February is the American Heart Association's Heart Health Awareness MonthBy the end of February, everybody has lapsed in all their New Year’s Resolutions, but it is still too early to feel the inspiration of Spring. So here are several easy suggestions that you can implement for heart health.
*Drink green tea. It may reduce “bad” cholesterol and boosts “good” cholesterol.
*Drink pomegranate juice. It may reduce your risk for atherosclerosis, a condition that leads to arterial wall thickening and hardening.
*Boost your intake of nitric oxide. Exercise, deep breathing and sauna's are all simple ways to do this. Nitric Oxide causes your blood vessels to relax and to widen, thereby opening up your arteries. This allows better blood flow to your heart and your other important organs.
*Improve your sleep. Sleep deprivation has been linked to many unhealthy conditions including heart disease and high blood pressure
*Try some Chinese herbs. Most of the herbs I mention below can be found in capsules or tea form at your local health food store.
*Ginseng reduces cholesterol and has shown positive effects on blood vessel elasticity.
*Dang gui, or Chinese angelica root, is traditionally used to treat blockages and help increase blood flow.
*Ginkgo increases microcapillary circulation and expands blood vessels.
*Some of these herbs, like ginkgo, possess mild blood-thinning properties and may interact with blood-thinning drugs. Be sure to talk to your medical doctor before you take these herbs if you are already taking prescription medications. Also as with any Chinese Herbal supplements you should consult a qualified Chinese Medicine Practitioner.