So you know your arteries are clogged with plaques and cholesterol but what can you do about it? If you are smart you have seen your doctor and gotten guidance from him or her. Your doctor might have prescribed medication to aid in your recovery and lower your risks for having a heart attack but you were probably also instructed to eat a better diet and start exercising more. This begs the question of what foods to eat more of and what food will help in preventing plaque in your arteries from continuing to accumulate.
Fortunately there are foods that help you chip away at clogged arteries and open up the passageways however most of the help is in the form of slow healing and preventative care. Arteries clog predominantly because high blood pressure damages your arteries and provides a nesting ground for excess cholesterol to accumulate. When arteries then heal they cover the fat and cholesterol deposits on the walls resulting in a partially blocked artery passageway.
To combat this you need to eat foods which help to lower blood pressure to stop the arterial wall damage and you have to eat foods which support high levels of HDL cholesterol. High levels of HDL cholesterol will in turn lower overall cholesterol levels and minimize the threat of additional cholesterol buildup on the artery walls.
Foods which will help with this are foods which both combat systemic inflammation which contributes to high blood pressure. Garlic and mushrooms are well known to help lower inflammation as are many other common foods. Limiting salt and caffeine consumption will also make a big difference in lowering your blood pressure levels.
As for positively influencing your cholesterol levels you need to focus on foods which are low in fat and cholesterol and high in other nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids. A diet rich in vegetables and low in fatty meats will help as will eating lots of seafood which is high in omega-3’s Omega-3’s are actually one of the best things you can eat as they have been heavily studies and are well known to help increase circulating HDL cholesterol.
Of course changing your diet alone will not be enough to unclog arteries that have been getting worse for years. Your doctor will guide your medical fight against blocked arteries and you should be exercising way more than you ever have before but eating these foods and limiting food low in nutritional value and high in calories will help out more than you can imagine in your fight against plaque build up on your artery walls.
