Foods to Prevent Arteries from Clogging

Arteries are the plumbing system of our body – they carry blood rich in oxygen and nutrients to every cell. Just like a house with bust plumbing is doomed, so too is the body if we let the arteries get clogged and hardened. Food high in saturated fats, processed sugars and chemicals, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise, will reduce the arteries’ circumference, as gunk gets deposited on the walls. This condition is known as arteriosclerosis, and it’s a major risk factor for heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

Just as you can make your arteries deteriorate by what you eat, you can also keep them healthy by choosing the right food. Here is a list of foods that will help to prevent clogged arteries:

1. Kiwi and cantaloupe: Antioxidant-rich fruits that lower the LDL cholesterol (dubbed ‘bad cholesterol’) in the blood, and reduce plaque stuck to arterial walls. Eat one kiwi a day, or a cup of cantaloupe.





2. Oily fish: Salmon, tuna and herring all contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are a source of good fats and prevent the clogging plaque from forming. Make sure you get sustainably caught fish, and avoid buying farmed salmon, as its meat usually contains toxic chemicals and has less omega-3. Read here more about the amazing health benefits of omega-3 fish oil.

3. Berries and red grapes: Grapes contain flavonoids, which stop the bad cholesterol from oxidizing. Strawberries, cherries, cranberries and other berries contain powerful antioxidants and are packed with vitamins. Buy them organic to avoid the pesticide overload. You can find more information about the incredible healing properties of berries in my e-book The Healing Berry Guide. This e-book will teach you how to transform your health with berries.


4. Garlic: Reduces blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels. For medicinal effect, eat one to two minced raw garlic cloves. If you use supplements, look for the amount of allicin which is the garlic’s active ingredient.


5. Apples and grapefruits: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. The pectin (soluble fiber) in these fruits, lowers the bad cholesterol, while the minerals potassium and magnesium help to control blood pressure.




6. Spinach: Rich in vitamins A and C, which help to prevent the clogging plaque from developing. Popeye’s favorite food also contains lots of potassium and folic acid, thus lowering blood pressure.

7. Olive oil: A source of omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil is one of the good oils. Use cold-pressed organic oil and apply moderation in the amounts you eat, as fat is still fat. Read here more about the fantastic health benefits of olive oil.







8. Tomatoes: Antioxidant-rich food that prevents the oxidization of LDL cholesterol. If you consume them regularly, you can cut your risk of arteriosclerosis by half.








9. Green tea: Flavonoids in green tea are powerful antioxidants. A good quality green tea will also prevent the formation of blood clots and help maintain healthy linings of the arteries. Drink a cup a day. Find here more information about 8 amazing health benefits of green tea.






10. Pomegranate: Another great antioxidant-rich fruit. Pomegranate prevents the hardening of the arteries and can even reverse this disease.





11. Oats: Due to the high content of soluble fiber, oats lower bad cholesterol by removing it from the body. Eat 1 cup of oat-bran cereal daily to help reduce your bad cholesterol levels. If it’s a bit too much for breakfast, so just add in oatmeal or bran to dishes at other times of the day.







12. Walnuts – Contain polyunsaturated fats that are primarily found in plant-based oils and foods and can improve your cholesterol levels, decrease your heart disease risk, lessen your chance of type 2 diabetes and regulate blood pressure. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids that help clear clogged arteries. Eating a small, palm-sized portion per day will help to clean the arteries and keep blood flow strong throughout your body.




You have the power in your hands to choose to eat healthy foods to maintain your body health, especially when it comes to your heart health. You can maintain your arteries clean with the above foods that are simple and easy to find.

Why Nutraceuticals ?

The Word Nutraceutical

• Formed from ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical’
• Coined by Stephen DeFelice, MD, founder and chairman of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine (FIM), Cranford, NJ
• Refers to a food – or part of a food – that provides health and medical benefits

Nutraceuticals are

• Any substance that is part of a food 
• Dietary supplements
• Isolated nutrients
• Genetically engineered designer foods
• Processed foods 
• Herbal products,
• Substance is used for the treatment and prevention of illnesses

Health Canada’s definition of nutraceutical

• A product derived from food 
• Sold as medicine 
• Used for physiological benefits 
• Used for protection from chronic diseases

Nutraceuticals are becoming very popular in the United States

• Medical treatment costs in America one of the highest in the world 
• Consumers want better preventive therapies for chronic diseases, more personalized medical care, and preventive solutions for effects of aging 
• Interest in preventive therapies and Nature cures is also sweeping the country

Growing Market

• Nutraceutical industry worth $86 billion in the United States 
• Industry even bigger in Europe and Japan
• Almost 40 percent of Americans try alternative medicinal therapies every year 
• Increasing number of physicians prescribing nutraceuticals before giving pharmaceutical drugs to patients
• Belief that they are just as good as pharmaceutical drugs but without side effects

Common claims about benefits of nutraceuticals

• Cartilage and joint health
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Stress reduction
• Cholesterol levels 
• Lung functions

Categories include

• Dietary supplements with botanicals 
• Some minerals
• Some vitamins
• Carnitine
• Co-enzyme Q 
• Ginseng
• Many others

Foods 

Functional foods include

• Bran
• Oats
• Lignin
• Psyllium 

Additionally 

• Probiotics
• Omega-3 acids
• Medicinal foods 
• Genetically engineered foods

Warning

• Medical experts and regulatory authorities say certified nutraceuticals still rare in market 
• Most raw materials used for the manufacture of nutraceuticals are imported therefore is no quality control 
• Very little data available on how the herbal and botanical ingredients – that go into manufacture of nutraceuticals – are cultivated
• Nutraceuticals clearly affect physiology but not tested as strictly as pharmaceutical drugs

How many meals one should have daily?

Healthy eating and healthy living revolves around having sufficient balanced diet. 

But how many meals should you have per day? Healthy eating is a key component of weight loss and muscle building for those who want to maintain a healthy weight. Our strength and conditioning expert, Arnav Sarkar lays out the benefits of three meals versus six meals. He also tells you when you should have three meals and six meals for optimal health benefits.

As per popular belief "going more than three hours without eating anything would lead to a drop in energy levels, loss of lean muscle tissue, increased fat storing, etc," says Arnav. Hence it was always important to eat every three hours. So, three good meals in a day is a good option since fasting experts reveal that six meals is responsible for body fat and poor hormones.

"One of the major claims for three meals a day being better for fat loss is that it helps to keep insulin and blood sugar levels low and thus bodyfat is lower. In my personal opinion, however, this is where most people make a major mistake. They do not take the total caloric intake into calculation," explains Arnav.

Arnav Sarkar elaborates the benefits of eating 3 meals a day:

Easy to follow in the long term - All offices, schools and colleges give people time to have breakfast, lunch and dinner — meals that you can eat at home. There are also those who do not feel like eating first thing in the morning, and generally do not feel like eating till lunch. If this is the case, then do keep in mind that breakfast does not have be eaten immediately upon waking up. You can eat your breakfast even a couple of hours after waking up. So no need to miss breakfast altogether.

Allows you to eat bigger meals - This is where six meals a day becomes a problem for those who love to eat big and are trying to lose weight. Six small meals never make one mentally feel like they have eaten a meal, they always feel that they are snacking, and thus mentally are always craving for a meal.

Teaches you to control hunger better - In most cases, eating six times a day tends to make one eat more, since they tend to mentally crave food every 2-3 hours whether they are actually hungry or not. So when they decide to eat only three times a day, they slowly start to control their hunger better as they now go longer without food and develop better mental control.

Arnav Sarkar elaborates the benefits of eating 6 meals a day:

Ideal for eating a lot of calories - If you need to eat a lot of calories to gain weight or because you are an athlete who burns a lot of calories, then frequent meals is ideal for you.

Great to follow when trying to consume high amounts of protein - Our bodies were not designed to be able to digest 70-80 gms or more of protein in one meal easily. It's always best for most people to keep protein to about 15-40 gms at each serving, and maybe a bit more for really big guys who exercise a lot.

Great to follow when trying to consume large amounts of carbs.

Helps avoid drops in energy/sugar levels - Some people truly cannot go on for more than 3-4 hours without eating anything and still be able to perform well. For these people, smaller frequent servings work well and help to keep their energy/sugar levels stable.

Arnav has chalked out and elaborated the importance of three meals and six meals; it is up to you to decide what are your needs and which meal will supplement it.

Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com