Circulatory System Diet

If you want your diet to do as much as possible for your circulatory system, choose a low-fat and low-sodium eating plan. Menu guidelines that limit calories, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium -- such as those proposed by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet -- help prevent an array of health problems that can plague your heart and blood vessels. Get your daily nutrition from food sources that promote a stable body weight and healthy arteries, blood pressure and heart function. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet.

Clear Arteries

To avoid high blood cholesterol and blockages in your arteries, use package information to choose foods with less saturated fat and dietary cholesterol most often. The American Heart Association suggests substituting fish such as salmon for higher-fat meats and eating lots of fiber-rich whole grains, fruits and vegetables to balance your blood cholesterol. This reduces your risk for plaque buildup inside your arteries, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Strong Blood Count

Blood flows easily through clear blood vessels to deliver nutrients and oxygen to your body cells. Optimize the formation of red blood cells by providing the basic dietary elements of protein, iron, copper and vitamins B and C. You'll find most of these nutrients combined in whole grains, fish, beans and meats. Turn to fruits for vitamin C, especially as an aid to iron absorption if you have cold hands and feet or other symptoms of poor circulation. Achieving your full daily values of protein and eating a fortified breakfast cereal promote a strong blood count.

Normal Blood Pressure

Young people are increasingly among the one in three Americans who have high blood pressure, which threatens circulatory system health. The DASH diet is designed to reverse this trend by limiting sodium intake, which directly correlates to how high your blood pressure goes, and improving potassium levels, which temper sodium's effects. Cut sodium by choosing canned and frozen foods with less or no added salt, and reducing your consumption of salty fast foods. Get your daily value of potassium by eating more fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products

Healthy Weight

Being overweight raises your chances of developing abnormal heartbeat, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and dying from heart attack and strokes. The DASH diet addresses this issue by limiting calories. Restricting sweets, for instance, to five servings or less per week in an average 2,000-calorie diet and slashing your intake of total fat to 27 percent of all your calories will help you achieve metabolic balance, in which you are able to expend the number of calories that you consume. This automatically promotes a healthy weight and lowers your risk of circulatory system illnesses.