"Oh, this asparagus is really a 'scavenger' of blood vessels!" 61-year-old Aunt Chen Xiufang always sighs like this every time she eats. After her retirement, Aunt Chen paid special attention to health preservation, and heard that asparagus is good for blood vessels, so she is indispensable to every meal.
Lately, she has been feeling more energetic and walking a lot more briskly, and she thinks that her regimen is really working.
Aunt Chen told the doctor with great interest: "Doctor, I eat asparagus every day, and I heard that it is the 'scavenger' of blood vessels, so my blood vessels should be clean, right?" After hearing this, the doctor smiled and nodded, and then said, "Asparagus is indeed good for blood vessels, but eating asparagus alone is not enough." ”
The doctor explained the health benefits of asparagus in detail. Asparagus is rich in dietary fiber, vitamin K, folate, and antioxidants, which are really helpful for vascular health.
Dietary fiber can help lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis; Vitamin K contributes to blood clotting and bone health; Folic acid is essential for heart health and lowers homocysteine levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease; Antioxidants protect the blood vessel walls from free radical damage and slow down aging.
The doctor's warning made Aunt Chen immediately alert, and he started with high-fat and high-cholesterol foods. Fried foods, fatty meats, and organ meats are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
These things accumulate on the inner wall of the blood vessels, which will form plaques, just like smearing a thick layer of butter on the blood vessels, and over time, the blood vessels will be easily blocked. Aunt Chen nodded, thinking to herself, it seems that she will have to save her favorite fried chicken wings and braised pork in the future.
Next, the doctor talked about the dangers of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Smoking not only hurts the lungs, but also makes the lining of the blood vessels rough and uneven, making it easy to clog like old water pipes.
Excessive alcohol consumption can spike blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Although Aunt Chen is a non-smoker, it is her habit to have a few drinks. She listened to the doctor's words and decided that she would have to control the amount of alcohol she drank in the future, after all, health was much more important than those few sips.
Finally, the doctor emphasized the importance of exercise. Modern people are accustomed to being sedentary and have poor blood circulation, which increases the risk of blood clots, he said.
Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, etc., can help blood flow and maintain the elasticity of blood vessels. When Aunt Chen heard this, she was very happy. She goes to the park every morning for square dancing, and it seems like it's going to have to continue, which is good news.
When Aunt Chen returned home, she immediately began to adjust her lifestyle. She cut back on high-fat and high-cholesterol foods, and only enjoyed fried chicken wings and braised pork in small amounts when she particularly wanted to. She controlled the amount of alcohol she drank, drinking only a small glass of red wine at a time, and was no longer greedy. Every morning, she still shows up in the park on time, square dancing with the old sisters, walking like flying.
After some time, Aunt Chen went to the hospital for a follow-up, and the doctor was surprised to find that her health indicators had improved significantly. The blood pressure has stabilized, the blood sugar has normalized, and even the blood lipids have dropped a lot. The doctor said approvingly: "Aunt Chen, your health has really improved greatly, continue to maintain your current lifestyle, your blood vessels will become healthier and healthier." ”
Since then, Aunt Chen still dances square dances every morning and walks with her neighbors after dinner. She began to pay attention to her diet, reducing her intake of fried foods and high-cholesterol foods, and occasionally drinking red wine, but not excessively. She found that not only her blood pressure was stable, but her mental state was also getting better and better.
Aunt Chen's health, everyone has followed her example, eat less junk food, eat more healthy food, and maintain a moderate amount of exercise. The neighborhood is getting healthier and healthier, and everyone is smiling more and more.
Keeping your blood vessels healthy requires not only eating the right foods, but also avoiding unhealthy lifestyle habits. Although asparagus is the "scavenger" of blood vessels, we also need to protect our blood vessels in an all-round way in order to truly have a healthy body.
I hope everyone can get inspiration from Aunt Chen's experience, pay attention to the adjustment of diet and living habits, and escort their own health.
Source: Healthy Gastronomy