Eat Foods That Lower Blood Pressure
After hearing about foods to avoid, many people ask what should we eat when BP is high? When BP is high consume foods low in saturated fats, added sugars and excess sodium.
The following are foods to eat with high blood pressure and have heart healthy benefits:
- Wild caught fish and chicken without the skin
- Vegetables like asparagus, spinach, sweet potatoes and broccoli.
- Whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal.
- Low sodium nuts like cashews and almonds.
- Fruits like apples, kiwi, watermelon and bananas.
Keto Bread Tip: Great News! Did you know, you dont have to give up your favorite bread, pizza or sandwiches to follow a 100% Keto diet? Find out more in the Keto Breads website by clicking here, Keto Breads.
Lifestyle Tips To Lower Blood Pressure
So, are you wondering how to lower blood pressure besides changing your diet? Reducing stress can lower blood pressure. Some other natural ways to lower blood pressure include getting better sleep, scheduling in more free-time and fun, surrounding yourself with encouraging friends and exercising on a daily basis.
Regular exercise and diet play a large role in the development of hypertension. Another one of the most detrimental components of the Western lifestyle is stress. Managing stress includes relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, journaling or art therapy.
You can raise your blood pressure to alarming levels just by thinking or stressing about events. Imagined events have as much physiological effect as real ones. In fact, this is the basis of post-traumatic stress disorder , and the improvement of performance in businessmen and Olympic athletic gains through visualization.
The best preventative measure to high blood pressure? A healthy lifestyle. Its common sense, really.
You Can Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
Lowering blood pressure naturally is possible and with some effort, you can see the results for yourself. Whether your goal is to prevent hypertension and lower your risk for cardiovascular disease or find a way to manage blood pressure during stressful situations, at-home remedies are widely available.
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Eat Healthy Whole Foods
A nutrient-dense diet is another essential component to lowering blood pressure naturally at home. The DASH diet, Mediterranean Diet, Ketogenic diet and Paleo-style diet can all be helpful.
DASH and Mediterranean diets, generally speaking, encourage plenty of leafy greens, colorful vegetables, legumes, fruits, healthy fats, and moderate amounts of lean protein. Whole grains are also a part of these two diets while also being featured in Paleo-style eating, which puts a little more emphasis on protein.
A keto approach focuses more on high intake of healthy fats, moderate protein, leafy greens, and very low carbohydrate intake. The two factors they all share are nutrient-dense foods with useful calories and a lack of processed foods that are common in the Standard American Diet .
Processed and packaged foods, refined foods, and sugar-laden snacks are a major culprit in heart disease because they lack important nutrients like potassium and magnesium, as well as elements like fiber, that are central to healthy blood pressure and heart function. They are also loaded with sodium, which makes your body retain fluid, leading to a spike in blood pressure.
Potassium is an electrolyte that helps balance sodium levels and eases pressure on your blood vessels. Your potassium to sodium ratio should be about 2:1.
You can boost your potassium levels by eating potassium-rich foods like:
- Bananas
- Kale
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Decrease Your Salt Intake
Salt is the enemy of high blood pressure, says Dr. Desai. When you eat too much salt, it increases the amount of fluid that enters the bloodstream and arteries from the surrounding tissue, which raises the pressure in the arteries.
While you may not have to remove salt from your diet completely, avoid foods very high in salt like chips, french fries, salted nuts, soups, store-bought salad dressings, processed foods and cheese.
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Get Enough Sleep Each Night
Although sleep may not directly lower a persons blood pressure, it is vital for physical health and mental wellbeing. A lack of good quality sleep can increase the risk of chronic health conditions, some of which may increase a persons blood pressure.
The exact amount of sleep a person needs will vary from person to person. However, adults should be aiming to get between 79 hours of good quality sleep each night.
What Is High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension is the silent killer that affects 80 million Americans. As many as 16 million Americans are unaware of the condition. Untreated hypertension can increase the risk of heart diseases or strokes. High blood pressure occurs due to the tightening of very small blood vessels called arterioles. As a result, the heart has to pump harder to overcome the resistance in the narrowed blood vessel bed. This leads to elevated pressure inside the vessels.
- High blood pressure or hypertension is when readings consistently range from 140 or higher for systolic or 90 or higher for diastolic.
- Blood pressure readings above 180/120 mmHg are dangerously high and require immediate medical attention.
High blood pressure is more likely to cause
- heart attack
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How To Lower Blood Pressure In Minutes
Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.
High blood pressure can hit at any time, and the results can be devastating. When an acute jump occurs, knowing how to lower blood pressure in minutes can be the difference between life and death.
This is especially true if youre one of the 75 million American adults suffering from hypertension , or one of the other 75 million with prehypertension. When a boost hits, its good to know how to make blood pressure go down quickly.
Your blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day, and this is completely normal. Stress, anxiety, exercise, and activity can all lead to increases, while relaxation, getting ready for bed, and sleep can all bring it back down.
But not all high blood pressure is safe, and the longer it stays at a high rate, the more health risks you assume. Risks include acute responses like sweating, fainting or shortness of breath, and more severe issues like heart disease and heart attack can arise. So when stress hits, knowing how to lower blood pressure quickly can be a great health benefit.
When Treatment Is Recommended
Everyone with high blood pressure is advised to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Whether medicine is also recommended depends on your blood pressure reading and your risk of developing problems such as heart attacks or strokes.
Your doctor will carry out some blood and urine tests, and ask questions about your health to determine your risk of other problems:
- if your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg , but your risk of other problems is low you’ll be advised to make some changes to your lifestyle
- if your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg and your risk of other problems is high you’ll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure, in addition to lifestyle changes
- if your blood pressure is consistently above 160/100mmHg you’ll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure, in addition to lifestyle changes
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How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, which is also called hypertension, doesnt usually cause symptoms. So you wont know if you have high blood pressure without it being measured by a health professional.
Some people may experience headaches, nosebleeds or feel short of breath, but these symptoms usually only occur when blood pressure is dangerously high.
Untreated high blood pressure raises your risk of heart disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease.
Around 1 in 3 Australians have been diagnosed with hypertension.
Natural Ways To Lower Blood Pressure
Fewer than half of people with high blood pressure have it under control. The problem: When your pressure is too high for too long, it can stretch and damage your arteries.
The resulting health problems can include heart disease, heart failure,stroke, kidney damage, vision loss, memory loss and cognitive decline. Soits important not to brush off high blood pressure. Your first line ofdefense: Try these lifestyle changes as natural ways to lower bloodpressure. Try these lifestyle canges as natrual ways to lower blood pressure.
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Anything Over 120/80 Is Prematurely Aging You
High blood pressure wears out your brain causing premature memory problems, wears out your heart causing shortness of breath, and wears out your kidneys causing fluid retention. High blood pressure is also one of the main causes of atrial fibrillation leading toblood clots and strokes.
Studies show that any blood pressure readings over 120/80 iscausing you to age prematurely. Day by day this high blood pressure is silently wearing outyour organs and causing your arteries to clog up.
Use Supplements Under Doctor Supervision
Fish oil
I do want to touch on supplements as another way to lower blood pressure naturally. Remember, every supplement is not for everyone. So if you’re using supplements, you must, again, do it under the supervision of your physician. One supplement is fish oil. Now there have been trials to show that fish oil can help to lower blood pressure. In fact, there was one meta-analysis of 70 randomized trials, and it demonstrated that fish oil actually can reduce the blood pressure, both the systolic and the diastolic in people who have normal blood pressure and in people who do have a diagnosis of hypertension. They actually got the best results in people who were untreated. So fish oil is a supplement that can reduce blood pressure naturally.
Coq10 Supplement
Another supplement that may help to lower blood pressure naturally is CoQ10 or coenzyme Q10. There have been some studies to support this, but there also have been some mixed results. So let me just touch on it. CoQ10 is like a vitamin. It’s found in the mitochondria of cells in the heart, liver, and kidney, and it’s believed to be anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. So it helps to fight free radicals and it potentially can help to relax the walls of blood vessels which would lower blood pressure.
Hawthorn Extract
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Cardiologists Embrace More Meds To Control Blood Pressure
The SPRINT Study has confirmed what cardiologists have long known, when it comes to blood pressure lower is better. And a lower blood pressure keeps your organs and you much younger.
My only concern is that we have totally overlooked the side effects of polypharmacy. Polypharmacy is the term we use in the medical community to describe a situation where a patient is on a lot of medications and is at risk for many medication side effects.
Top Foods For A High Blood Pressure Diet
One of the best things you can do to lower your blood pressure is to eat a healthy, high blood pressure diet. Read on below to find out more about what foods are good for high blood pressure.
- High fiber foods: Unprocessed foods high in fiber such as vegetables, fruits and seeds should be the basis of any healthy diet. If youre wondering how can you stabilize your blood pressure, eating foods high in healthy fiber can definitely help.
- Low sodium foods: Excess salt consumption raises blood pressure. Limit your consumption to no more than 1,5002,000 mg daily.
- High potassium foods: Potassium counteracts the effects of sodium and helps lower blood pressure. Include foods like melons, avocados and bananas.
- Omega-3 rich foods: Consume omega-3 rich foods like grass-fed beef, wild caught salmon, chia and flax seeds to reduce inflammation.
8 Foods That Reduce Blood Pressure:
1. Dark chocolate:
Look for a dark chocolate that contains at least 200 milligrams of cocoa phenols, which can reduce blood pressure.
2. Garlic:
Garlic and garlic supplements can help lower blood pressure and relax smooth muscles. Research on the health benefits of garlic is finding more and more miraculous effects. Among them, garlic seems to help thin the blood, prevent the blockage in blood vessels, and therefore lower blood pressure.
3. Spinach:
Spinach is rich in magnesium and folate, which can help prevent high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
4. Sunflower Seeds:
5. Bananas:
6. Tomatoes:
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Try Meditation Or Deep Breathing
While these two behaviors could also fall under stress reduction techniques, meditation and deep breathing deserve specific mention.
Both meditation and deep breathing may activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is engaged when the body relaxes, slowing the heart rate, and lowering blood pressure.
Theres quite a bit of research in this area, with studies showing that different styles of meditation appear to have benefits for lowering blood pressure .
Deep breathing techniques can also be quite effective.
In one study, participants were asked to either take six deep breaths over the course of 30 seconds or simply sit still for 30 seconds. Those who took breaths lowered their blood pressure more than those who just sat .
Try guided meditation or deep breathing. Heres a video to get you started.
Bottom line: Both meditation and deep breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure.
What Causes High Blood Pressure
There are many factors that can cause high blood pressure and often it is a complex mix of factors that can put you in a higher risk category.
At the more manageable end of the spectrum, most of the things that cause hypertension are related to lifestyle choices. Smoking, alcohol, obesity, high cholesterol and a high sodium diet are just a few examples of things that people can choose to change to reduce the risks associated with high blood pressure.
Sleep apnea, diabetes, and stress, each of which may be controlled , can also put a strain on the cardiovascular system and intensify blood pressure and related problems. Factors that put you in a high-risk category but that are difficult to control include family history, gender, and chronic kidney disease.
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Natural Remedies For High Blood Pressure
There are many natural ingredients that help to lower blood pressure fast.
Although taking a supplement might not instantly bring down your blood pressure, taking them regularly can help to relatively quickly treat hypertension naturally.
What are the best supplements that help lower blood pressure?
Consume Drinks That Lower Blood Pressure
In #1 of this blog post, I listed 3 calming drinks benefiting blood pressure. The following are three drinks backed by science to lower blood pressure:
Watermelon Juice: Biting into a watermelon is so refreshing. I find it almost additive, and its hard to stop eating once I get going.
When I found a study in the Journal of Hypertension 16, I was excited because they showed supplementation with watermelon extract lowered blood pressure in obese middle aged adults.
Beet Juice: Beets are great for lowering blood pressure because they contain nitrate, potassium and folate. All of these are beneficial for blood pressure.
A study published in the Journal Nutrition found those who supplemented with beetroot juice lowered their systolic blood pressure significantly 17.
Low-fat Milk: The low-fat version is better than the regular because full fat dairy contains palmitic acid which blocks signals to relax blood vessels. Low-fat milk contains calcium, phosphorus and potassium which are all beneficial in lowering blood pressure.
A study in the British Journal of Nutrition, found switching from full fat dairy to low-fat helped lower BP 18.
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What Is The Best Natural Supplement For High Blood Pressure
Three main minerals are used to naturally lower blood pressure. If you follow a heart-healthy diet, youre likely to get enough of these from your foodbut for people with poor eating habits, supplementing might be a good idea. Try these:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium*
*Some may recommend taking a potassium supplement, but its especially important to get your current potassium levels tested before doing so. Too much potassium can have potentially fatal side effects.
Cacao Powder To Bring Down Blood Pressure Naturally
One of the best drinks for high blood pressure to enjoy is hot chocolate made from cacao powder.
One study into the effect of cacao drinks on hypertension found that they can help reduce blood pressure by around 4 mmHg.
Other studies have found that the rich antioxidant content in cacao drinks is good for helping to manage high blood pressure in elderly people.
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How I Lowered By Blood Pressure 20 Points
NOTE: you may not see such dramatic results, so give this protocol 30 days.
My main objective in my case was the figure out the cause. I do take meds to address hypothyroidism, and if meds arent dosed properly, blood pressure can rise. I ordered labs to check thyroid, and while waiting, I addressed the next obvious cause, which was stress. I am very sensitive to stress and work hard to keep my stress levels in check. I knew I needed to mix up my morning meditation practice and get stricter about focusing on breathwork and stress relief. Heres the rest of the protocol I developed for myself to lower blood pressure:
- AM meditation, 10 minutes deep breathing
- Get sleep in check! 8 hours, in bed by 10 ideally.
- Hibiscus-based and/or blood pressure tea blends are good for arterial health.
- Potassium and minerals are essential for healthy BP. Try a mineral supplement.
- I took chlorophyll to oxygenate my system and address low red blood cell production .
- Hydrate! Dehydration can raise BP.
- CBD oil: This, for me, was the key player and star of the show. Fortunately I live in an area where I can easily access this magical elixir. Im somewhat convinced this alone was the reason for the dramatic and swift reduction in my blood pressure. CBD is the non-psychoactive constituent in marijuana that has amazing health benefits without getting you high.
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