| Decrease salt intake. High salt intake is
linked to high blood pressure. You should consume no more than 2,000
milligrams of sodium per day (about one teaspoon of salt). The
average American consumes twice that, often through canned soups,
frozen dinners, soy sauce, pickles, olives and processed cheeses,
which are loaded with sodium. Read food labels and select
reduced-sodium products. Try to select food with low salt.
Add more fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy
products to your plate. Eat one additional fruit or vegetable with
every meal. Shrink the size of your daily meat intake to six ounces,
and designate at least two dinners a week as meat-free. Fatty diets
do not directly affect blood pressure. However, saturated fats and
cholesterol in foods raise blood cholesterol, which increases the
risk for heart disease. Foods high in fats also are high in
calories, which must be reduced if you need to lose weight. Like
smoking high cholesterol is also a major risk factor for
atherosclerosis.
Limit alcohol consumption. Drink no more than
one 12-ounce beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine or one swallow (1.5
ounces) of 80-proof whiskey if you’re a woman. Men can double
these amounts. Anything more elevates blood pressure. You can reduce
your blood pressure by 5-10 mmHg by just restricting Alcohol intake.
Exercise. First, get the green light from your
physician. Then, slowly introduce aerobic exercise into your life,
increasing the time and intensity at a pace that feels right, aiming
for at least a 30-minute workout most days of the week. Young people
should jog for 30 minutes three times per week and elderly patients
should walk longer distances than usual.
Decrease Stress and Anxiety: Yes stress and
anxiety also play role in high blood pressure. If You want your
blood pressure with in normal limits, try your self to get happy all
times. Try extra curricular activities to make your mind stress
free. Stress can make blood pressure go up for a while, and it has
been thought to contribute to high blood pressure. But the long-term
effects of stress are as yet unclear. Stress management techniques
do not seem to prevent high blood pressure. However, such techniques
may have other benefits, such as making you feel better or helping
you to control over-eating.
Caffeine and Blood Pressure: Caffeine in
coffee as well as in other drinks, such as tea and sodas, only
raises blood pressure temporarily. So you should be able to continue
to have drinks that contain caffeine, unless you are sensitive to it
or have heart disease and your doctor tells you not to have any.
Eat adequate amounts of potassium-rich foods.
Potassium, another mineral essential to good health, works in
concert with sodium to regulate blood pressure. Studies have shown
that people who consume more potassium have lower blood pressures
than those who consume less. Rich sources of potassium include many
fruits, such as cantaloupe, bananas, watermelon, oranges and orange
juice, as well as potatoes, spinach, and zucchini. (Important note:
if taking medication for high blood pressure, such as diuretics,
consult a doctor before using salt substitutes that contain high
amounts of potassium.
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