Are you concerned about high blood pressure? Well, you’re not alone. One in three adults in the U.S. deals with hypertension (high blood pressure), and only about half have their just under control.
And knowing that high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems, including heart and kidney failure, stroke, and other vascular problems, it is imperative that we educate ourselves on ways to lower it naturally. Luckily, you can begin by making some simple changes to your daily routine that will make a great difference. And there is no need to delay, just continue reading and find out how easily it is to lower high blood pressure! First, What is Blood Pressure Actually? Before we solve a problem, we have to learn more about it. Blood pressure is a part of our body’s natural and vital functions. It is basically the pressure inside our artery walls. And when the blood pressure remains high, it can lead to serious problems. According to the American Heart Association, a blood pressure of 120/80 mm HG or less is considered normal. Anything higher than that is not ideal, especially if the number crosses the mark of 140/90 mm HG. High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for approximately 900,000 strokes Americans suffer each year. Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally 1. Lower Salt Intake Cutting back your sodium intake may be the most effective way to lower your blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. The average daily intake of sodium is 3,400 milligrams each day. The American Heart Association recommends that adults only consume 2,300 or less a day. However, the recommended limit for most people suffering with high blood pressure is no more than 1,500 mg a day. To makes things clear, a teaspoon of salt has around 2,300 mg of sodium. Now, in order to lower sodium intake you have to avoid most frozen and processed foods, since these will usually exceed your daily limit fast. It’s important to read nutrition labels, because salt is hidden in almost everything (breads, yogurts, fruit juices, snacks). Other high sodium foods include soups, canned sauce, broths, and condiments. Simply choose low-sodium alternatives, and use herbs and spices to flavor your food. 2. Diet Change It’s pretty clear that some dietary changes will have to be made. Adding some whole and unprocessed foods is definitely a must, and you can accomplish this with the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, it’s a special diet designed to reduce and promote normal blood pressure levels through foods rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other important vitamins and minerals. How to get started with the DASH diet? - Introduce more fruits and vegetables into your meals, especially leafy greens, bananas, apples, and oranges. Carrots, spinach, green beans, avocado, tomatoes, and potatoes are also a great way to get started. Focus on manly unprocessed fruits and vegetables, rather than juices or oils. - Swap out high-fat dairy with the reduced or fat-free versions. This includes milk, yogurt, and cheese. We still want to get calcium and other useful micronutrients, just not the saturated fat. - Speaking of fat, you want to eat the good fat, the unsaturated one. Try to avoid all saturated and trans fats, and always check nutrition labels to review what kind is in your food. Use mainly lean meats, oily fish, nuts and seeds. Cook with olive oil, rather than butter. Keep in mind, you don’t have to change everything at once. Build up some momentum, and with time you’ll get to the perfect diet that is going to lower blood pressure with ease. 3. Don’t Forget to Exercise Regular physical activity strengthens your heart and helps prevent blood pressure issues. It can also help you lose weight, and reduce stress. Most adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, at least 3-5 times a week. However, you don’t have to perform any extreme and tedious activities, know your limit and goals, and act accordingly. Before you start exercising, consult your doctor and see which form he would recommend for you specifically. Great forms of exercise I recommend include: - Strength training, exercises like the squat, bench press, lunges, pull-ups, extensions, etc. Too much can promote inflammation thus increasing BP. - Aerobic exercise, such as cycling, walking or running, cycling, stair-climbing. Too much can promote inflammation thus increasing BP. - Isometrics, static exercises which promote joint health and muscle development and create less inflammation - Flexibility and Range of Motion exercises 4. Re-evaluate Cigarettes and Alcohol These two are pretty self-explanatory. Alcohol has been associated with high blood pressure, and heavy drinking is found to largely contribute to strokes. If you don’t want to give up drinking completely, at least limit your alcohol intake to one or two drinks per day. And if you’re a smoker, you just need to quit. There is no way around it. Smoking constricts the arteries, and raises blood pressure all day long. Not to mention the other side effects it induces. 5. Forget About Stress Stress is caused by many things, including work, love life, life problems, and emotional instability. While the link between stress and high blood pressure is still under research, it is believed that it can in fact negatively impact ones blood pressure. Learning to fight stress in healthier ways can certainly lower your blood pressure, and improve quality of living. While you may not be able to eliminate all stress, you can take steps to keep it under control: - Learn to say no – it is hard at first, but you have to learn it. Saying no when you feel like it promotes confidence and self-respect. - Avoid going overboard – set a limit, and don’t try to force things. - Take it slow – no need to rush with anything, take your time. - Relax – Take 20-30 minutes a day to just relax, listen to music, watch a movie, and spend time in nature. - Socialize – Invest more time in hanging out with friends and relatives. Encourage your great relationships and have fun. Try something fun – Try a new hobby, sport, travel more, etc