Eat Your Way To Reduced Blood Pressure
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
High blood pressure is at epidemic proportions in the United States today with over 65 million people suffering from high blood pressure and another 45 million having a condition known as pre-hypertension. A symptomless condition, high blood pressure heightens your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could very easily have it without any knowledge of it until it is too late.
There are of course medicines available which can help lower blood pressure, but a lot of these are accompanied by side effects and, despite the fact that some people may need to take medication in the short term to lower their blood pressure, a better answer is to seek out some natural remedies for high blood pressure if you can.
For almost all of us high blood pressure is linked to diet and weight and this is a huge problem today when two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. In addition, the majority of Americans get much too much salt in their diet and not enough of the many other beneficial things that can act to lower blood pressure. In a nutshell, it is possible to eat your way to a normal blood pressure, if you know what you are doing.
If truth be told, it is often possible to normalize your blood pressure quite quickly if you alter your diet and start taking exercise. Having said this, if you have not been exercising for a long period of time you should not suddenly begin a vigorous exercise program and it’s always wise to talk to your doctor before you start any exercise program.
First of all though let us look at a few things that you should avoid and top of the list comes salt. Salt is one of the chief offenders in today’s epidemic of high blood pressure. Excess dietary fat is also an offender because it encourages weight gain, arteriosclerosis, and other problems which result in high blood pressure. So, two things to avoid in your diet are salt and excess fat, especially saturated or trans fats.
So, what types of food should you have in your diet in order to help you to reduce your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the main substances that is lacking in today’s American diet and that is especially beneficial to blood pressure. It help to reduce blood pressure just as salt help to raise your blood pressure and thus including sufficient potassium in your diet can help even out blood pressure.
It’s easy to get enough potassium into your diet by merely loading up on fresh or frozen vegetable and fruits, providing of course that they do not have any added salt or sugar. Although this could seem bland to many people, it is an excellent way to ensure that you normalize your blood pressure. And of course, at the same time you also have to cut down on the salt to the recommended daily sodium intake of about 2400 mg a day. One of the best ways to achieve this is not to add salt to your diet at all because natural and unprocessed foods contain enough salt and, if you feel you need to add flavor to your food then simply try adding spices and herbs.
Magnesium and calcium are two other minerals that can help to reduce blood pressure. These two minerals are considered calming minerals and the majority of Americans do not get enough of either in their diets. Low-fat dairy products are an excellent source of calcium as are nuts, legumes, and dark and leafy green vegetables. You ought to try to get a balance of approximately two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods such as soybeans, white beans and sesame seeds not only contain a lot of magnesium and calcium but they are also good sources of potassium.
Finally, ensure that you drink enough water and get sufficient fiber in your diet. Fiber is important because it helps to clear toxins and unhealthy substances out of your body and it can help you feel full so that you are not tempted to eat too much.
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