According to MSN.com, almost a third of Americans have high blood pressure, but up to 70% of them either don’t know it or aren’t doing enough about lowering their high blood pressure. Since high blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading causes of heart attack and stroke, and can also contribute to kidney disease, it’s extremely important to get those blood pressure numbers as low as possible. There are a number of measures, both medicinal and non-medicinal, that can help with lowering high blood pressure.
Controlling Your Weight = Controlling Your Blood Pressure
The number one way for lowering high blood pressure is achieving and maintaining a healthy weight for your body type and age. Extra body weight not only adds unnecessary capillaries that your heart must pump blood through; it also places a heavier burden on your cardiovascular system, just to supply the oxygen and blood needed to move and function. The leaner you can become, the less strain you place on your heart in order to perform the normal functions of life—and the lower your blood pressure can be! The key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume, right? So, consider establishing or increasing your exercise program—with doctor’s advice—and controlling the portions in your meals. You shouldn’t aim for drastic weight loss; the healthiest way is to lose about a half a pound to a pound per week. But over the long term, sticking to an exercise program and reducing your food intake can lead to a slimmer you… and can help in lowering your high blood pressure.
You Are What You Eat
This old adage is certainly true with regard to lowering your high blood pressure. Reducing salt intake is one dietary change most doctors recommend to patients with hypertension; so is eating a diet high in natural fiber and low in transfats. Deep-sea fish, beans of just about any kind, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain rice and breads, and garlic are just a few of the foods that have demonstrated usefulness in lowering body fat, cholesterol and blood pressure. Lower cholesterol also translates into lower risk of heart attack and stroke, by the way. Spicy foods containing seasonings such as onion, garlic, chili pepper, oregano, and cumin also provide evidence of being related to lower blood pressure and other health benefits (but don’t always order the fat-laden enchiladas just to get the peppery seasonings… there are tradeoffs).