Eating Your Way To Normal Blood Pressure
Monday, April 27th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
In the US today high blood pressure has reached epidemic proportions with over 65 million people having high blood pressure and another 45 million suffering from a condition referred to as pre-hypertension. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease which increases your risk of stroke and heart attack and you could quite easily be suffering from it without even knowing it until it is too late.
Of course there are medicines available that can assist in lowering blood pressure, but a lot of these are accompanied by side effects and, despite the fact that some people might have to take medicine in the short term to control high blood pressure, a much better solution is to seek out some natural remedies for high blood pressure if you are able to.
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, most Americans get far too much salt in their diet and not enough of the many other beneficial vitamins and minerals which can act to reduce blood pressure. In a nutshell, you can eat your way to a lower blood pressure, as long as you know what you are doing.
Indeed, it may be possible to lower your blood pressure fairly fast if you alter your diet and start exercising. Having said this, if you have been sedentary for a long period of time you ought not to suddenly start exercising vigorously and it is always a good idea to check with your doctor before you start any exercise program.
First of all though let’s talk about some things which you should avoid and top of the list is salt. Salt (or sodium) is one of the main culprits in today’s epidemic of high blood pressure. Excess dietary fat is also an offender because it encourages arteriosclerosis, weight gain, and other problems which result in high blood pressure. So, two things which you should avoid (or at least reduce) in your diet are salt and excess fat, particularly saturated or trans fats.
So, what types of food should you include in your diet to help you to reduce your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the chief substances that is missing in today’s American diet and which is extremely beneficial to blood pressure. Potassium helps lower blood pressure just as salt help to raise your blood pressure and thus getting enough potassium in your diet can help stabilize blood pressure.
It’s very easy to get potassium into your diet by simply loading up on frozen or fresh vegetable and fruits, as long as they have no added salt or sugar. Even though this could seem bland to many people, it’s one of the best ways to ensure that you normalize your blood pressure. Naturally of course, at the same time you also want to cut down on the salt to no more than the recommended daily sodium intake of about 2400 mg a day. A very good way to achieve this is not to add salt to your diet at all because natural unprocessed foods contain sufficient salt and, if you wish to flavor your food then simply try adding spices and herbs.
Calcium and magnesium are two other minerals which can help in lowering blood pressure. These two minerals are considered calming minerals and most Americans don’t get enough of them in their diets. Dairy products which are low in fat are a good source of calcium as are nuts, legumes, and dark leafy green vegetables. You ought to endeavor to get a balance of roughly two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods such as white beans, soybeans, and sesame seeds not only have a lot of magnesium and calcium but they are also excellent sources of potassium.
Finally, ensure that you drink sufficient water and also get sufficient fiber in your diet. Fiber is important because it helps to speed toxins and unhealthy substances out of your body and it also helps you feel full so that you are not tempted to eat too much.
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