Eat these foods to unclog arteries.....

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It's not too late to turn the tide when it comes to health. We can take control of our diets and in turn take control of the direction in which our health may be headed. Which of these foods do you eat on a regular basis? I eat all of them but not nearly enough! Garlic… If want to really clean out your arteries – do eat garlic regularly… 1 to 4 cloves daily. Garlic adds a wonderful flavouring to all kinds of recipes and is very versatile. You can include garlic in soups, casseroles, on salads, etc. Eating 1 – 4 cloves a day is estimated to provide 4,000 mcg of allicin, one of garlic’s most beneficial compounds. If you prefer to take a garlic supplement instead of eating raw garlic because of the strong smell, look for one with the active ingredient “alliin”, because this substance is relatively odorless until it is converted into allicin in the body. Grapes… Red grapes are a good source of lutein – a carotenoid that’s been shown to help reduce early atherosclerosis. Lutein also helps prevent thickening of the carotid artery in the neck, an indication of atherolscrosis. It also lowers inflammation of LDL cholesterol in artery walls. Concord Grape Juice… Both grape skin extract and grape seed extract together have excellent heart-health properties. Grape juice, made from whole concord grapes is a powerful artery-clearing wonder. It protects your artery walls from cholesterol because of some powerful, potent substances. Found in the skin of the grape is a flavinoid called “quercetin” which acts as an antioxident to prevent LDL cholesterol from sticking on the walls of your arteries. “Resveratrol” also found in the skin, removes inflammation and blood clots. Also, “procyanidins in the seeds help keep your blood vessels clear including added antioxident properties. Cherries… The tiny sweet fruit contains over 17 compounds to clear away clogged arteries of plaque even better than vitamin supplements. These compounds, found in the anthocyanins that give cherries their red colour. Cherries hold more antioxident power than well-known vitamin C and E supplements. Plus being a whole food, you will better absorb all the wonderful nutrients including beneficial fiber which helps to lower cholesterol. Strawberries… Perfect to toss into your breakfast cereal, strawberries are also loaded with antioxidants, including vitamin C and E, ellagic acid, assorted carotenoid and anthocyanins. They can cut cholesterol levels by 10 percent. Try to buy organic strawberries as they tend to be heavily sprayed with pesticides. Apples and Grapefruit... Both of these fruits contain pectin, a soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol. It has been shown in animal studies that pectin will slow down the progression of atherosclerosis and the clogging of arteries. Apples are a rich source of “quercetin” including potassium and magnesium – minerals that keep your blood pressure under control. A French study found that eating two apples a day can help prevent and reverse “hardening” of the arteries. Red Delicious and Granny Smith varieties of apple are also rich in procyanidins. Sweet Potatoes… Full of cholesterol-lowering fiber, potassium, beta carotene, folate and vitamin C, Sweet Potatoes help to lower your blood pressure and keep your arteries clear. Green Tea… Drinking just one cup a day will give great antioxident protection. The flavinoids in green tea are known as “polyphenols” – which are powerful antioxidents that may be greater than or equal to that of Vitamin C and vitamin E. Healthy green tea also contains “procyanidins”, which also help prevent blood clots forming and promote healthy “endothelium” - the tissues that line your blood vessels and heart. Hawthorn Tea… The extract from the hawthorn berries can calm palpitations, help restore blood vessel elasticity, ease fluid build-up in the heart, stop fatty degeneration of the heart, help dilate coronary arteries and also reduce blood pressure. Olive Oil... Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation by countering the inflammatory effects of omega-6, another type of fatty acid. Most people eat diets overloaded with omega-6 which is found in vegetable oils like soybean or corn oil. Olive oil is on the list of “good” oils and a “monounsaturated” fat. Using a “cold-pressed” organic olive oil as your main source of oil may cut your risk of coronary heart disease almost in half. Also, canola oil, avocados and nuts like almonds are other good sources monounsaturated fat that help to clean your arteries. Salmon… Fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, herring and tuna have some of the best source of omega-3 fatty acid nutrients. The American Heart Association recommends including two fatty-fish meals a week in your diet. Wild salmon, in addition to tasting great is really rich in the omega-3 good fats, which makes the blood less likely to clot within your arteries, thus preventing cholesterol from becoming damaged or oxidized. (Farmed salmon is not recommended because it is full of toxins and far less omega-3s). Spinach… Vitamin C and vitamin A which help prevent cholesterol from becoming “oxidized” will help to prevent clogging plaque from building up in your arteries. Spinach is also chocked full of Vitamin C and A. Swiss Chard… This leafy-green alternative is an excellent source of vitamin E, another antioxidant which helps prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol. Eating a diet rich in vitamin E has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing clogged arteries. Tomatoes… Tomatoes are rich in carotenoid lycopene, an antioxidant that can significantly lower your risk of atherosclerosis nearly in half. Tomato juice, soup and ketchup (low sodium choices) give you a more-concentrated form than fresh tomatoes. Also, antioxident-rich tomatoes may make LDL cholesterol much less susceptible to becoming oxidized – being a first step in the formation of artery-clogging plaque formation which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Garbanzo Beans… All beans contain both important soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, but garbanzo beans are one of the best – which help to remove cholesterol-containing bile from your body. They are also known to help prevent heart disease.