Good blood flow is essential for proper brain function and oxygen transport to vital organs in the body. Many people today work in offices where they are required to sit down for the majority of the day. After working all day in an office, most people go home only to sit down on their comfy couches to relax and do it all over again the next day.
While we all know that leading this sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain, many people do not realize the effects this type of lazy lifestyle has on their blood circulation. Sitting down all the time can lead to swelling in the legs and feet because of poor circulation.
While the most obvious answer to this issue is to stand up more and to exercise regularly, another thing that you can do in order to improve blood circulation is to eat the right foods. That’s right, there are certain foods that you can eat in order to improve your blood flow.
Best Foods to Improve Blood Circulation
Any fruit that is high in vitamin C will naturally thin the blood. Oranges and other citrus fruits can actually help strengthen capillary walls and prevent the buildup of plaque, which may lead to poor blood circulation.
Perhaps some of the best news for chocolate lovers around the world is that eating dark chocolate can help improve blood circulation.
The cocoa used to make dark chocolate has flavonoids, which have been linked for improving circulation. Make sure that you are purchasing and consuming dark chocolate with flavonoids as white chocolate or chocolate without flavonoids does not have the same effect.
Sunflower seeds are another superfood when it comes to improving circulation. These seeds have a ton of vitamin E, which helps prevent clots from forming. Other similar foods that have a lot of vitamin E include pumpkin seeds, nuts, and olives.
Cayenne pepper either used as a dried spice or as fresh pepper can increase the metabolic rate and strengthen the arteries. It is best to eat this pepper raw in a salad or in a juice mix.
Ginger is a root that has a ton of health benefits. Not only can it help with digestion issues, it also can improve blood circulation.
Garlic is another spice that has a ton of health benefits. It can help clean the blood and prevent plaque from building up. Other foods in this bulb group that are good for stimulation of blood flow include leeks, onions, and radishes.
Any food that has omega 3 fatty acids is good for improving blood flow. Avocados and salmon both have these fatty acids and are full of good fats and nutrients to help you stay healthy..
