How's Your Heart? Part 2
4. Boost your phytonutrient intake. You get these from fruits and vegetables as well as certain supplements - such as the Vivix pictured. Its ingredients are 10x more powerful than resveratrol alone in slowing a key mechanism of aging - AGE protein formation. Phytonutrients protect you against heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. Both flavonoids and carotenoids are key nutrients: potent antioxidants, inflammation inhibitors, cellular aging reducers & work on cancer, heart disease and eye health. CarotoMax & FlavoMax contain those phytonutrients.
5. Go fishing with omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA, both found in omega-3s, reduce high triglycerides and high blood pressure. It's also believed that that they inhibit the development of plaque and blood clots. The American Heart Association says to eat 2 servings of fish rich in omega-3s weekly. (That means the oilier fish rather than white fish, which has little EPA.) Concerned about the heavy metals and environmental pollution in fish? Try an ultra-pure, high quality fish oil like OmegaGuard.
6. Protect your body against free radicals & oxidative stress. Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressive build-up of plaques on the walls of arteries. Some researchers say that oxidative stress and free-radical damage to blood vessel walls starts the whole process. Vitamin C, E and Selenium are potent antioxidants, preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and going after free radicals. You can also get them in nuts and seeds (Vitamin E) and in citrus fruits, strawberries and potatoes (Vitamin C). To be sure you're getting them, try Shaklee's Vita-E (400 IU caps) and Vita-C (500 mg tabs).
7. Fill up on fiber. Way back at #1 on this 3-part post about heart health, you heard that fruits, vegetables and whole grains were part of a healthy diet. These 3 also give you dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. The more important one for heart health is soluble, which comes from oats and apples, for instance. Aim for 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day - and consider adding Fiber Plan from Shaklee to your day. It mixes into juices, milk or other liquids, giving you 4 grams of soluble fiber per serving.
8. Find a friend in Coenzyme Q10. This is an antioxidant substance that works with vitamins C & E to protect cells against free-radical damage and oxidative stress. It's known for being heart-healthy. The body produces it on its own, but its production decreases as we age. Statin drugs also block the body's ability to make CoQ10. You can get it in fatty fish, liver and whole grains. To make sure you have enough every day, add CoQHeart to your supplement regimen. It has CoQ10, resveratrol and more in exclusive, patented technology.
