program and have mustered up the willpower to make a number of diet and lifestyle changes.
Let's look at what you can do to make successful artery cleaning are reality.
*Reduce saturated fat and cholesterol intake: While some will tell you this will be easy to do I am here to say it will not.
The latest research studies suggest that to effectively achieve artery cleaning you will need to reduce saturated fat intake to under 16 grams (7 percent) a day.
Additionally, total cholesterol consumption will need to be kept under 25 percent of total calories.
*Become more active: Would you believe inactivity is the number one factor for cardiovascular disease? According to the CDC this is indeed true.
The American Heart Association suggests daily doctor approved exercise lasting for at least 30 minutes per day, but points out that even 10 minutes can help.
*If you smoke your arteries choke: That's right smoking is big obstacle if your goal is artery cleaning.
One study even suggested that smoking can neutralize the benefits of diet and exercise.
*Soluble fiber is your friend: Soluble fiber foods such as orange pulp, apples, pears, oatmeal, oat bran, and beans bind with blood fats and cholesterol in the intestines sending them out of the body rather than allowing them to re-circulate.
*Get fishy: Cold water fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna are high in omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to protect the arterial lining, help to repair lining damage, reduce arterial inflammation, and reduce cholesterol levels.
The AHA suggests two servings per week.
*Being overweight doesn't help matters: Being overweight produces a myriad of problems that get in our the way of our artery cleaning program.
So if you have packed on a few pounds now is a good time to start taking it off.
*Don't ignore supplements: Vitamins B complex supplements help to neutralize artery damaging homocysteine levels and should be considered.
Natural cholesterol reduction supplements containing guggul gum, phytosterols, policosanol, or even red yeast rice are another option worth considering.
Talk with our doctor if you are considering an artery cleaning program including them.