When plaque builds up on your arterial walls, your arteries can become blocked. Your arteries' job is to carry oxygen throughout your body, so when they become blocked, it can cause decreased blood flow that could result in dangerous health conditions, such as stroke and heart attack. Contributors to blocked arteries include poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, obesity and smoking. Even if you have already been diagnosed with blocked arteries, there are some changes you can make that may be able to reverse your condition, without having to resort to conventional treatments such as angioplasty, stents and the like.
Instructions
1. Improve your diet. Eliminate harmful foods, such as fried foods, sugary foods, fatty foods, junk foods, processed foods, oily foods and foods high in carbohydrates. Cook with healthy oils, like flaxseed oil, sunflower oil and virgin olive oil. Include more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and omega-3-fatty fish on your menu. Modifying what you eat can aid in reversing blocked arteries.
2. Drink fresh juices that help to unblock your arteries. These include vegetable juice, lemon juice, grape juice, pineapple juice and grapefruit juice. If you are taking statin drugs or other prescription medications, check with your doctor before drinking grapefruit juice, as there could be potentially dangerous interactions.
3. Stop smoking. Smoking contributes to blocked arteries, as well as heart disease, lung diseases, cancer and other serious health problems. Get on a smoking cessation program as soon as you can, with the help of your doctor. Just stopping this dangerous habit can enhance your health.
4. Get moderate exercise in some form. Walking, swimming, participating in water aerobics, doing gardening, even performing housework are all examples of the types of exercise you can do on a regular basis to become more physically active and help unclog your arteries.
5. Take cayenne pepper supplements. Highly touted by many herbalists for its healing properties, cayenne is known for a host of health benefits, including unclogging the arteries and increasing circulation. Speak to your doctor before taking cayenne supplements if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a stomach ulcer or are on any prescription medication.
6. Consider getting chelation therapy. This involves having a chelating agent called EDTA administered intravenously to rid your body of heavy metal toxins. Many patients have found that other benefits come as a result, including reversing clogged or hardened arteries by breaking up the buildup of plaque. Be aware that this can take some time, with up to 30 sessions required from 90 minutes to 3 1/2 to 4 hours at a time.
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