Thin blood for long-term health
Marion Hauser, M.S.,R.D.
A recent health article discussed a study on a hard topic for many doctors who treat elderly patients. It stated that as the risk for blood clots raises as one ages, so does the risk for major bleeding as a side effect from the blood thinning pharmaceuticals used to prevent blood clots. As the patients got older, their risks were increasing for blood clots. But the blood thinning medications they were treated with while getting older continued to inflate their chances of a major bleeding problem. The tone of the article was rather hopeless if you were an elderly patient, or the caregiver to one. What the article failed to mention, of course, was that natural medicine specialists have been helping people prevent blood clots for years with natural methods.
At Caring Medical we often check a patient’s blood with a Platelet Aggregation test. It shows if a patient’s blood platelets are too sticky, putting him or her at risk for clot formation, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. Thinner blood means a healthier you and can help to protect against heart disease and stroke. We take natural medicine intervention seriously when it comes to helping patients thin his or her blood. It is a very important step toward optimal health.
“Shouldn’t I try that new pill I saw on TV?”
Why would anyone want to take an overpriced pharmaceutical when he or she can get thinner blood the natural way? No, aspirin is not considered the natural way either. You can actually have a positive thinning on your blood just by fine tuning your diet, and without new, expensive pharmaceuticals, and adding natural blood-thinning supplements.
What foods should we all include in our diets to promote thin blood?
Fresh Produce:
Avocados, Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Onions, Garlic, Kelp, Kale
Fats and Fish:
Flax Seed Oil, Fish Oils, Walnut Oil
Cold Water Ocean Fish:
Salmon, Bluefish, Arctic char, Mackerel, Swordfish. These rate the highest in omega-3 fatty acids.
We see what foods we need to add to help us thin our blood. So, what foods do we have to take OUT? Foods that contribute to blood thickening! This consists of packaged foods, fast food, and any food that contains hydrogenated fats or oils and will contribute to the thickening of the blood. Therefore it is best to avoid these types of foods:
1. Packaged products with a label that lists "partially hydrogenated oil.” This means read the labels of your crackers, breads, cookies, and other snack items.
2. Ice creams and frozen desserts
3. Mayonnaise
4. Deli foods, especially those with mayonnaise.
5. Margarine. Margarine is hydrogenated oil and also contains a number of chemical preservatives, dyes, and other artificial substances.
6. Vegetable oils such as corn oil, safflower oil, and "vegetable oil."
7. Fried foods. This includes those chicken strips, fried fish fillets, and French fries. It also includes fried vegetables like zucchini and cauliflower. Learn to enjoy foods fresh and raw, steamed, broiled, or baked.
8. FAST FOOD!
In today’s world, it is very easy for these bad fats to add up throughout the day. Very often we will talk with patients who have had at least one serving from every one of these. A day of food may very often look like this:
Breakfast: Eggs and hash browns from a diner. Toast with margarine.
Lunch: Ham salad on crackers either made at home or purchased from deli.
Dinner: Fried chicken
Dessert: Ice cream sandwich
This type of diet is VERY common. It is easy to understand, from only this one risk factor, why heart attacks and stroke are so common. We hope that this you decide to take charge of your diet and reach your health goals. Hopefully, keeping your blood thin is one of them! If you would like to talk with a natural medicine specialist about diet and nutrition supplement intervention, we’d love to see you!
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