The #1 Heart Healthy Snack You Should Add to Your Diet Today...
Today I am going to tell you the number one heart healthy, blood pressure lowering snack food you should add to your grocery list
But First let’s set the stage…
As you know, High blood pressure is the result of an unhealthy cardiovascular system…
Due to our 1st world, highly processed diets and sedentary lifestyle…
Our cardiovascular systems are, frankly, shot…
Stress, lack of exercise and poor diet results in stiff, highly inflamed blood vessels…
When blood vessels are stiff and non-flexible and their capacity is further reduced by plaque buildup and inflammation…
you’ve got the perfect recipe for high blood pressure…
And, if any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, over 100 million American adults have high blood pressure for these very reasons…
Now, if you are watching this video, you’re obviously looking for answers, for yourself or maybe a loved one…
and you probably already know the risks of High blood pressure…
But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the fact that high blood pressure directly leads to coronary heart disease, cardiac arrest, stroke, arteriosclerosis, and even dementia
So, I think we are all in agreement here…
We want to lower blood pressure for a whole host of very positive health benefits…
To lower blood pressure we want to reverse the years of damage we’ve done to our heart and blood vessels…
now there are a lot of ways we can start to repair and restore the cardiovascular system…
these include diet, rest, exercise, supplementation and stress relief…
today we are going to be focusing primarily on diet…
Before we plunge right into the diet recommendations, I want to arm you with the knowledge you need to better assess your food choices going forward…
To reduce blood pressure we need to do two things, which I hinted at earlier…
We need a systemic vasodilator and we need to increase nitric oxide production…
Ok, OK..in plain english….
We talked about how high blood pressure is the result of stiff and non-flexible blood vessels and that blood flow is reduced by plaque and inflammation…
another way to say this is that the blood vessels are constricted…
remember as a kid when you put your thumb over the end of the water hose and were able to shoot water across the yard and spray your little brother or the kid next door?
When you constricted the flow of water with your thumb, the water pressure increased and shot a stream of high pressure water across the yard often resulting is some kid screaming and running…ah, the good old days…actually, it was usually me screaming and running, but thats another story…
When you removed your thumb, you essentially dilated the hose and the pressure decreased and water began to dribble from the end of the hose…
So we have to do the same thing to your blood vessels, we have to dilate your vessels…thus the systemic vasodilator… Systemic (meaning throughout your body) Vaso (meaning vessels) and dilator (Meaning to become wider, larger and more open)
As I mentioned, the other thing we need to be looking for are foods that increase nitric oxide production…
real quick, nitric oxide is a gas produced in the lining of your blood vessels which helps them remain flexible but also reduces inflammation and repairs and rejuvenates the vessel walls by reducing plaque buildup…
So we are going to be looking at foods that help the blood vessels relax and begin to repair themselves…
Specifically, we are going to be looking at foods high in arginine, citrulline, carnitine magnesium and zinc…all of which have been shown to have positive effects on blood flow and the reduction of blood pressure…
In a minute I’m going to be reveling the number one snack food you can incorporate into your diet which contains most of these elements…
but First lets take a closer look at Arginine…. Arginine creates nitric oxide, which widens and relaxes arteries and blood vessels, improving blood flow… it also helps heal injuries and boosts the immune system…So arginine is a great place to start…
You’ll find the highest amount in Turkey breast…one cooked breast has 16 grams of arginine! Other great sources are pork loin and chicken breast…
Now, Citrulline, when combined with Arginine, has a multiplier effect in terms of nitric oxide production, taken together these two ingredients really boost nitric oxide resulting in reduced blood pressure and even lowering cholesterol…
If you like watermelon, you are in luck as watermelon is one of the richest sources of citrulline…other sources include garlic and onions, and legumes…
Carnitine is another amino acid that has been shown to offer positive cardiovascular effects…especially in the areas of blood flow to the heart and to the extremities…and remember, anything that increases blood flow necessarily lowers blood pressure…
Carnitine is found primarily in meat…so look for things like lean, grass fed beef, low-fat pork such as pork loin, fish and chicken breast…
Next, let look at Magnesium…
Magnesium plays a central role in just about every bodily process…low levels of magnesium have been linked to Alzheimers, diabetes and yes, even heart disease…
As a quick aside, Calcium is responsible for our muscles ability to contract while Magnesium is responsible for relaxing muscles…
Since the 50’s Calcium has been added to everything from OJ to bread and almost all processed foods…
Americans get plenty of calcium…
It’s no wonder we are all so stressed out, tense and cant relax…
Well, it’s Magnesium to the rescue…Magnesium is strongly associated with lowering blood pressure as well as getting a great nights sleep…
Foods rich in Magnesium include spinach, almonds, dried figs, black beans and avocado…
That actually sounds like a pretty amazing salad, just as olive oil and a little vinegar…
Last on our list of cardio positive elements is Zinc…
And what a powerhouse Zinc is…
Zinc is needed to maintain the health of cells within the cardiovascular system, while also lowering inflammation…
The thin layer of cells that line the blood vessels, called the endothelium, relies on adequate levels of zinc…
Zinc is also used to support healthy circulation, reduce high blood pressure and regulate cholesterol levels…
As If all of this wasn’t enough, Zinc enhances immune function, helps balance hormones and insulin, and increases testosterone naturally which has many roles for both men and women…
So what foods are full of Zinc…Lamb, grass fed beef, garbanzo beans and chicken breast all have high levels of zinc…
Ok, so what do you do If you are not eating a diet rich in the food we’ve mentioned…
You are going to need to make some changes to your diet.. and , frankly, that can take some time…
In the mean time, you might want to check out the supplement Stronvivo…
Stronvivo, vitamins for your blood vessels, is a combination of Arginine, Citrulline, Carnitine, Magnesium and Zinc…
Stronvivo is designed to be a systemic vasodilator and a nitric oxide booster…
and it’s been shown in clinical trials to help reduce blood pressure and repair, restore and rejuvenate the cardiovascular system….exactly what we’ve been talking about…
Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for… the number one food you should add to your snack list….Pumpkin Seeds…
Thats right, pumpkin seeds are rich in arginine, citrulline, magnesium and zinc. Try adding 1/4 cup several times per week….
Oh and as a special bonus…Dark Chocolate is also rich in Citrullline, Magnesium and Zinc and in moderation is considered to be very heart healthy…
Making good choices with your diet is critical for heart health and lowering blood pressure…
Remember whole foods, lots and lots of fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, whole grains, cold water fish and lean cuts of meat…
So there you have it.. thank you for spending a minute with me and here’s to good heart health!
To learn more about stronvivo and how to jump start the process of lowering your blood pressure, just click below…