Product Focus - Your Roadmap to Circulation Health

Increasingly regarded as an organ in its own right, the circulatory system supplies oxygen, nutrients and hormones via the blood to all the cells in the body, as well as eliminating harmful toxins.(1) the circulatory system – interchangeably known as the cardiovascular system – traverses to every corner of our biology, powering the liver, muscles, stomach, lungs, brain and waste and lymph systems. Put simply, good circulation means good health.

Diet: Okay, it may sound hackneyed advice by now, but the importance of eating a well-balanced, nutritionally-dense diet can’t be overstated for your circulation. your circulatory system doesn’t ask for much in return. like most areas of your biology, what it wants is clean, colourful, circulation-friendly food. making smarter food choices will also help you maintain a healthy weight. indeed, the strain on your circulatory system is much greater if you’re overweight.

Eat wholefoods: Following a mainly whole food diet – with as few minimally processed ingredients as possible – is one of the best ways to support your circulatory health. Try to live by this mantra: limit any food products that contain more than five ingredients.

Fill up on fibre: Fibre is one of the best fuels for circulatory health; with a growing body of scientific data suggesting regular consumption may support cardiovascular function.(2)

Sack the saturates: Eating a diet rich in saturated fats can elevate levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol, which may increase the risk of heart and circulatory complications.(3) Limit or, better yet, cut out the saturated fats found in butter, lard, ghee, cheese and fatty meats. Instead, choose the healthy unsaturated fats in oily fish, nuts and olive oil.

Circulation-friendly foods:

• Beetroot

• Oily fish: mackerel, sardines, herring

• Oranges

• Cayenne pepper

Exercise: Circulation loves movement. A regular exercise regime makes your circulatory system more robust, more expansive, and more flexible. Physical activity encourages the growth of new capillaries in muscles, regulates blood pressure, lowers resting heart rate and attacks visceral fat (the insidious kind of fat that encases internal organs).(4) and that’s not all. exercise and the circulatory system have a symbiotic relationship: the better your circulatory system, the better you move, and the better your overall athletic performance. time to dust off your trainers?

Inactivity has consequencesThe heart is a muscle; it needs regular physical exercise to make it bigger and stronger. When you’re active, your lungs can better oxygenate your blood, enabling it to reach all the cells and tissues of your body. But when you’re inactive, fatty materials can begin to clog your arteries and compromise your circulatory health.(5) Indeed, here’s the real kicker: inactivity is estimated to cause 9 per cent of premature mortality worldwide.(6)

Aim for 10,000: Deceptively simple, upping your step count to 10,000 a day is one of the best ways to get the blood pumping around your circulatory system. And there are plenty of hacks to increase your step count: walk to work, get off the bus three stops earlier, take a brisk walk on your lunch break, or spearhead ‘walky-talky’ meetings with colleagues. Of course, steps aren’t the only important consideration here; you need to think about pace, too. For the ultimate circulation workout, walk briskly at a rate that makes you feel slightly breathless.

Prepare to sweat: Cardiovascular (aerobic) activity is often held up as the heart-healthiest exercise. Research suggests pulse-raisers may reduce ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol, help lower blood pressure, and maintain optimal weight.(7) But it’s not just a case of slogging away on a treadmill for hours. You must choose a workout that works for you – be it dancing, kickboxing, or spinning. Ultimately, this will motivate you to move. Try to get sweaty three to four times a week. Even short five-minute bursts of cardio, like skipping, will support your circulatory health.