Heart Beet: Juicing Your Way To A Healthy HeartDiet is one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle. If you are suffering from any illness or disease, then it's likely eating better will help to alleviate at least some of the symptoms and in some cases, such as diabetes, a healthier diet can have dramatic effects. For a condition such as heart disease, then healthier eating is paramount to recovering from the disease and enhancing quality of life, and adding years to life. Though the advice has always been to eat 5 portions of fresh fruit or vegetables a day, this can be a difficult thing to keep up, particularly if you are new to a healthy diet. Therefore, one of the best investments a person suffering from heart disease can make is purchasing a juicer. Then they can get all the nutrients they want from just a couple of glasses of fresh juice each day.There are a number of different fresh fruits and vegetables that can help people suffering from heart disease. These can help lower blood pressure, which in turn will lower the risk for heart disease, as well as other diseases and illnesses, such as strokes. A person that has cause to worry about their heart will find that drinking a glass of juice each day can significantly lower their risk of heart disease. However, the benefits are only really found if the person drinks the juice regularly. This is one of the reasons a juicer is a good idea. For one, they can prepare their own juices, rather than constantly looking for the correct store-bought options, and two, it is far easier to drink a juice for five minutes a day than prepare a meal containing the correct portions of fruit and vegetables. Below are three different ingredients, widely available, that can be included in a homemade juice that can significantly lower your risk of heart disease. Heart disease is not the only problem that juices of fresh fruit and vegetables can help with. Because of all the vitamins and nutrients packed into products, they can help with other problems such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis. Juices can help reduce inflammation and are rich in antioxidants. The antioxidants have been shown to help prevent damage to cells, leading to cancer. Beetroot If you are going to make a juice specifically targeted towards heart disease, then the best vegetable to choose for the juice is beetroot. Beetroot lowers blood pressure, which in turn can lower the risk of heart disease by putting less stress on the heart. Beetroot has high levels of nitrate, which is thought to be the chemical responsible for its healthy properties. Beetroot works by producing nitric oxide, which helps to keep blood vessels wide, reducing blood pressure. Though patients can also take nitrate supplements for a similar effect, the additional benefits of the other nutrients in Beetroot means that it is a far healthier alternative to supplementary vitamins. There are also no side-effects from Beetroot juice as opposed to taking high levels of medication. Pomegranate If Beetroot juice doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, then pomegranate juice could also be used as a way to lower blood pressure in heart disease. Pomegranate also contains nitrates and including just a half of pomegranate in your juice each day could replace any extra nitrate medication that a person with heart disease has to take. Pomegranate tastes delicious on its own, but can be combined with blueberries for additional antioxidants and health benefits. Cranberry Cranberry is already a fruit used in juices all the time, but it is when it is on its own that the greatest benefits for your heart come through, and if you want to use a juicer at home for a better diet, it is a great addition to your menu. Cranberry juice can increase the level of HDL cholesterol in your blood system. High levels of HDL can protect against heart disease, and low levels are associated with heart problems. Choosing to juice at home is a good idea for anyone, but particularly for people who have to increase their level of fruit and vegetable intake. The nutrients available in these products are a natural way to help protect against heart disease, as well as a lot of other diseases. However, if you are planning to reduce your medications and replace them with natural produce, make sure you consult your physician first. Contributed by Jenni Yates |
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