Panta rhei - everything flows. Undisturbed blood circulation lets us feel the flow of life every day.As long as we live, our cardiovascular system never stands still. Blood is pumped ceaselessly from the heart into the smallest and most distant capillary vessels, where it delivers oxygen and nutrients. Everything that is not needed locally is absorbed and transported further - and then it is on its way back again. The older we get, the tighter it gets inside our blood vessels. Over the years, all kinds of unwanted substances accumulate in the walls of the blood vessels, causing them to thicken and harden. This natural arteriosclerosis is determined by many factors. The good news is that we can influence most of them ourselves.
Keep blood vessels clean
The deposits in the walls of blood vessels are called "plaques" and are made up of blood fats, thrombi, connective tissue and calcium phosphate. If we don't smoke and keep our blood lipids and blood pressure in a healthy range, we are already doing a lot of good for pervious blood vessels. Even small lifestyle changes - with lower stress, a few kilos less and regular exercise - quickly bring an improvement.
Disrupt blood circulation
If you constantly have cold feet and hands without any specific reason, you should consider a circulatory disorder as the cause. Nonspecific tingling, numbness or even pain in the extremities can also be indications in this direction. In any case, it is important to take such warning signals of our body seriously. The sooner the causes are clarified, the better we can take countermeasures ourselves and prevent something worse - such as "shop window disease": because of leg complaints, you have to stop again and again, and the pain-free walking distance is constantly reduced as the disease progresses.
Because blood circulation is only gradually reduced, vascular diseases often go unnoticed for a very long time. But it is precisely at an early stage that there are the best chances of healing or treatment. Therefore, we should already pay attention to small signs or changes - especially if we belong to the risk group of smokers.
Risk groups
It is undeniable that smokers are among the most vulnerable population group when it comes to circulatory disorders. The formation of plaques in the walls of the blood vessels begins at an earlier age in smokers and progresses much faster than in non-smokers. Diabetics, hypertensive patients and overweight people are similarly disadvantaged.
Help from nature
Herbal preparations help to improve the flow properties of the blood and reduce the deposition of fats and "calcifications". For example, ginkgo and garlic - best in combination with hawthorn and mistletoe - as well as buckwheat herb and horse chestnut extract. Saint Charles offers a range of herbal remedies in the form of capsules, healthy oils or tinctures.
Our tip: swinging hooves & alternating showers
Regular exercise keeps our vascular system going. A good 40-minute brisk walk or bike ride 3 times a week is enough - ideally in the great outdoors, preferably in the forest. This promotes the growth of new peripheral arteries, which naturally benefits blood circulation. Frequent barefoot walking - at home or in the garden - also stimulates blood circulation throughout the body via the sensitive soles of the feet. At home, we can use some therapies according to Father Kneipp that optimally train our vessels - i.e. treading water, alternating showers, dry brush massages of the skin or slowly rising foot baths.
"Blood is a very special juice" from "Faust I", J. W. von Goethe
