Photo Credit: by Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels.com
You know that taking care of your physical health is important. We have to live in our bodies for the rest of our lives. You don’t get a new one when yours gets wear and tear! If you want to live a long life (and feel good doing it), some body parts will play a bigger part in that picture than others.
Moreover, some body parts can withstand years of hard living, while others are much more sensitive. Some body parts don’t have a huge effect on the rest of your overall health, while other body parts play a huge role in how well the rest of your body functions.
For example, years of working outside doing hard labor may result in calloused hands and tired feet, but those won’t necessarily shorten your life. On the other hand, years of eating a poor diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle will clog your arteries, and the prognosis of that doesn’t bode quite so well.
As you can see, some body parts are more vital than others, so you’ll want to make sure you’re taking extra good care of them. They can make or break the rest of your body so it’s vital that you keep them clean and functioning well.
Want to learn about the three body parts you should be keeping squeaky clean? Read on to find out what you should prioritize above all else!
Your blood vessels
Have you ever heard the saying, “People and their arteries live the same life?” You might think that’s an exaggeration, but it’s true that your blood vessels are one of the determining factors of your overall health and longevity. They affect every other part of your body since they literally supply the life blood to every body part.
As the Cleveland Clinic explains it, “Blood vessels circulate blood throughout your body. They help deliver oxygen to vital organs and tissues, and also remove waste products. Blood vessels include veins, arteries and capillaries.”
The article also goes on to explain that blood vessel disorders are very common, with nearly half of all American adults having high blood pressure. But just because something is common does not mean it is safe. Keep in mind that heart disease is also the number-one cause of death in America!
If your arteries are sluggish and slow, you will feel that way, too. Your body will age faster, you will be forced to slow down, and you’re opening yourself up to a whole host of diseases and the accelerated decline of various body systems and organs.
Cleveland Clinic also explains: “Your risk for vascular disease increases if you:
● Are older than 65.
● Are overweight/obese.
● Have diabetes or high cholesterol.
● Smoke.
● Don’t exercise.
● Have an illness that damages your blood vessels.
● Have a family history of vascular disorders.”
Here, you can see what to do (and what not to do). But it’s not all about lifestyle choices. Some genetics and aging play into the picture, too. As you age, the junk you consume accumulates in your bloodstream. You become more susceptible to life-threatening blood clots and blockages, which are a shortcut to cardiovascular diseases and even sudden death events such as heart attacks or strokes.
Some recommendations for keeping your arteries clean include eating a variety of fresh vegetables every day, hydrating adequately with water and even drinking light teas as a natural blood thinner and fat reducer, as well as exercising regularly. Get your blood pumping every day and you will nurture your arteries in the process.
In addition, make sure the vegetables you eat come in a variety of colors. Another good way to remember how to eat right is to eat the rainbow! From dark leafy greens to ruby-red tomatoes to bright orange carrots to deep purple beets, if you eat the rainbow, you will consume a comprehensive range of vital nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, which helps your body clear the junk from your system and keep your arteries strong and resilient.
Your lungs
An organ that works closely with the blood vessels and is totally interdependent with the vascular system is the lungs. Breathing is, obviously, an unavoidable component of staying alive. If you can’t breathe, you can’t live, and without healthy lungs, your quality of life will be severely hindered if not prevented altogether. Breath is life, and you can’t go on without it.
You know that “The respiratory system’s main job is to move fresh air into your body while removing waste gasses,” as the American Lung Association explains it, but did you know that the lungs serve other important functions, too?
The article further explains, “In addition to gas exchange, your respiratory system performs other roles important to breathing. These include:
● Bringing air to the proper body temperature and moisturizing it to the right humidity level.
● Protecting your body from harmful substances. This is done by coughing, sneezing, filtering or swallowing them.
● Supporting your sense of smell.”
But keep in mind that in addition to your lungs themselves, the quality of the air you breathe is important, too. Polluted air can be a silent killer that causes damage and disease over time, and you may not even realize it; dirty air can come from the outside environment but also kitchen fumes, smoke and gas, toxic cleaning chemicals used inside the home, and even noxious fumes inside nail and hair salons.
If you live in a city, you need to check your air quality and act accordingly. And if you’re regularly exposed to polluted air, you need to take precautions such as wearing a mask, cleaning up the air you breathe, using filters that keep the air inside your home super clean, and maybe even getting breathing and lung cleaning treatments.
And that’s not to mention hazardous activities like smoking or vaping, the danger of which is well documented. Even secondhand smoke can cause major harm to your lungs. What you breathe in (or choose not to) has a direct impact on the overall health of your lungs.
Take care of your lungs by taking care to breathe healthy, clean air and taking deep breaths on a regular basis. The ALA advises, “Lung capacity declines as you age. Keep your lungs healthy by taking good care of yourself every day. Eat a balanced diet, exercise and reduce stress to breathe easier.” If you’re always short of breath due to stress or obesity, the available number of breaths you have left will shorten along with it. And if your lungs are dirty, your lung functioning will be affected and you’ve opened yourself up to various diseases and threats to your health and vitality.
Aside from these recommendations, ancient Chinese medicine practices recommend white foods to nurture your lungs. But we’re not talking about potatoes, white bread, mayonnaise, and cheeses. In this case, the foods you want to eat to lubricate the lungs and nourish your breathing are Chinese yams, water chestnuts, tremella mushrooms, lotus root, and herbal teas.
Your gut and digestion
So much of your health stems from your gut! If you have gut issues, it will show up in a number of ways. The duration and quality of your life can almost be determined by the health of your gut. In other words, a clean gut is a clean life; the majority of disease can be traced back to gut imbalance and pollution.
As Orlando Health puts it, “Did you know that gut health affects literally everything in your body? The gastrointestinal system is the main ‘portal’ for taking in and processing nutrients, but it also serves a communication center and disease fighter. From your nervous and immune systems to your mental health and digestive function, a healthy gut plays a pivotal role in your overall well-being.”
Overeating can be one way to damage your gut, but eating the wrong foods is also detrimental. Inflammatory, fattening foods or foods with no nutritional value do not add to your health, but only detract from it. Eating too much bread and meat can lead to an accumulation of toxins and “crap” in your system. Digestive disease is widespread and has a major impact on quality of life, yet much of it is preventable through the proper diet and lifestyle choices.
The article also explains, “Microbiome diversity is important. The microbiome contains both good bacteria and bad bacteria, known as gut flora. The good bacteria feeds on fiber, including both soluble and insoluble fiber in our diets. The bad bacteria feed on elements in simple sugars and processed foods.”
The gut is resilient and strong but it’s also a delicate organ; your digestive tract responds to what you put in it and how you live your life. Clean it up and you’ll feel the effects across your entire system.
As you age, the functioning of your digestive system declines along with you. Your gut is filled with beneficial bacteria that line your intestinal tract; as these decrease, due to age or poor lifestyle and diet choices, your health will decrease along with them. Gut dysbiosis has also been shown to make Covid infections more severe.
To counteract gut issues and support the health of your digestive tract, make sure to eat lots of dark, leafy greens (such as spinach and kale) and stay hydrated with an ample supply of water at all times. Aim to eat 20-30 different types a week to diversify your gut. Make sure to include dark, leafy greens (such as spinach and kale) and stay hydrated with an ample supply of water at all times.
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