Improving Blood Circulation
Blood is the body’s main internal transport system. Hence, optimum blood circulation is vital for good health. Blood circulation is important preventing illness such as heart disease and diabetes. Stimulating the blood circulation will assist just about every bodily process and improve every system of the body. In fact, living being must be capable of transporting nutrients, wastes and gases to and from cells. And it is obvious that circulation of blood becomes increasingly important.
Immobility Stagnates Blood: If you sit all day at the office there is a good chance that when you go home you may be feeling tired, weak, and more over drained. This is because when you don’t move your body and lubricate your muscles or use your joints your blood can’t flow properly. If blood doesn’t move well through your veins and arteries, your tissues and organs do not get enough oxygen and nutrients.
Symptoms of Poor Circulation:
- Tingling in the feet and hands
- Cold fingers and toes
- Bluish tined skin and slow healing wounds
Ways to improve blood circulation:
Exercise: A major key to excellent health: Love it or hate it – exercise is good for blood circulation. Physical activities such as cycling, swimming and walking can greatly improve blood circulation, if performed regularly. For people with poor circulation to the arms and legs, walking can increase the size and improve the efficiency of the tiny vessels that supply blood for cellular respiration.
Eat Right : Blood flow can become better with improved bodily functions, which is the result of a proper diet. Blood circulation is most improved by an adequate intake of Vitamin E. Vitamin E lowers you body’s need for oxygen and helps your body produce more blood vessels. You can get Vitamin E from many sources such as vegetable oils and nuts. Reduce fat and sugar in the diet. This will improve your circulation because the blood gets thinner which will allow it to flow through the small blood vessels more easily. Increasing fiber in the diet will also remove dietary fat from the body and improve the circulation even more.
Kick the habits: Improving blood circulation is almost tough for those who continue to smoke. To have any hope of improving blood circulation it is essential to quit smoking.
Herbs: Something you can do to improve blood circulation that doesn’t require moving is to take some medicinal herbs. Some herbs can have a large effect on blood circulation as well as heart health. These include ginkgo, cayenne, onion and ginger. Gingko works by increasing blood flow to the brain and supplies oxygen and nutrients. Cayenne pepper strengthens and tones your capillaries and vessels. Cayenne is said to stabilize the blood pressure allover the body. Ginger and Onion also have a boosting effect on the circulation.
Massaging: Massaging is perceived only as an act of relaxation. But it is more than that. The touch of hands and legs in appropriate places calms your muscles and joints, relieves stress as well as improves blood circulation which helps the body in many ways.
Breathing: Deep breathing provides extra oxygen to the blood and causes the body to release endorphins. Endorphins are the naturally occurring hormones that re-energize and promote blood circulation. If we practice deep breathing to use the lungs more fully, this will get more oxygen into the blood, remove waste products from the blood especially carbon dioxide- more quickly; and generally help to speed up the circulation of the blood.
