Lifestyle
Food & Nutrition
Fitness
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most common chronic health conditions in the United States, affecting over 80 million Americans. It often occurs without symptoms, so many people don’t even realize they have it and are at risk of suffering serious complications if left untreated. High blood pressure can lead to coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure over time, so it’s important to know your numbers and take action to keep your pressure within normal ranges. This article will provide you with all the information you need to know about high blood pressure and how to treat it naturally!
Consume less sodium
For people with hypertension, limiting sodium intake can make a world of difference. Currently, dietary guidelines recommend no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium; however, people with high blood pressure should follow recommendations to consume even less. To put that into perspective: a single teaspoon of table salt contains about 2,300 mg of sodium. Studies have shown that if people reduce their daily consumption by just 1/2 tsp., they’ll likely see positive changes in blood pressure within weeks. Consuming less salt means making better choices at home and when dining out. These lifestyle changes might not be easy at first but can absolutely be worth it for your health and well-being over time.
Make Heart-Healthy substitutions
Heart-healthy substitutions can seem intimidating, but they’re not as tough as you might think. Start with your favorite recipes and try swapping out ingredients that have a positive effect on heart health—instead of salt, use spices like black pepper or cinnamon. Instead of adding butter or margarine to recipes, choose healthy fats like olive oil. Canned soups are one of many foods with hidden sodium—use fresh veggies instead and save around 1,000 mg per serving! When you’re eating at restaurants, ask for dressing on the side (no mayo) and request sauces made without added sugar. And don’t forget dessert!
Quit Smoking
Smoking is known to contribute to high blood pressure, so if you’re a smoker, quitting is one of your best bets for lowering it. Not only will you help prevent disease and death, but you’ll likely lower your blood pressure and see improvements in other health measures like your cholesterol levels. Make an appointment with your doctor or consult local programs that can help you kick the habit for good. Smoking cessation classes are common and there are plenty of medications that may be useful as well. There are even mobile apps that are designed to help people quit smoking—search them in Google Play or Apple Store for suggestions.
Get rid of your stress and anger
Everyone gets angry, stressed, and frustrated sometimes—it’s a normal part of life. However, if you find that your anger is becoming disruptive to your everyday life or causing problems in your relationship, then you might have anger issues. When left unchecked and unaddressed, anger can lead to serious mental and physical health issues such as hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, and stroke. In order to get rid of your stress and anger, you must first understand what is causing them in your life. Often times unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, smoking cigarettes, or drinking alcohol are culprits. If these sound like parts of your daily routine it’s time to make some changes!
Exercise regularly
Exercise has been proven to decrease blood pressure, improve heart health, and tone muscles. Working out helps you lose weight, which is beneficial for lowering your blood pressure. The ideal amount of exercise for adults is about 30 minutes a day most days of the week. Ask your doctor if you should work out more to lower your blood pressure. If you haven’t exercised regularly in a while, start slow with 5-minute bouts throughout each day and build up from there.
Eat foods that lower your BP
There are plenty of foods that can help lower blood pressure. These include apples, avocado, bananas, blueberries, beans and peas (kidney), carrots, cauliflower, citrus fruits (grapefruit), dark green vegetables (broccoli), and garlic, ginger root, and walnuts. Consuming foods rich in potassium is also a good idea as it helps lower blood pressure. Bananas and prunes are among some of your best choices in terms of food that lowers BP.
Drink water instead of soft drinks, alcohol, coffee, or tea
If you’re used to drinking several cans of soda a day, switching to water can help reduce your blood pressure. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, which means they dehydrate your body, so you lose even more water than normal when you consume them. Extra water can help reduce high blood pressure. Because caffeine is also a stimulant, it increases stress levels and constricts blood vessels; these factors can be unhealthy if you have high blood pressure. So if you regularly drink soda or coffee or tea with caffeine or alcohol—especially if your work schedule makes it difficult for you to stay hydrated—make an effort to switch over to plain old water.
Control your weight through diet and exercise
High blood pressure is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Fortunately, you can reduce your risk factors and control your blood pressure through diet and exercise. Exercise helps keep your weight in check and reduces stress—both key triggers for high blood pressure. Try to exercise daily: set aside time each morning to work out, or ask a friend to join you on an after-work walk around your neighborhood or office building. Don’t have time? Consider getting up 15 minutes earlier each day so you can fit in a brisk walk before breakfast. Not only will it help control your weight, but it’ll give you more energy throughout the day! Exercise also helps boost your mood, which lowers stress levels and keeps anxiety from disrupting sleep patterns—another trigger for high blood pressure.
Lose excess pounds if you are overweight
The excess pounds put an extra strain on your heart and cardiovascular system. Shedding excess pounds is an excellent way to control high blood pressure, as well as to ward off other serious conditions. The result of overweight and obesity is not just a few extra pounds—the accumulation can take years off your life. So if you want to live long, get your weight down now. To lose excess pounds quickly, find yourself a diet that works for you, as well as one you can stick with over time. Then you’ll start dropping those pounds like they’re hot!
