Now that you have been diagnosed with hypertension, it is very important to keep track of the food you eat. In fact, your doctor or nutritionist may have even discussed the importance of a food journal with you. A food journal is perhaps the best tool you will use in order to control your blood pressure in the future.
An accurate and complete food journal will provide you and your doctor with a realistic picture of what is going into your body. This, along with regular blood pressure readings, will help you and your doctor recognize any trends or changes. Once these trends have been identified, the data in your journal will help you make informed choices about the foods you eat on a regular basis. Soon you will find that it is easy to choose the correct foods to consume.
Hypertension is also affected by a person’s weight. The more a person weighs, the higher their blood pressure tends to be. Losing excess weight is an excellent way to lower your blood pressure. A food journal will show you exactly how much you eat each day and what you eat each day. The information in your food journal may be radically different than what you think.
How many times do you open your refrigerator or pantry today? Chances are, you may have no idea. The fact is people put food in their mouth all day without even realizing what they are eating. Think about what happens when you have a dish of your favorite candy in your living room. Do you find yourself walking past this dish more frequently? Does the candy seem to be gone quickly? This is what happens every day in many homes.
You may be eating more junk food than you realize. You may think you are eating a handful of chips, but that handful may be three full servings of chips. This is well beyond a snack portion. Writing down the exact portions you eat will help you see if you do regularly overindulge in certain types of food. Once you know your food challenges, you will be able to find way to avoid overindulging in these foods.
Losing weight and making better food choices are two of the most important things you can do to help control your high blood pressure. They can also be the most difficult factors to control. This is a lifestyle change that requires perseverance and dedication, but the added health benefits are worth any sacrifices you may have to make in order to improve your health.
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