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If atherosclerosis runs in your family you may be wondering what steps you can take to prevent serious complications such as heart attack or stroke which do result from atherosclerosis.
There are so many variables that determine your heart and cardiovascular health that it’s difficult to know whether or not you currently have plaque building in your arteries or if you’ll suffer from illness caused by atherosclerosis in the future. But…
There are some major indicators:
- General health
- Weight
- Age
- Lifestyle
- Genetics
There are some steps you can take immediately to help you live a longer, healthier life and these include the following:
Steps to Prevent, Even Reverse Atherosclerosis
1) Overweight? Lose it. Being overweight is extremely unhealthy and causes many problems such as metabolic syndrome which has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. Even 10 pounds of excess fat makes your ticker work harder to pump blood and increases your risk of heart disease. Belly fat is the worst type and you should take every feasible action to rid yourself of it.
2) Smoke? Quit! Cigarettes, tobacco, contain carbon monoxide which can literally cause your heart to suffer from oxygen deprivation. Breathing enough carbon monoxide can cause death by carbon monoxide poisoning and carbon monoxide is proven to build-up in body tissues via prolonged or continuous exposure. That doesn’t mean you’ll die from carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoking; you’ll probably never chain smoke enough cigarettes to accomplish that but it, carbon monoxide, certainly doesn’t help your heart to breathe easy.
Cigarrettes and tobacco contain over 300 different toxins and carcinogens and may be why smoking is THE major cause of lung cancer and a major contributor to heart disease.
3) Start Sweating. If you’re sedentary begin a sensible exercise program that your doctor approves. Exercise increases HDL cholesterol (the good stuff that cleans your arteries) and raising your HDL just a few points can be extremely beneficial in the fight to keep athersclerosis at bay.
4) Eat Healthy. Eat a well balanced diet and I am not talking a burger, fries and a shake. I’m talking lean protein, high fiber foods like wheat bran found in cerals, whole grain foods (oats, barley, wheat), beans and lentils, fruits and veggies high in fiber and anti-oxidants.
5) Saw Logs. Get 8-9 hours sleep each night. Good, deep sleep is essential. Your body repairs itself while you sleep. If you continually deprive your body of precious sleep time, your body will not be able to complete necessary repairs and you will eventually suffer from disease.
6) Increase Knowledge. Learn as much as you can about staying healthy. You’ve heard that knowledge is power, well, that’s not entirely true. Knowledge + action = power. Learn all you can about keeping fit, healthy and happy and then take the necessary actions to achieve good results.
7) Pay Attention and Listen. Pay attention to your body and any warning signs it may be giving you. This is an important step. Learn to listen to your body, and yes, I know that may be difficult for a lot of people since most people don’t even know how to properly listen or pay attention to a conversation with a friend but…
You need to learn to listen to what your body tells you and if you are feeling off, and it lasts more than a day or comes back often to visit you I suggest you find out WHY, because, it could save your life.
Important note …
If you have been told your cholesterol is high or diagnosed with atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) causing coronary artery disease or peripheral artery disease and you’d like to learn how to reverse atherosclerosis without drugs or surgery simply register for my free, no obligation eCourse: Reversing Atherosclerosis