How to Control High Blood Pressure
Start the DASH diet., Reduce your sodium intake., Up your potassium, magnesium, and calcium levels., Work in the wonder foods., Switch out coffee for tea.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start the DASH diet.
That stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" diet, which is exactly what you should be looking for.
It means piling on the whole foods/grains, fruits and veggies, low-fat dairy and skipping the sugar, saturated fat and cholesterol.
This diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg.Basically, you'll be cutting out red meat, junk food, and white carbs (including "white" sugar, flour, noodles and potatoes,...).
You don't have to go cold turkey, but the foods mentioned above should make up the vast majority of your diet. -
Step 2: Reduce your sodium intake.
Limit your sodium to about 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day.If you don't feel like you eat a ton of salt, it may just be an issue of not knowing what's in the food you eat.
An easy way to cut out the salt is to skip on the processed foods; when you prepare your own food, you know just what goes into it.
Start cooking! Don't add salt to your foods! If that's an issue for you, start cutting back gradually.
Believe it or not, your palate will adjust. , These three nutrients have been linked to low levels of blood pressure in multiple studies.While calcium and magnesium aren't linked to technically lowering high blood pressure (like potassium is), they are linked to low blood pressure in general.
Potassium (the most potent of the three) is found in fruits, veggies, dairy, and fish.
Calcium is found in dairy products (go for the low-fat kind) and magnesium is found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and dry peas and beans.
For all three of these, if you have a healthy diet, you don't need to take a supplement.
Having extra isn't beneficial to your system. , There are a few foods on this planet that are practically miracle workers.
For high blood pressure, those are garlic, dark chocolate, and fish oil.
Not all at once, of course! Fatty fish, like mackerel and salmon, contain those magical omega-3 fatty acids.
However, taking a supplement is not recommended as having too much in your system may lead to unfortunate side effects.
Just grill up some salmon a few times a week (with a bit of olive oil to keep it healthy)!Garlic can be used for everything from lowering blood pressure to eliminating ear aches.
It's been linked to combating cancer and cholesterol, too! Just make sure what you're adding it to isn't pizza, creamy sauces, or fatty oils!Dark chocolate that's at least 70% cocoa can lower blood pressure, according to a recent study.
Have just half an ounce daily to reap the benefits.Yum! , We'll get to the caffeine argument in a bit, but for right now let's cover coffee's morning (and noon and night for some) counterpart, tea.
Not only is there less caffeine in tea (which constricts blood vessels), but it can lower blood pressure on a permanent basis! What more reason do you need? A recent study at Tufts University worked with Hibiscus tea.
It lowered patients' levels by 7 points
-- just like a medication! A lot of herbal teas have hibiscus in them, but look for ones that have it toward the top of the ingredient list for a more potent mix. -
Step 3: Up your potassium
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Step 4: magnesium
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Step 5: and calcium levels.
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Step 6: Work in the wonder foods.
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Step 7: Switch out coffee for tea.
Detailed Guide
That stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" diet, which is exactly what you should be looking for.
It means piling on the whole foods/grains, fruits and veggies, low-fat dairy and skipping the sugar, saturated fat and cholesterol.
This diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg.Basically, you'll be cutting out red meat, junk food, and white carbs (including "white" sugar, flour, noodles and potatoes,...).
You don't have to go cold turkey, but the foods mentioned above should make up the vast majority of your diet.
Limit your sodium to about 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day.If you don't feel like you eat a ton of salt, it may just be an issue of not knowing what's in the food you eat.
An easy way to cut out the salt is to skip on the processed foods; when you prepare your own food, you know just what goes into it.
Start cooking! Don't add salt to your foods! If that's an issue for you, start cutting back gradually.
Believe it or not, your palate will adjust. , These three nutrients have been linked to low levels of blood pressure in multiple studies.While calcium and magnesium aren't linked to technically lowering high blood pressure (like potassium is), they are linked to low blood pressure in general.
Potassium (the most potent of the three) is found in fruits, veggies, dairy, and fish.
Calcium is found in dairy products (go for the low-fat kind) and magnesium is found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and dry peas and beans.
For all three of these, if you have a healthy diet, you don't need to take a supplement.
Having extra isn't beneficial to your system. , There are a few foods on this planet that are practically miracle workers.
For high blood pressure, those are garlic, dark chocolate, and fish oil.
Not all at once, of course! Fatty fish, like mackerel and salmon, contain those magical omega-3 fatty acids.
However, taking a supplement is not recommended as having too much in your system may lead to unfortunate side effects.
Just grill up some salmon a few times a week (with a bit of olive oil to keep it healthy)!Garlic can be used for everything from lowering blood pressure to eliminating ear aches.
It's been linked to combating cancer and cholesterol, too! Just make sure what you're adding it to isn't pizza, creamy sauces, or fatty oils!Dark chocolate that's at least 70% cocoa can lower blood pressure, according to a recent study.
Have just half an ounce daily to reap the benefits.Yum! , We'll get to the caffeine argument in a bit, but for right now let's cover coffee's morning (and noon and night for some) counterpart, tea.
Not only is there less caffeine in tea (which constricts blood vessels), but it can lower blood pressure on a permanent basis! What more reason do you need? A recent study at Tufts University worked with Hibiscus tea.
It lowered patients' levels by 7 points
-- just like a medication! A lot of herbal teas have hibiscus in them, but look for ones that have it toward the top of the ingredient list for a more potent mix.
About the Author
Jennifer Morales
Enthusiastic about teaching pet care techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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