cardiovascular Archives - Organic Body Detox

Homeopathic Remedies for Stroke Recovery

Nutritional, herbal and homeopathic supplements in stroke rehabilitation

A stroke can cause permanent damage to the brain and it can be a scary experience to hear the risks from your doctor. Depending on the severity of the stroke itself, the risks and damage level will vary but there are things that you can do to help your body recover. If a stroke has been extremely severe then there is a risk of brain damage and mobility issues, but there are homeopathic remedies for stroke recovery that can create a straighter and easier path to rehabilitation than being heavily medicated.

Brain injury after stroke and homeopathic remedies for stroke recovery

What happens to the body after a stroke?

One of the most common effects immediately following a stroke is something called spasticity. Essentially, this simply references the tightening of muscles in the body. Most doctors will recommend medication to ease that feeling, but normally you can get rid of that stiffness through physical therapy.

If you are consistent with doing the work necessary to improve the functionality of your muscles, then you shouldn’t need to utilize things like Botox or other medications that are the standard of care. However, if physical therapy is not working then you can lean on medications as a last resort.

One tool that can help with multiple effects of a stroke is acupuncture. After a stroke, it is common to feel a lot of pain and a lack of mobility in the joints. Acupuncture can help relieve some of the tension in the joints and improve the circulation in the body that helps reduce pain levels as well.

This remedy only has limited ability in being able to relieve pain and stiff joints, but it is a much better alternative to heavy medications for pain. Prescription pain killers can be highly addictive and dangerous to one’s health in the long run, so even though acupuncture won’t give you the rapid results of pain medications it can still be a better option.

How to reduce your risk of stroke

One of the best things that you can do to avoid a stroke is to maintain a healthy diet and a regular exercise schedule. It only makes sense that the same thing can help you recover from a stroke!

You need to make sure that you eat healthy fats rather than processed food, so try to eat lean meats. Limit the amount of red meat and starch in your diet as well, and be sure to load up on fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants. Salmon is a great source of healthy fats and there are high amounts of antioxidants in fruits like blueberries and pomegranates.

Maintaining a healthy diet and consumption of homeopathic remedies for stroke recovery can significantly reduce your risks for another stroke and will help speed up the recovery process.

How to speed up recovery after stroke

Unfortunately, the challenges of a stroke recovery process can lead to depression. In certain circumstances, depression can require medication to support the healing process but there are other remedies that are natural and able to make a significant impact.

Diet and exercise can help lessen the impact of depression, but regular meditation is really important to make sure that you are actively rewiring your brain to being healthy again. There have also been studies that show a positive impact on depression from probiotics, so working those into your daily diet will help you recover from depression after a stroke.

Of course, emotional support is also important in this arena so be sure to maintain a support system of family and friends. Sitting down with a therapist will also help give you other tools to improve your psychological needs after a stroke.

There are homeopathic remedies for stroke recovery and other natural tools that can help make each day easier to get through while you recover from your stroke, and those are wide-ranging in nature.

Natural remedies to fight stroke

Drinking green tea can help keep the brain active and has a longer impact on your body than the stronger drink of coffee. If you need a caffeine fix, green tea can provide it but also help the health of your brain at the same time. When dealing with the more frustrating therapy exercises, it can cause a lot of tension in the brain and body and that can slow your recovery time down.
Drinking chamomile or lavender tea can help you release some of those tensions and improve your overall health when you are working on healing your body and mind.
There are also proven benefits from aromatherapies so when you are working on your physical therapy or going through your meditations, try to use a diffuser or incense in the room to help increase the impact of what you are working on that day.
Vitamins and supplements can also change the way your recovery looks significantly. Vitamin D is the most highly recommended for stroke recovery because it is important for several different relevant factors. It is an important vitamin for neuromuscular health and will support the health of your entire body all at once. It is also important for bone protection which is important for physical therapy needs. The B12 vitamin will also work to improve brain and nerve cell growth and health so it can drastically change the trajectory of your recovery particularly for mental capacity after a stroke. It is a crucial vitamin for remapping the brain which is a lot of what needs to be the focus of your recovery. The B3 vitamin is also important in brain functionality so add that to the list of tools to help you in the recovery process as well!
Fish oil can also help brain function with its omega-3 fatty acids and it is beneficial to your health in more ways than one. Coenzyme Q10 has a huge impact on the health of your heart which is important for recovery processes as well. If your brain and heart are getting the best chance to function at their highest capacity, then they are more capable of supporting the health of your entire body while it works to heal from your stroke.

Omega-3 fatty acids treatment for stroke patients

The beauty of all of these vitamins is that they are present in foods and can be absorbed through a healthy diet. Depending on how severe your stroke was, a healthy diet may not be enough to get the results that you need so do not be afraid to try adding these supplements in pill form as well. Be sure to research and brands that you buy to ensure that they are the items that they say and don’t be lured into a phony version of what you need.

Final thoughts: Homeopathic remedies for stroke recovery

Stroke recoveries are one of the hardest things that one can deal with health-wise and the chemicals in processed foods and high-stress work life in the modern world have increased their instances. Being sure to give your body the best tools possible is important to not only heal from what has already happened but also to reduce the risks of any additional strokes in the future.

Do not be discouraged as you go through this journey and remember that recovery is not linear. You will experiences triumphs and failures throughout, but if you work hard and improve your lifestyle then on the other side of it you will find a healthier and happier you! Work through these steps and give your body the best possible chance at a new chapter after a stroke.

Symptoms of Stroke in Elderly

What exactly is a stroke and what are the symptoms of stroke in elderly

Strokes are a terrifying thing that I hope no one has to ever go through, however it is very natural and if you have not had one, there is a good chance you know at least one other person that has had one. And the other person, it most likely is an older person. A stroke is classified as a disease that occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked or burst, when this happens, part of the brain is unable to get the required blood and oxygen required to survive and the brain cells will die. So in order to prevent the harmful effects of stroke as effectively as possible, we put together this article about symptoms of stroke in the elderly.

A woman holding the hand of a senior, which symbolizes the help in the case of symptoms of stroke in elderly

To be more specific, there are a few different types of strokes, but they all have the same effects. An ischemic stroke is caused when arteries to the brain are clogged usually by a blood clot. These are the most common type of stroke at it accounts for 85% of all strokes.

There are also hemorrhagic strokes which happen when arteries in the brain begin to leak and bleed into the brain. Surgery is required to deal with this type of stroke as the arteries must be repaired and the blood must be drained quickly.

Finally, the last type of stroke is a transient ischemic attack, which is often referred to as a mini-stroke. They are very similar to ischemic strokes, but are only temporary but can lead to a major stroke. When a stroke occurs, it is of the utmost importance to retrieve the person proper medical services to lessen the damage of the stroke.

Factors of a stroke

Strokes are a scary thing that can happen to anyone, however, there are some things that make strokes more common. Research shows that after the age of 55, the likelihood of a stroke occurring double ten years. This means a 95-year-old has a 16 times higher chance of having a stroke compared to a 55-year-old. It was proven that about 50% of all strokes occur in people over the age of 75. However, interestingly enough, women are more likely to have a stroke and therefore more women are killed by strokes than men.

As previously mentioned, strokes are naturals and sometimes there is nothing to prevent them. However, in general being healthier may decrease the chance of having a stroke. For example, if you have high blood pressure, obesity and continue to have a poor diet, you are more likely to experience a stroke.

One study says that the use of drugs such as cocaine can increase your risk for a stroke. And conversely, having sufficient physical activity can decrease your risk of having a stroke, which the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes a week. It is recommended to stop smoking and eat healthy foods that are low in cholesterol and saturated fats and with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day.

It actually turns out, high blood pressure is the most impactful risk factor for a stroke that you can control and deal with. So if an elderly person has high blood pressure, refer them to a doctor to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range to decrease the chances of a stroke.

As mentioned before there are just some things you can’t change that affect your chance for risk such as age. But other things like your family history and your race can play a large role in your risk factor. For example, African-Americans have a higher risk of dying from a stroke compared to Caucasians. And of course, if you have ever experienced a stroke or a heart attack before you have a much higher chance of experiencing a stroke than if you had never had one.

Symptoms of Strokes

There can be many signs of a stroke, but it is very important to recognize that a person is experiencing a stroke. A common saying used to help an individual deal with someone having a stroke is B.E. F.A.S.T.

B – Loss of balance.

E – Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.

F – Face drooping, is a very common sign in which a side of a person’s face may appear to droop or be numb.

A – Arm weakness also occurs in which the victim will even have trouble keeping both their arms elevated.

S – The victim may experience Speech difficulties such as slurring and unable to say simple words

T – The last step is to call 911 as if the possible victim is experiencing any of these symptoms the person could be experiencing a stroke.

Know the signs of stroke. Digital image. *Stanford Health Care Now*. 04.02.2015, https://stanfordhealthcare.org/stanford-health-care-now/2015/be-fast-infographic.html

FAST covers the major symptoms of a stroke but there are numerous other symptoms, this could include numbness of one side of body in anything from the face to the legs, confusion and struggling to understand conversations, problems with sight with one or both eyes, dizziness leading to a loss of balance, and a sudden headache with no clear reasoning behind it.

These are the clear scientific symptoms that are widely accepted. Some people also report having double vision, sudden drowsiness which often leads to nausea and vomiting. As people age, there are not different symptoms that elderly people may experience that younger people may not. In fact, the symptoms of a stroke are very variable is a case by case basis even if it occurs multiple times to the same person. For example, a stroke may be very serious or it could be a mini-stroke which seems to be common in people that have already experienced one stroke before.

However, no matter the severity of a stroke, you should never ignore any warning sign. But like always, it is important to act F.A.S.T. and help anyone experiencing a stroke to proper medical attention.

Effects of a stroke

As the brain is a very complex organ and the part of the brain effectively dies when a stroke occurs, there is a numerous different effect on the body depending on where the stroke exactly is located.

Brain and common types of stroke — Common Types of Stroke

There are a few general effects of a stroke such as trouble speaking, or pain, and some people feel depressed after experiencing a stroke. As part of the brain controls part of the body is actually on the other side of the body, you can experience paralysis on one side of your body. For example, if the stroke occurs on the right side of the brain the left side of the body may become paralyzed. Then are some specific effects, in general depending on the side of the brain the stroke happens on.

For instance, if it happens on the left side of the brain the victim may experience speech-language problems and become a more slow/careful person. On the other side, the right side of the brain specifically, a stroke may cause vision problems and make the person a more quick/curious person. That is right, a stroke can change a person’s behavior style dramatically. No matter where the stroke occurs, the person is very likely to experience memory loss.

Now that we covered the left and right side of the brain, the only other place the stroke can occur is in the lower part of the brain, the brain stem. This can be a very serious stroke in which it can affect both parts of the body, unlike the singular but opposite part of the upper half of the brain, has a chance of making the victim unable to speak or achieve any movement below the neck and the person experiences dizziness and vertigo. This is because the brain stem actually controls the basic parts of the body such as consciousness and breathing.

Shockingly, a person may recover from a brain stem stroke as they don’t affect their language abilities and the dizziness resolves after a few weeks. Of course, this has been a long list of effects of a stroke, but every stroke is different in its symptoms and its effects. Instead of complete paralysis, a person may experience some weakness that can be resolved in therapy. Drugs and physical therapy is the path most people take to recovery. Some people make a full recovery relatively quickly after a stroke, some take months or years, and sadly, some people may never recover from a serious stroke.

Final thoughts: Symptoms of stroke in elderly

So overall, strokes are a very serious event that should not be taken lightly. If you notice any symptoms of a stroke in a person, especially an elderly person, you should immediately call an ambulance and medical services to ensure the person can survive and continue to live a happy, long-lasting life.

An interesting statistic is that 80% of strokes are preventable, so it is always best to be healthy in the first place and be proactive in preventing strokes. Remember, strokes can happen at any time, and as such, it is always best to be prepared for the worst.

Hot Drinks to Lower Cholesterol

Can drinking hot beverages lower cholesterol?

Diet and exercise are the two main ingredients to keeping your cholesterol in check, and that certainly has not changed. However, there are some studies that have added a new layer to the potential list of things that can help in this area. Drinking a lot of cold water has been proven to help with weight loss, but drinking hot water and healthy hot drinks have had an interesting impact on the digestive system and the body’s ability to break down particles.

Hot drinks to lower bad cholesterol level

What is high cholesterol?

To understand how hot drinks can help lower cholesterol, it is first important to understand what it means to have high cholesterol in the first place. Cholesterol is a substance that is necessary for building healthy cells throughout the body. However, when you have a diet that is high in fats, drink excessive alcohol and many other factors then you can develop too much cholesterol.

Essentially, your bloodstream stores fatty deposits when you have too much cholesterol and that can prevent the blood from moving freely throughout the body and fueling all organs properly. High cholesterol can lead to stroke or heart attack and any other number of issues. Once it is contracted, it is manageable but there need to be serious lifestyle changes and medical advice.

There are genetic markers that can make you more susceptible to high cholesterol, just as with any other illness or condition. However, the vast majority of cases are preventable with significant reduction in fatty foods, a regular exercise regimen and loading up on the fruits and veggies! We are going to share with you all of the ways that hot drinks can also contribute to lowering or preventing any cholesterol issues.

How do hot drinks help?

There are several reasons why hot drinks can help lower cholesterol, one of which being how the temperature creates stimulation. Hot drinks can help stimulate the digestive tract and allow your body to break down food items while using less energy to do so. It also creates stimulation of the blood circulation in your body, and since cholesterol has so much to do with what is found in the bloodstream and arteries, that can be a huge help.

The temperature of hot drinks can also help flush toxins out of the body through the bloodstream, flush the toxins out through the digestive system and cause a body temperature increase which can help flush toxins out through the pores. This also helps the body break down any build up in the bloodstream or elsewhere that may impact your cholesterol levels.

What types of hot drinks?

There are so many different herbal teas that can be of assistance in lowering cholesterol. There are also fresh juices that can be heated up as a way of flushing the body. However, the magic juice, the secret sauce, the golden wine that has always and will forever fuel the body still remains – WATER!

Hot water

A cup of hot water every morning is a great way to jumpstart your day with a cleansing substance. However, you don’t have to drink it plain to get the maximum effect. There are natural items that contribute to cholesterol levels and can easily be added to the water that you drink, so you might as well load that cup full of them!

Ginger

Ginger is a natural combatant of high cholesterol and can be added to warm water in the mornings. You may have heard about “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol but may not know exactly what that means. HDL is the healthy cholesterol that you want to build those healthy cells and LDL is that bad cholesterol that causes heart disease and other major problems. Ginger has been known to improve the levels of HDL in the body while simultaneously lowering LDL, so it is the perfect companion to a cup of hot water in the morning.

The same diet and exercise issues that cause high cholesterol can cause diabetes and obesity, so we suggest making the most out of that daily cup of hot water by adding a couple of extra items.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice has also been known to stimulate the digestive tract and improve your metabolism. We highly recommend adding a lot of lemon juice, try squeezing either half or one entire lemon into the cup and if you drink it first thing in the morning before your breakfast, you will see a major shift in your body!

Peppermint leaves

Lastly, add a few peppermint leaves to make your cup of hot water into a full-on tea. Peppermint leaves have been known to lower glucose levels in the body. Although diabetes is more impacted by genetics than cholesterol is, those same diet and exercise decisions that impact your cholesterol can exacerbate your chances of contracting diabetes.

Hot water with lemon, ginger and peppermint

Green tea

Try with green tea. A Chinese study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that antioxidants in green tea have a significant effect on reducing harmful LDL cholesterol, consequently reducing the risk of heart attack by 11%. Always make sure of the origin and quality of green tea as it may contain high levels of fluoride, lead and aluminum. You definitely want to avoid these substances.

Final thoughts: Hot drinks to lower cholesterol

Yes, diet and exercise is the reoccurring theme for your overall health and wellness goals and that is not changing any time soon. However, there are all kinds of tips and tricks to improve your chances of reaching those goals and hot drinks are just one option.

Spend the next 30 days drinking one cup of hot water with ginger, lemon juice and peppermint leaves and share how you feel with us! Be an inspiration to those who are looking for a hot drink that can lower their cholesterol and improve their overall health.

How to Stop Being an Alcoholic

No thanks, I don’t drink

The answer to the question “How to stop being an alcoholic?” lies within yourself. The first step to quitting alcohol is to admit you have a problem, the old mantra is true. Once you can acknowledge and identify that problem then the next step is to take full accountability for it.

You cannot blame anyone else, not your stressful job or family drama or trauma in your past. Yes, addiction is a disease but it is a disease that causes you to make choices and those choices are what you need to take accountability for.

Developing a personal action plan for alcohol addiction recovery

Once you are ready to get better, the next step is developing a plan of action. Most people will go straight to the extremes of rehabilitation centers or Alcoholics Anonymous, and these are very valid and helpful options. However, not everyone can speak openly in a group like that and not everyone can afford a full-time in-house rehab facility. They can cost thousands of dollars and state-run facilities can have year-long waiting lists or even more.

So, if you have found yourself in this circumstance, what should you do? You’ve admitted that you’re an alcoholic, you know that you cannot afford or take the time off for an in-house rehabilitation center and the idea of sitting with a group of strangers to divulge the deepest parts of your journey makes you cringe.

This is the time for something that experts call “spontaneous sobriety” in the sense that people spontaneously decide to quit without having professional help and aren’t sure of what they are in for.

Studies have shown that those who spontaneously decide to quit are actually between four and seven times more likely to remain sober. This could be because they are truly ready to stop and are deciding it out of their own desires to quit without influence from others.

This is part of why the prep work is so important so that you can be certain that you can quit on your own and stick to your plan. So how to stop being an alcoholic? There is a commonly used process that many people find effective called CORE: Commit, Objectify, Respond, and Enjoy. Keep reading and find out how this technique can help you put the bottle down for good!

How to stop being an alcoholic – the Prep Work

Admitting the problem and accepting responsibility are two parts of the preparation that you need to do before you can start implementing CORE. The next step is to get an understanding of the problem that you have. You need to do some self-reflecting to get to what drove you to drink in the first place, what triggers in your daily life make you want to drink, why have any other attempts in your past failed and what do you need to do this time to make it stick.

Part of why addiction is hard to shake is because the chemical imbalance that substances cause in our brains becomes normalized. This tricks your brain into a survival instinct that allows it to think that the chemical substance is a necessity to its function. That means that the more dependent your body becomes on a substance, the more your brain tells your body that it needs that substance to survive.

Getting to the root of why you began drinking can help give you the foundation to rewire your brain to run interference when it starts telling you that you crave alcohol. It will also help you to develop a plan of action for each step of the CORE recovery process.

Getting to the CORE of Addiction

Now it’s time to get started on the first step of CORE – Commit.

You need to make a commitment mentally to your goal, no more “Well, I’ll quite this weekend” or “I’ll just stick to beer”. You need to say it out loud to yourself, “I will never drink again”. You have to acknowledge this from an honest place and that comes from the prep work.

You know that there are withdrawal symptoms with weening off of any substance in your life, so alcohol will not be an exception to that rule. When you make the commitment to stop drinking then you also need to commit to going through the physical pain and discomfort that the detox process is. You need to make a commitment to having a support system around you, the type of meal plan that you will use, ensuring that you have a sufficient supply of drinking water or herbal teas that will help you flush your system out.

The detox experience will depend on how heavily dependent you have been on the substance and for how long. Alcohol is a depressant but dependency on it destabilizes your emotions. As a result, you can get depressed while your body is detoxing from alcohol and you can become very melancholy. If you have a higher dependency on alcohol, your experience could be more extreme than others.

If you are concerned about being on the higher end of this spectrum, then you should consult your doctor prior to detoxing. Remember that the detox process is not curing your alcoholism, it is simply allowing your body to start over without physically interacting with the substance. If you are severely dependent then the withdrawal process can cause tremors, seizures or hallucinations and all of that can cause other medical concerns if they are not monitored correctly.

Let’s get to step two in the CORE process – Objectify.

This part may sound a little silly, but it is rooted in psychology that rewires your brain so it really does work! If you objectify the part of your brain that is dependent on alcohol as something outside of yourself, it can help your ability to cope. This helps your brain view the craving as something that “it” wants rather than something that “you” want and that will help you feel like you are in more control.

The process of objectifying the part of your brain that craves alcohol is intended to teach your brain that the need for alcohol is unnatural. It is not a part of how your body actually operates in a healthy way so that craving in itself is like an invader. That invader needs to be controlled and kept in check and that part is done by the healthy part of your brain, which is seen as a part of you. So, start thinking to yourself that “it” wants you to drink but “you” want to go to a yoga class instead!

The third step in the CORE process is to Respond.

This is where you start capitalizing on that commitment and the objectification of your cravings. Remember, that part of your brain is not a part of you, it is an invader and needs communication from you to be put in check so don’t be afraid to respond. Don’t respond with any hemming or hawing before giving a weak “no”, instead give a full-throated and determined “never” as your answer.

And keep bringing these conversations back to that initial commitment. Next time that your brain says that it wants a drink, respond to it by saying that you never want a drink again. Think of it as that annoying college buddy who always wants to relive the glory days and let that friend know that you have made a commitment to your sobriety. This will help you for when you are in social settings and providing a more polite response while in your head screaming “NEVER” at the top of your lungs.

The final step in the CORE process is the best part and this is the part that will set you up for years to come – Enjoy.

This is when you start to replace alcohol with things that make you happy but that are also good for you. Whether it’s joining a book club to exercise your brain or a cooking class to learn a healthier recipe to enjoy, you need to start filling your life with things that improve your health and are also fun.

They say that idle hands are the devil’s playground, and idle minds are that for addiction cravings. Do not be afraid of a relapse, because that is the addicted part of your brain trying to convince you that doing the work isn’t worth it or that you are not capable of quitting.

Keep working through these steps and over time you will see a world of difference, but try adding new tools every time that you relapse to see if there are natural supporters that you can work into these steps.

What Else Can Help?

Breathing techniques: We mentioned a yoga class earlier, and that was no accident. Part of the benefit of yoga is taking the time to learn about your own body. The positions being held and being able to move from one to the next all the while focusing on your breathing forces you to listen to your body and feel more in control. This process of becoming more in tune with your body can help you feel more in control of your addiction and recovery.
Acupuncture: There are also natural supplements and therapies that can assist you with the detox process as well as the lifestyle change that comes with recovery. Acupuncture is one that has been proven to support circulation and flow of the blood in your body. This is effective for repairing liver damage and making it function better after your detoxing. This also allows you to feel the positive effects of life without alcohol more deeply and feel healthier as you move into this new chapter of your life.
Light therapy: One of the side effects of alcoholism is the problem with sleeping. It is typical to develop insomnia as time moves forward. Light therapy is a great natural remedy for those who are struggling with this issue because not being able to sleep can be an easy trigger to give in to. Light therapy will help your brain fall asleep with more ease and consistency.
Cayenne pepper: There are foods that can assist the detox process as well, and yes they tend to be the standard healthy foods but they are even more important than normal when you decide to quit drinking. Cayenne pepper has been proven to suppress cravings so try adding it to your meals that first week. Many people will drink water infused with lemon and ginger as a cleansing version of regular water to drink throughout the day. If you are interested in the infused water, then add cayenne pepper to it and put it in your water bottle to have a handy tool against cravings throughout the day.
Low-fat proteins: While you are detoxing, part of the planning process when you make that commitment is to have healthy foods around that will give your body strength and maintain as healthy of a balance as possible. Make sure that you have a lot of low-fat proteins around the house like eggs or fish to keep your body strong.
Fruits and vegetables: Also be sure to have replacement sugars that are healthy for you like fruit. This will help curb the cravings for those sugar-laced cocktails or that glass of wine. The vegetables are also important in the detox process because the fiber will also support your body in the cleansing process.
Kudzu: If all else fails and you are still relapsing repeatedly or if you are struggling to be in social settings or are afraid to re-enter social settings then there is another natural product that can help you. There is a Chinese herb called kudzu that has been demonstrated to help people curb their drinking. It has been proven to increase blood flow to your brain and because of that, people who take it prior to drinking will drink significantly less quantities at a much slower pace.

This will help you stave off getting drunk or at least will cause you to feel the effects differently which can help you sip your drink rather than drinking the way that you used to.

Final thoughts: How to stop being an alcoholic?

At the end of the day, nothing works until you do. You have to be ready to make a change, to be healthier and to be happy in the truest sense of the word.

These remedies should help you succeed, but hopefully, the first step will come from within you because that is the only way to guarantee that success.

Cardiovascular Benefits of Exercise

Physical activity is necessary to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle

You probably already know it. Exercise affects the whole body, including all organic systems. Therefore, it is very important to take care of cardiovascular health every day and understand the cardiovascular benefits of exercise.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in adults after the age of 50 and the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease is the lack of physical activity.

The longer the risk factors are present, the greater the chance of developing the disease.

Skeletal muscles responsible for human movement need more energy and therefore a better circulation, which is largely facilitated by the accelerated heart function, and the increased need for oxygen is resolved by accelerated and deep breathing.

Visual stimulation to realize the cardiovascular benefits of exercise

Visual images have a strong impact on people and can even save lives. This is now also revealed by a new Swedish study. The researchers found that those people who saw the photos of their clogged veins became more motivated to fight against cardiovascular diseases than the rest of the group who did not see these images.

The pictures that were shown to them were real photos of plaque accumulation and blood clots in their arteries, which increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Swedish experts have thus discovered a more effective way to convince people to follow the doctor’s instructions and change their lifestyle.

However, you can reduce the risk of these diseases by changing your lifestyle – by quitting smoking, doing aerobic activity, as well as by taking preventive medications prescribed by your doctor. Nevertheless, the majority of people do not take this into account, even when they find out that they have an increased risk of developing these diseases.

fatty deposits in vein — *Heart anatomy and fat in vein. Free Vector Graphics by* *Vecteezy.com*

How often should you work out to enjoy the cardiovascular benefits of exercise?

The arrhythmic stiffness that increases with the sedentary lifestyle is associated with a higher risk of heart disease. It’s known that gymnastics help. But how much exercise is enough to achieve a positive effect?

“Almost every day, intensive and lifelong (more than 25 years) endurance exercise prevents the onset of arterial stiffness with aging, but such a way of life is virtually impossible for most,” wrote the authors of a new study who wanted to determine the minimum quantity exercise, which still works against the stiffness of the arteries.

How does movement contribute to cardiovascular health?

The heart is a muscle, like every other skeletal muscle in the body. Regular exercise helps to increase the power of the heart muscle, which means that the heart works more efficiently. The best exercises that affect the heart muscle are aerobic.

The gym also has many positive effects, such as lowering blood pressure, lowering body weight, overcoming stress, increasing self-esteem, improving well-being, supporting the immune system and contributing to better sleep.

Exercises for strengthening the cardiovascular system

Depending on your health and options, you can choose from many activities like walking, jumping rope workout, climbing, running, cycling, swimming, training martial arts, dancing, skiing, etc. The listed activities are aerobic, which means that when performing such activity, the body consumes larger amounts of oxygen.

The heart beats faster and the transient increase in blood pressure ensures a sufficient supply of oxygen to the muscles. With this kind of exercise, toxins are removed from the body. For optimum cardiovascular health and toxin elimination, in addition to exercise, it is advisable to perform a body detox with natural supplements and according to the guidelines of tested detox programs.

jogging to enjoy cardiovascular benefits of exercise

What about strength training?

Fitness workout is mostly workout for strength. If you prefer to take care of your heart health by doing this kind of exercise, instead of lifting heavy weights, you will want to choose lighter weights and make more repetitions. For this purpose, you can use hand weights, elastic resistance bands, or lower settings on fitness devices.

We also recommend exercises using your own body weight. It is a good idea to make several sets of each exercise and then give your muscles a one day rest before re-performing the same exercises.
How to start exercising?

First of all, it is a good idea to motivate and persuade yourself to continue your exercises despite your starting efforts. It is important to keep your activities on a regular basis, even if they are initially lower in complexity.

It is recommended to start with moderate movement at least two to three times a week for half an hour. Slowly increase the difficulty of exercises, as well as gradually lengthen the time you devote to physical exercise.

In the beginning, the criterion for difficulty is talking while you are training. If you are out of breath and you can’t speak during the activity, it is recommended to lower the difficulty level.

Get moving- more tips to get active!

According to Mayo Clinic, for better health, Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week or an average of 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
After eating wait for an hour before you begin to exercise.
Enjoy liquid before, during and after exercise: water or unsweetened non-carbonated drinks are recommended.
Before starting physical activity, warm up your body with slow exercises, such as slow running. Warming up helps the heart and other muscles slowly move from sleep to motion.
Increase daily physical activity – to enjoy cardiovascular benefits of exercise skip the elevator, take the stairs and walk or ride a bike instead of driving by car or bus;
Exercise with friends and family – this will motivate and entertain you;
Use sport applications or a step counter (pedometer) to keep up with your progress.
Lower the tempo and difficulty of the exercises slowly, don’t stop suddenly. Immediate cessation of activity can lead to an irregular heartbeat, which is felt like heart failure, fatigue, malaise or feeling of lack of air.
After a workout, make sure to gradually cool down the body.
Consult a physician before starting with your physical exercise plan.

Scientists reveal: a glass of wine has similar effects on the body as exercising!

If you don’t like to go to the gym, then the latest finding by Canadian scientists will make you fly like Tinkerbell. Their study reveals that a glass of red wine has similar positive effects on the body as a gym.

A recent study by scientists at the University of Alberta in Canada has revealed the positive effects of drinking red wine. Only one glass of this drink has similar positive effects on the body as a workout.

Scientists have discovered that red wine (in limited quantities!) is a great source of resveratrol, which is a very powerful antioxidant and has a beneficial effect on the heart and muscles in a similar way to physical activity.

one glass of red vine per day for cardiovascular health

The main elements of a healthy lifestyle are:

Healthy nutrition, more movement, and less harmful habits, especially smoking.
Try to avoid processed and pre-packed foods that often contain too much sugar and unhealthy fats.
Reduce the amount of sweets, sweet and strong alcoholic drinks. Rather choose water, teas or unsweetened drinks and replace sweets with fruit.
Try to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day – Fresh fruits and vegetables are better for you than canned or frozen.
Sleep at least 8 hours at night. Among other things, sleep deprivation can contribute to elevated blood pressure, which is one of the main risk factors for heart disease.
Reduce stress. Stress can have an extremely negative impact on our health. Of course, the heart is especially burdened.
Maintain a healthy body weight! Increased body weight is extremely dangerous for the heart and circulatory system. Of course, this is not only important for a healthy heart and blood vessels, but also for other organs.