When you are diagnosed having high blood pressure in a medical centre, the first step is to stop worrying and believe that you have the ability to keep your blood pressure under control in multiple ways. Blood pressure becomes an ailment only when you do not pay adequate attention to keeping it within acceptable limits.
Lifestyle is a major factor that will influence your blood pressure. If you follow a healthy lifestyle, you can delay, avoid or reduce dependence on medication. However, once you take to medication, you could potentially be dependent on medication and a medical clinic throughout your life.
On that note, here are 6 ways to keep your blood pressure under control naturally
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Shed Those Extra Pounds
Overweight and obesity are among the major causes of high blood pressure. Obesity/overweight can disrupt your breathing while you sleep and this can further step up your blood pressure. Shedding those extra pounds is the most effective among lifestyle changes you can make to keep blood pressure under check. With each kilogram that you shed, you can expect to bring down your blood pressure by nearly 1 mm Hg. Alongside shedding the extra pounds, you should also pay attention to the waistline. If you are carrying excess weight around the wait it can lead to a higher risk of high BP. If you need help, visit the medical centre near you for guidance.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is another important step that will keep your blood pressure under control. About 30 minutes every day or an average of 2.5 hours every week can bring down your blood pressure by about 8 mm Hg if you are experiencing high blood pressure. Consistency is the watchword here and if you skip the exercise, your blood pressure can move up again.
When you experience high BP, exercise can potentially ward off hypertension. Consistent physical activity can lower blood pressure to a safe level for individuals experiencing hypertension. Walking, cycling, dancing, swimming are among the suggested exercises.
Healthy Diet
Health diet with a rich complement of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy products with low-fat, and less of diet carrying cholesterol or saturated fat can significantly help you in reducing blood pressure by about 10mm Hg. Admittedly, it can be a challenge to change your diet habits in a day, but gradually you can shift to a healthy diet to ward off more serious consequences from high blood pressure. As an additional measure, you can also do the following things:-
- Maintain a food diary – Jot down all that you are eating and do it perhaps just for one week, but consistently. See what surprising light it throws on your eating habits. Monitor things that you eat, how much, why and when. This is for your own good, so be honest.
- Think of more potassium since potassium can combat the effect of sodium in the blood and impact your blood pressure beneficially. Vegetables and fruits are rich in potassium as opposed to supplements. Speak to your physician to understand the right level of potassium for you.
- Shop smart – While shopping for food items, pay attention to the labels and focus on the healthy eating plan when you dine out also.
Lower The Sodium Content In The Diet
Even a marginal reduction in sodium intake through the diet can have a salutary effect on your blood pressure reducing it by some 6 mm Hg when you are experiencing high BP. Most adults can benefit by limiting sodium to about 15 grams a day. You can achieve lower sodium levels by focusing on the following:-
- Reading food labels and choosing options with low-sodium in beverages and foods that you buy normally.
- Avoiding added sodium in processed foods by reducing the intake of processed foods
- Avoiding adding salt – remember that a level teaspoon salt contains about 23 grams of sodium. Try spices and herbs to enhance the flavour of what you eat
- Decrease sodium intake gradually – Some people can difficulty reducing sodium intake overnight. If this is the case, try reducing gradually and your palate will adjust to the reduced-sodium over a period of time.
Alcohol And Smoking
Alcohol works as a double-edged sword in relation to your blood pressure. If your alcohol is moderate it helps to keep your blood pressure in control. Generally, women can have about 1 drink and men 2 drinks in a day. This can contribute to a drop of about 4 mm Hg in your blood pressure. One drink equals some 12 ounces beer, five ounces wine or 1.5-ounces liquor (80 proof). However, if you drink excessively, this protective effect vanishes and your blood pressure can, in fact, rise by many points. Further, it can also impact the effectiveness of medication you are taking for high blood pressure.
Have you also noticed that your blood pressure moves up every time you smoke and stays elevated for several minutes even after you have finished your puff? Shore up your will power and work towards quitting smoking. There are also many helpful agencies around who can work with you if you cannot quit smoking without external assistance.
Stress
Chronic stress can impact your blood pressure significantly. Although the medical fraternity is still working on finding a specific link between blood pressure and chronic stress, keeping stress under control is helpful. Occasional stress can also adversely impact your blood pressure if you seek relief through smoking, alcohol or unhealthy food to overcome stress. Identifying the cause/s of stress and eliminating them is a better way to fight stress, keep blood pressure control and stay safe.