With the fast paced world also came the fast paced food and many other diseases with it. One of the most common one is high blood pressure. Well this problem can be solved easily if you know how to eat properly since a healthy diet can lower your blood pressure.
First thing that you need to look into reducing the amount of you salt intake. If you have high blood pressure, you need to reduce your salt intake. You will see that your pressure will be in the safer region and this is very effective. You will be able to see the result fast as well. You need to make sure that you check your food labels first. Some labels have sodium instead of salt. Sodium is an ingredient of salt. 1g of sodium equals to 2.5g of salt. Our body only needs 6g of salt a day. Hence we need to be careful. Avoiding junk food is good enough too since most junk food contain a lot of sodium and salt.
If you have blood pressure then you fruits and green vegetables are your best friend. An adult should have at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits everyday. Each serving is about 80g. The reason vegetables and fruits can reduce blood pressure is that they have potassium which levels out the effects of salt in one’s body. You can have a fruit for breakfast, then one in the evening and well one before your dinner. This way you will get your 5 servings. Do not add sugar or much salt to your vegetables or even to your fruits. Eat them fresh, this way you get the nutrients that you need.
When it comes to alcohol, always keep to the suggested amount when consuming alcohol. This is because too much of alcohol will increase your blood pressure over time and will cause an increase in your sugar level. Generally too much of alcohol is unhealthy for your body. So if you really want to reduce your blood pressure, do try to remove alcohol from your diet. If you must have it, then have just a drink.
You also need to reduce the intake of fatty food. This is because fatty food can cause high cholesterol and this might lead to further complications to a person who has high blood pressure. Remember that saturated fat will increase your cholesterol level while polyunsaturated fat will reduce your cholesterol level.
To lead a healthy life you need to have a balance of everything. So anything that is over eaten will lead to an unhealthy lifestyle for you.
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Untreated high blood pressure can damage the arteries, brain, eyes, heart and kidneys. This silent killer seldom reveals any symptoms and should not be considered an unavoidable consequence of aging, it can be controlled. You can lower your blood pressure by changing your lifestyle and diet.
Blood pressure between 120/80 to 140/90 is considered normal. 140/90 to 160/105 is considered mild hypertension. The upper figure is the systolic pressure (the pressure when the heart contracts). The lower figure is the diastolic pressure (the pressure as the heart relaxes between beats).
The severity of high blood pressure is ranked according to the diastolic (lower figure) reading. A diastolic reading of 105 to 120 is considered moderately severe. A constant reading greater than 120 is severe hypertension.
Factors that influence blood pressure include a high consumption of salt, fat, stimulants, alcohol, stress, smoking , low potassium intake and a lack of exercise. For some individuals, artificial sweeteners, oral contraceptives and diet pills elevate blood pressure. However, in 60% of all cases of hypertension, excess body weight is a major factor.
For the over weight, each 2 pounds lost results in a one point drop in both systolic and diastolic readings. To get a blood pressure reduction from weight loss alone you need to lose at least 10 pounds.
For those with hypertension who are salt sensitive, limit your salt intake to 500 milligrams a day by making use of low sodium products. Season with herbs or granulated kelp. Increasing your dietary fiber also helps keep blood pressure down. Adding sugar to a high salt diet will increase your blood pressure faster than the high salt diet alone.
The supplements listed below; taken in addition to your daily multi vitamin and mineral supplements, have shown excellent results in reducing hypertension. These remedies should be used only in consultation and with approval of your physician.
B complex supplements – to improve circulatory function. Lecithin contains the B vitamins choline and inositol, which help prevent fatty deposits in the arteries and dilates blood vessels.
Vitamin C supplements with bioflavonoids maintain the health of blood vessels and improves the potassium ratio by assisting in sodium excretion.
Calcium and magnesium supplements help regulate heart contractions, calms the nerves and helps counterbalance stress.
Exercise. People who maintain their physical fitness are less likely to develop hypertension. But if you already have it, there is evidence that regular aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure 3 to 15 points in a few short months. Bike riding, brisk walks or swimming for 30 minutes, 3 days a week are effective in improving your cardiovascular health.
Garlic is an excellent remedy for dilating blood vessels and reducing blood pressure. One or two minced cloves of garlic or garlic capsules taken with 2 meals a day are recommended.
The following herbal teas may be considered for lowering blood pressure; alfalfa, chamomile, catnip, fennel, hawthorn berry, rosemary, sage and skullcap.