Welcome to part three of all about cholesterol. If you have not read parts one and two, we recommend starting there.
When we left off, we discussed the questions you should be asking instead of just saying, “How do I lower my cholesterol?”
In part two, we discussed the questions “Are there blood tests that can be helpful?” and “How do I know if I have plaque buildup in my arteries?”
In part three, we will be discussing “How do I keep my arteries healthy?”Lifestyle changes for healthy arteries
Thankfully, you can make many lifestyle changes to help keep your arteries healthy.
Smoking and arterial health
The first is to stop smoking (yes, vaping is still smoking). Smoking is the number one cause of atherosclerosis. There is no more significant step you can take to improve your health than to quit smoking. The same goes for smoking the ganja. Occasionally, having a joint is no big deal, but smoking marijuana every day is quite bad for your lungs and arteries. How about having an edible or tincture instead? Inhaling smoke of any kind is quite bad for you.
Exercise and arterial health
Next up is that old classic exercise. That’s right, it’s time to get your butt moving. Regular aerobic exercise is the best for cardiovascular health. In addition, it can help to lower the amount of fat in your blood, reduce your blood pressure, and help with weight loss.
It is best to start slowly with brisk walking, running, swimming, and bicycling. Shoot for 30-40 minutes 4-5 days per week.
Cold exposure and arterial health
Third on our list is cold exposure. You will hate me for this one at first, but it is beneficial in improving circulation and blood flow. Over time, you might enjoy it.
The cold exposure process is like exercise for your blood vessels – via vasoconstriction and vasodilation. It also promotes increased intolerance to stress, improves immune function, improves synapse function, and reduces inflammation and pain.
Start with hold and cold shower contrasts for 30 seconds at a time. Then, gradually increase the times between contrasting temperatures. Over time, you will notice that it will get easier and easier as your body adapts and gets stronger. Your ability to withstand the cold will improve significantly in just a few days.
The human body is incredible. The more we push it, the stronger it gets!
If you have a heart condition, speak with your doctor before starting cold exposure.
Stress and arterial health
Our next stop is stress reduction. Chronic high levels of stress have a very damaging effect on your arterial health. According to the Cleveland Clinic:
“Stress increases the plaque rate, and it can accumulate in the arteries. It makes platelets sticky and prone to forming clots that can block arteries. Stress can also cause arteries to constrict, starving the heart of nourishing blood and triggering chest pain or a heart attack.”
Having a dog is a great stress reliever. Adopt one from a shelter today and make both of your lives better! Plus you get more exercise and sunshine when you go for walks together!
Getting stress under control is a huge key to keeping your arteries clean and healthy. Check out our blog article, Stress 101, to learn all about keeping your stress under control.
Sleep and arterial health
Next up is sleep. When you sleep, your body repairs itself, reduces inflammation, and performs a whole host of essential functions. Having a healthy sleep is crucial for your arterial health. Short and interrupted sleep duration increases the buildup of arteriosclerosis throughout the body.
One thing that helps a lot is blue-light-blocking glasses. Blocking blue light helps with your body’s melatonin production. It is especially beneficial to wear these at night.
Another important thing you can do to improve melatonin production is to get sunlight on your face during sunrise and sunset.
Check out this link for other great tips to improve your sleep hygiene.
Blood Pressure and arterial health
Another important step is to get your blood pressure under control. Uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to:
Heart attack
Heart failure
Kidney disease
Stroke
Cognitive decline
And much more
High blood pressure adds force to arterial walls, which, over time, damages the blood vessels and increases plaque buildup.
Changes in diet, quitting smoking, stress reduction, and exercise are the best ways to get your blood pressure under control. Some people have underlying health issues which may require medication. If you have high blood pressure, you should talk to your doctor right away because leaving high blood pressure untreated is a recipe for serious health problems.
Blood sugar and arterial health
Are you starting to notice a trend?
Hydration And arterial health
It’s vital to drink lots of water for healthy circulation. There are some very adverse effects of not drinking enough water on your cardiovascular system.
Impair vascular function
Impair blood pressure function
Reduce endothelial function
Increase sympathetic nervous system activity
worsen orthostatic tolerance
So get hydrated. If you have trouble remembering to drink enough water, this water bottle helps to remind you to drink enough.
If you don’t like the taste of water, try mineral water, such as Gerolsteiner, or check out these great ways to liven up your water game:
Foods for arterial health
Last but certainly not least is your diet. Second only to smoking, what you eat and drink has a massive impact on your arterial health.
One of the things I want to emphasize is the importance of eating a whole-food diet. It’s not whether you are keto, paleo, carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, or anything else. The key is that you should be eating real food.
All of the fake foods companies try to sell us, even those labeled “heart-healthy,” exist to increase profits, not to make you healthy. Your foods should consist of real ingredients that you can recognize.
Many plant beverages contain inflammatory seed oils, lots of sugar, and added forms of calcium such as carbonate, citrate, di, and tricalcium phosphate, which can increase plaque buildup in your arteries. Choose those without all of the additives.
Besides the obvious things like cutting down on sugar, processed foods, refined flour, and junk food, there are several dietary steps you can take to help keep your arteries healthy.
The most important step you can take in your diet to keep your arteries healthy is greatly reducing your intake of omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. This is not easy because it is in so many foods.
The ideal ratio of omega-six to omega-three is between 3-5:1. Unfortunately, in the United States, it is very common to have a ratio of 50-100:1. This creates many health problems, especially for your cardiovascular system.
So, how can you improve your ratio?
The first is to eliminate vegetable and seed oils. In terms of keeping your arteries healthy, these are by far the worst foods you can eat. Think of them as concentrated inflammation and oxidative stress in a bottle.
Here is a list of vegetable and seed oils:
They are found in many processed foods like chips, cookies, and crackers. Read the ingredients carefully to ensure no seed oils are present.
Check out this article to learn more ways to reduce omega-six in your diet, find substitutes for vegetable oils, and improve your omega-six to omega-three intake.
