All people want to stay fit and healthy but this fast moving life, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and unhealthy eating habits have given rise to number of diseases such as diabetes, thyroid glands malfunctioning, high cholesterol, arthritis, etc. High blood pressure/ hypertension is one of them, which can be seen even in youths. High blood pressure is also caused by smoking, excessive salt consumption, stress, alcoholism as well as due to heredity and family history. High BP must be lowered as soon as possible because if left untreated, it can cause coronary heart disease, heart attack, eye problems, kidney failure and stroke. The drugs are not the only way to lower and control blood pressure. You can control it easily with the right diet and healthy lifestyle. Here, you can find natural ways to lower your high blood pressure.
Whenever your heart beats, it pumps blood throughout the body via arteries. The moving blood exerts pressure against the arterial walls and this force is called blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: 120/80 mm Hg, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure respectively. Blood pressure while the heart beats and pushes blood out is systolic pressure whereas the blood pressure when the heart is at rest is diastolic pressure. Both, systolic and diastolic pressures are essential and change all through the day. When you sleep, the blood pressure is the lowest and increase while you wake up.
Less than 120 over 80 is the normal blood pressure for people aged 18 years and above. It is called silent killer as there are no signs and symptoms of this condition but sometimes symptoms like nosebleeds, headache, confusion, fatigue and sleepiness may be seen. In American only, more than 74.5 million people are affected by this condition and around 16 million people from them don’t even know they have high blood pressure.
Salt and Sodium
These days, our diet is packed with saturated fat, salt and sodium. Sodium results in water retention and raises the blood pressure. Even a small cutback of salt and sodium in your diet can decrease 2 to 8 mm Hg of blood pressure. Avoid highly frozen, processed and packaged foods such as potato chips, bakery products, dairy products, frozen chicken nuggets, prepared sauces, meats with added water, bacon, canned foods, etc. as they are laden with sodium. Keep your sodium intake less than 2.4 grams a day and salt intake less than 6 grams a day. You can substitute salt with variety of herbs, lime, mustards, garlic, pepper, vinegars and spices for seasoning foods. You should also drink sufficient water as it washes out extra sodium from the body. You can even use lite salt in your diet in order to decrease the slat consumption.
Limit your alcohol
Alcohol decreases the risk of heart attacks and coronary artery disease, if taken in moderation. Moderate amount of alcohol means one drink per day for women and two drinks for men. Drinking more alcohol not only damages the brain, liver and the kidneys but also increases the risk of high blood pressure. It also decreases the effectiveness of high blood pressure drugs. Alcohol is also high in calories so it can cause weight gain. Drinking alcohol in moderation can decrease the systolic blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 1 to 2 mm Hg. Substitute water for 2nd or 3rd alcoholic beverage. Consume carbonated water or diet soda along with a slice of lemon or by adding some cranberry juice.
Reduce stress
Stress is unavoidable part of our life which causes mental and physical problems. Just like alcohol, stress also raises your blood pressure temporarily. But over the time, stress can leads to long-term high blood pressure. So, it is very necessary to manage your stress level. Find out what makes you to feel stressed and then reduce or eliminate that stress factor. If you are not able to eliminate that factor then manage stress yoga, deep breathing, meditation, exercise, acupuncture, massage or other alternative therapy treatments. You can also read a book or listen to music.
Fruits and Vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables also help to lower the blood pressure. High-potassium foods such as cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, broccoli, oranges, potatoes, spinach, peas, raisins, bananas, prunes and tomatoes blunt the sodium effect on hypertension. Also include foods rich in magnesium, calcium and fiber. All dairy products are rich in calcium while magnesium can be found in meat, whole grains, legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts, poultry and seeds. You can also include 2-3 cloves garlic in your diet. The garlic has anti-hypertensive properties to help lower high blood pressure. Avoid frozen or canned fruits and vegetables that have salt and preservatives in high amounts.
Lose a Few Pounds
Being obese not only increases the risk of developing high blood pressure by 2 to 6 times but also puts you at a risk of other health problems like arthritis, sleep disorder diabetes, and some cancers. As your weight increases, your blood pressure also increases. In an overweight body, the volume of the blood is high which compels the heart to work harder while pumping the blood, and as a result the blood pressure increases. So, it is very important to lose a few pounds by eating right type of diet, cutting calories and increasing physical activities. Shedding only 10 pounds can make a big difference and according to a nutrition consultant, it is as effective as consuming one blood pressure drug.
Be active
It is among the most significant steps to lower high blood pressure. The best way to stay physically active is doing exercise. Indulging physical activity like exercise makes your heart muscles strong. So, the heart pumps the blood more efficiently and thus lowers your blood pressure. Initially, do moderate-level activities such as walking, gardening, jogging, swimming, bicycling, stair walking and household chores for at least 30 minutes a day. By doing 30 to 60 minutes physical activity regularly, you can decrease 4 to 9 mm Hg of blood pressure.
Whenever your heart beats, it pumps blood throughout the body via arteries. The moving blood exerts pressure against the arterial walls and this force is called blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: 120/80 mm Hg, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure respectively. Blood pressure while the heart beats and pushes blood out is systolic pressure whereas the blood pressure when the heart is at rest is diastolic pressure. Both, systolic and diastolic pressures are essential and change all through the day. When you sleep, the blood pressure is the lowest and increase while you wake up.
Less than 120 over 80 is the normal blood pressure for people aged 18 years and above. It is called silent killer as there are no signs and symptoms of this condition but sometimes symptoms like nosebleeds, headache, confusion, fatigue and sleepiness may be seen. In American only, more than 74.5 million people are affected by this condition and around 16 million people from them don’t even know they have high blood pressure.
Ways To Lower High Blood Pressure Naturally
Salt and Sodium
These days, our diet is packed with saturated fat, salt and sodium. Sodium results in water retention and raises the blood pressure. Even a small cutback of salt and sodium in your diet can decrease 2 to 8 mm Hg of blood pressure. Avoid highly frozen, processed and packaged foods such as potato chips, bakery products, dairy products, frozen chicken nuggets, prepared sauces, meats with added water, bacon, canned foods, etc. as they are laden with sodium. Keep your sodium intake less than 2.4 grams a day and salt intake less than 6 grams a day. You can substitute salt with variety of herbs, lime, mustards, garlic, pepper, vinegars and spices for seasoning foods. You should also drink sufficient water as it washes out extra sodium from the body. You can even use lite salt in your diet in order to decrease the slat consumption.
Limit your alcohol
Alcohol decreases the risk of heart attacks and coronary artery disease, if taken in moderation. Moderate amount of alcohol means one drink per day for women and two drinks for men. Drinking more alcohol not only damages the brain, liver and the kidneys but also increases the risk of high blood pressure. It also decreases the effectiveness of high blood pressure drugs. Alcohol is also high in calories so it can cause weight gain. Drinking alcohol in moderation can decrease the systolic blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 1 to 2 mm Hg. Substitute water for 2nd or 3rd alcoholic beverage. Consume carbonated water or diet soda along with a slice of lemon or by adding some cranberry juice.
Reduce stress
Stress is unavoidable part of our life which causes mental and physical problems. Just like alcohol, stress also raises your blood pressure temporarily. But over the time, stress can leads to long-term high blood pressure. So, it is very necessary to manage your stress level. Find out what makes you to feel stressed and then reduce or eliminate that stress factor. If you are not able to eliminate that factor then manage stress yoga, deep breathing, meditation, exercise, acupuncture, massage or other alternative therapy treatments. You can also read a book or listen to music.
Fruits and Vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables also help to lower the blood pressure. High-potassium foods such as cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, broccoli, oranges, potatoes, spinach, peas, raisins, bananas, prunes and tomatoes blunt the sodium effect on hypertension. Also include foods rich in magnesium, calcium and fiber. All dairy products are rich in calcium while magnesium can be found in meat, whole grains, legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts, poultry and seeds. You can also include 2-3 cloves garlic in your diet. The garlic has anti-hypertensive properties to help lower high blood pressure. Avoid frozen or canned fruits and vegetables that have salt and preservatives in high amounts.
Lose a Few Pounds
Being obese not only increases the risk of developing high blood pressure by 2 to 6 times but also puts you at a risk of other health problems like arthritis, sleep disorder diabetes, and some cancers. As your weight increases, your blood pressure also increases. In an overweight body, the volume of the blood is high which compels the heart to work harder while pumping the blood, and as a result the blood pressure increases. So, it is very important to lose a few pounds by eating right type of diet, cutting calories and increasing physical activities. Shedding only 10 pounds can make a big difference and according to a nutrition consultant, it is as effective as consuming one blood pressure drug.
Be active
It is among the most significant steps to lower high blood pressure. The best way to stay physically active is doing exercise. Indulging physical activity like exercise makes your heart muscles strong. So, the heart pumps the blood more efficiently and thus lowers your blood pressure. Initially, do moderate-level activities such as walking, gardening, jogging, swimming, bicycling, stair walking and household chores for at least 30 minutes a day. By doing 30 to 60 minutes physical activity regularly, you can decrease 4 to 9 mm Hg of blood pressure.
1 comments:
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