High Blood Pressure Diet

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can be a serious health risk that can predispose individuals to blood clots, heart disease and strokes. It occurs when too much force creates pressure on the flexible walls of blood vessels. You can be a very calm person and still have high blood pressure. The foods people choose to eat as part of their daily diets can have a dramatic effect on their blood pressure.

 

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

Unfortunately, there are no specific hypertension symptoms that can alert individuals to blood pressure problems. However, a blood pressure crisis can cause severe headache, nosebleeds, shortness of breath and severe anxiety. The only way you can determine if you have hypertension is to have a medical professional measure your blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer, which is a rubber cuff that wraps around the arm and applies pressure that is measured by a device. An LA urgent care center can provide this test to determine your blood pressure level.

 

What You Can Do To Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure

If you have a family history of high blood pressure or if a health professional has told you your blood pressure is high, you can take a number of steps to lower blood pressure and avoid related health problems.

• Lose weight – Managing your weight can reduce your blood pressure numbers.
• Exercise regularly – Thirty minutes of exercise, such as jogging, cycling, dancing or swimming can lower your blood pressure when done regularly.
• Drink moderately – Alcohol can increase your blood pressure. Experts recommend one drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men.
• Quit smoking – Nicotine can also raise your blood pressure. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about effective ways to quit.
• Use less salt – The sodium in salt can increase blood pressure. Limit your salt intake to one teaspoon per day.

Implementing A High Blood Pressure Diet

There is a diet that has been developed for individuals with high blood pressure, which aims to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of diseases that can come with high blood pressure. The “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertenison,” shortened to “DASH,” focuses on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, poultry, fish and low-fat dairy products. This hypertension diet contains less salt and sugar than is normally consumed by the typical American. A variety of high blood pressure recipes are available that are easy to prepare and can have a significant effect on blood pressure levels.

As they say, “You are what you eat.” Here’s to a happy and healthy you!