If you have hypertension learning and implementing natural ways to lower blood pressure is imperative, if you don’t want to take medication, because people with high blood pressure are at risk for serious complications such as arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, kidney damage, heart attack and stroke. This may be why, along with the reluctance most people show towards modification of lifestyle, physicians are so quick to prescribe medications. However, it is entirely possible to lower blood pressure naturally without resorting to toxic drugs.
If you want to learn natural ways to lower blood pressure you will want to pay close attention to this article which will share 10 strategies you can begin using today to beat hypertension with safe, natural ways to lower blood pressure.
Lose Weight
If you carry more than 10 extra pounds (most Americans do) this is good place to start, especially if that extra fat is belly fat. Belly fat increases the likelihood of hypertension not just in men either, women too.
Hypertension often regresses with the elimination of extra fat weight and that extra fat will easily burn off when you eliminate unhealthy food from your diet and exercise to burn more calories. We will cover this more later. The main thing to understand is that extra weight increases the risk of hypertension. And so…
The smart thing to do is to find a plan that will help you lose weight. An easy plan that you’ll stick with because it isn’t restricting and doesn’t entail buying special, costly foods or unsafe diet pills. Shedding any extra fat is an excellent natural way to lower blood pressure.
Sweat Daily
Get some exercise. Walking is a great natural way to lower blood pressure. By briskly walking for 30 – 45 minutes every day, you’ll burn calories and fat, strengthen your heart and lungs and as an added benefit regular exercise increases HDL cholesterol (the good stuff). If you have been an inactive couch potato it doesn’t take long to see results.
Stop Smoking
Nicotine almost immediately produces hypertension and the effects last for up to an hour. So if you smoke a pack per day your numbers will be up to 10 points higher all day long.
By quitting the smoking habit you can immediately see results and the long term benefits, reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, increase the longer you don’t smoke. So if you are serious about beating hypertension stop smoking. And…
When you quit smoking you could save $150 per month (more or less) and almost immediately see results with lower numbers. What do you think, is it worth it?
Switch Salt
Switch from regular grocery store table salt (sodium chloride) to Himalayan Crystal Salt. Regular table salt is known to cause hypertension and sea salt now contains to many heavy metals due to ocean pollution but Himalayan salt is pure with no chemicals, toxins or heavy metals yet it also offers 84 trace minerals for added health benefits.
Consume More Potassium
Eating potassium rich foods is another great natural way lower blood pressure. Potatoes with skins, carrots, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), green leaf vegetables such as spinach, cruciferous vegetables like brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower all pack a potassium punch. Fruits like tomatoes, bananas, kiwi, oranges, pomegranate and avocado. Low fat milk and cold water fish (wild salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout) are also excellent sources of potassium.
Eat Raw Garlic
Garlic has been shown to significantly lower total cholesterol, triglycerides and win the battle against hypertension in at least one double blind study and several others indicated that both systolic and diastolic reading showed marked improvement. Nobody seems to know the exact reasons why garlic is one of the best natural ways to lower blood pressure, just that it is.
Enjoy Dark Chocolate
For desert or just a snack enjoy some nice dark chocolate. To reap the benefits of dark chocolate on hypertension you need to go at least 70% cocoa. It can sometimes be bitter so you’ll have to try various makes to see which you like best but it’s full of flavonoids that work to battle hypertension and is a tasty natural way to lower blood pressure.
One square from a bar of dark chocolate is all it takes to help lower blood pressure naturally. Don’t go overboard on the dark chocolate because it is loaded with calories
Relax
Relieve stress. If your job is stressful take a break, relax, close your eyes, think happy thoughts and breathe deep. When you get home go for a walk (exercise relieves stress), breathe deep, listen to soothing music, take a hot bath and feel the stress melt away.
Watch the Alcohol
A glass of wine per day may be a benefit due to the antioxidants (OPC’s, polyphenols, resveratrol) but a bottle of it isn’t. Limit yourself to a glass per day and avoid other forms of alcohol.
Watch the NSAID’s
If you take Ibuprofen or another NSAID for chronic pain such as arthritis consider switching to aspirin to relieve pain. Ibuprofen and other like medications have been linked to hypertension and heart attack. Aspirin, though also a NSAID doesn’t cause hypertension or heart attacks.
Summary
If you want to lower blood pressure naturally then start implementing the 10 natural ways to lower blood pressure mentioned in this article. They work and most are either free or inexpensive.
By: P. Miller
