Eating Your Way To Normal Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is at epidemic proportions in the United States today with more than 65 million people suffering from high blood pressure and another 45 million having a condition known as pre-hypertension. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could very easily be suffering from it without any knowledge of it until it is too late.
There are of course medicines on the market that can help in lowering blood pressure, but several of these have accompanying side effects and, even though some people may need to take medicine in the short term to lower their blood pressure, a better solution is to control the condition naturally if you are able to.
For almost all of us high blood pressure is related to weight and diet and this is a major problem today when two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Furthermore, most Americans get too much salt in their diets and not enough of the many other beneficial vitamins and minerals that can actually lower blood pressure. In short, you can eat your way to a lower blood pressure, if you know what you are doing.
If truth be told, it is often possible to normalize your blood pressure fairly fast if you change your diet and begin taking exercise. That said, if you have not been exercising for a long time you ought not to suddenly begin exercising vigorously and it’s always prudent to talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
To start though let’s talk about some things which you should avoid and top of the list comes salt. Salt is one of the main offenders in today’s epidemic of high blood pressure. Too much dietary fat is also a culprit as it encourages arteriosclerosis, weight gain, and other difficulties that result in high blood pressure. Hence, two things which you should avoid (or at least reduce) in your diet are salt and excess fat, principally saturated or trans fats.
So, what sorts of food should you include in your diet to help you to reduce your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the most important substances which is lacking in today’s American diet and that is very beneficial for your blood pressure. Potassium assists in lowering blood pressure just as salt help to raise your blood pressure and thus getting enough potassium in your diet can help to stabilize blood pressure.
It is very easy to get enough potassium into your diet by simply adding plenty of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, providing of course that they have no added suger or salt. Even though this may seem bland to some people, it is one of the best ways to ensure that you regularize 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 intake of approximately 2400 mg each day. A very good way to achieve this is not to add any salt at all to your diet because natural and unprocessed foods contain enough salt and, if you feel you need to add flavor to your food then simply try herbs and spices.
Calcium and magnesium are two other minerals which can help to lower blood pressure. Both calcium and magnesium are considered to be calming minerals and most Americans don’t get enough of them in their diets. Low-fat dairy products are an excellent source of calcium as are legumes, nuts, and dark and leafy green vegetables. You ought to endeavor to get a balance of roughly two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods like soybeans, sesame seeds and white beans not only have a lot of magnesium and calcium but they are also good sources of potassium.
Finally, ensure that you drink enough water and also get enough 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.
