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[L675]Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally

by mike legg, mik

High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition that can affect about one in three people, this percentage rises among certain groups i.e. people who are overweight, heavy drinkers or people over forty. With more and more people becoming overweight and the stresses of a modern lifestyle it is no wonder that hypertension is becoming more common. However it is not all doom and gloom as there are ways of lowering blood pressure naturally.

High blood pressure can be treated with the proper medication and it is always advisable to seek professional medical advice, and get your blood pressure checked if you think that you may have a problem with hypertension. However lowering blood pressure naturally can easily be achieved by most people. A few simple changes in lifestyle can help reduce high blood pressure. These include a programme of moderate exercise and even a diet that contains foods that lower blood pressure.

So what are these natural remedies for high blood pressure?
First of all getting a reasonable amount of moderate exercise every day will greatly help reduce high blood pressure. In fact not getting enough exercise is often what causes high blood pressure in a lot of people in the first place. Moderate exercise means working up a slight sweat and getting slightly out of breath. Try to exercise for about thirty minutes a day, four or five times a week. Brisk walking is a great way to start.

This may take a few weeks before it starts to help reduce high blood pressure as there is no really safe way to quickly lower blood pressure, so be patient and stick with it. And the bonus is that this will not only help reduce high blood pressure, it will also help you to lose weight and feel much fitter too.

Another of the natural remedies for high blood pressure is a simple change of diet, and there are even certain foods that lower blood pressure. It is not always easy to maintain a healthy diet, the speed at which we live our lives these days usually means grabbing a quick snack or eating lots of fast foods. But a healthy diet is a really good way of lowering blood pressure naturally. And if you can find foods that lower blood pressure to include in your daily diet then so much the better.

Some of the foods that lower blood pressure include fruits and vegetables as well as fish. As long as you have no allergies then a diet rich in grains, low fat dairy and modest amounts of meat will help reduce high blood pressure over time, as will cutting down on the amount of salt in your foods. Again be patient and stick with it, and remember that there is no remedy to quickly lower blood pressure safely, it is all about taking it slowly. A steady regime of moderate exercise, a few dietary changes and eating foods that lower blood pressure will help in lowering blood pressure naturally and above all safely.

Stop smoking. Not only will this help keep your blood pressure in line, you'll also diminish your risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Smoking is main risk factor for atherosclerosis. Smoking injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. So even though it does not cause high blood pressure, smoking is bad for anyone, especially those with high blood pressure. If you smoke, quit. If you don't smoke, don't start. Once you quit, your risk of having a heart attack is reduced after the first year. So you have a lot to gain by quitting.

Weight Reduction. Obese patients should lose weight. There's a direct link between being overweight and having high blood pressure. The more overweight you are, the greater the risk. Start by making small changes. Cut 200 to 300 calories from your diet each day �" about the equivalent of saying "no" to two chocolate chip cookies.

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 cholestrol 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.

Article Source : Blood Pressure Natural

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