system via diet and herbs will drastically alter this waterlogged situation
as the blood slowly begins to move more and more freely around the
body.
Cayenne, which has already been mentioned under the section on
nutrition, is a wonderful supplement for any heart and circulatory
disorders, just like garlic, and both should be used daily to thin
cholesterol and maintain blood pressure. They can both be taken as
tinctures or capsules.
It is as vital for the bloodstream to be clean as it is for it to be rich in
iron and uncongested with plaque. Should the blood constantly carry
infection, debris, and toxins (often from a constipated bowel), the whole
body will feel sick and depleted. Red clover is particularly good at
cleaning the bloodstream, thanks to its high beta-sitosterol content.
Sitosterol is poorly absorbed but competes with cholesterol for
absorption, thus reducing blood cholesterol. Other chemical constituents
in red clover help thin the blood, and thinner blood allows better, less-
inhibited circulation. Nettle leaf, licorice root, burdock root, dandelion
root and leaf, plantain leaf, sarsaparilla root, prickly ash berry, yellow dock
root, barberry root bark, and garlic are also prime blood cleansers, while
burdock root has the added advantage of being able to deal with high
cholesterol levels. Lime tree (Tilia) fl owers can help remove plaque from
the system and at the same time calm the nerves and heart. Motherwort
leaf also needs a mention as a useful heart herb, its Latin name, Leonurus
cardiaca, showing how useful it has been for centuries.
A clean bowel is essential for clean blood. Look at the three-stage
herbal colon cleanse in chapter 6 in order to clean the bloodstream
properly. The liver should also be cleansed.
natural healing
Cleanse and cool the blood, taking care of general circulation, liver,
gallbladder, stomach, and bowels via cleanses.
A little sweating (through hot showers, baths, saunas, and exercise), as
long as it’s not exhausting or too heated, is benefi cial, as cholesterol can
be sweated out through the skin.
Smoking will similarly stress and inhibit the body, therefore do not
smoke. Smoking accounts for a large proportion of cases of heart failure
and circulatory diseases (see the discussion of the respiratory system,
below in this chapter).
Exercise is vital, particularly with reference to the heart. It should be
taken daily and carefully paced. At some point during the day, ideally after
a period of gentle exercise, push the heart to a rapid beat for fi ve minutes;
this will really make it pump and fl ex. If you experience heart pains,
body systems 175