It is common for people suffering from hypertension to want to get the necessary prescription first. While medications can help a lot in controlling hypertension, adopting a healthier diet can actually be more helpful. There are foods that lower blood pressure and if you are able to include them into your diet, there is no reason why you should suffer from hypertension anymore.
There are various characteristics of a diet that can help lower blood pressure dramatically. First off it should be low in salt and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. However your diet should be loaded with vitamins and antioxidants and potassium and magnesium.
Suffice it to say that a healthy diet is what is needed in order to maintain a healthy blood pressure level. Of course this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to let go of all the good stuff and be content instead with just steamed vegetables. Knowing the healthier choice is always important. If you must have some potatoes for example, go for baked potato rather than fries. If you must have a hamburger, consider going for a chicken sandwich instead.
1st Tip: Choose Home Cooked Meals
If you really want to successfully get hold of your soaring high blood pressure, it is important for you to consume fresh produce and cook them at home rather than eat your meals from prepackaged boxes. Many of these precooked meals are loaded with sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. However you won’t get any sort of nutrients from them. While cooking at home can be time-consuming, you can find some tasty and nutritious recipes that only take about 15-20 minutes cooking time.
For people suffering from high blood pressure, sodium intake should be kept at a minimum of 3000 mg per day. For many Americans and their high-fat diets, the daily sodium consumption can easily soar to 7000 to 9000 mg. If you really want to slow down on salt; you have to keep away from condiments such as soy sauce, tomato sauce, and other packaged stuff. In fact a single serving of tomato sauce has about 250mg of sodium, and if you consume a meal loaded with salt, you consume even more sodium. Even salad dressings have a lot of sodium.
2nd Tip: Choose foods which are loaded with magnesium and potassium
Now its time to focus on the foods that can help you get a healthier blood pressure. You will find many vegetables and fruits which are low in fat, sodium, and cholesterol. If you must choose vegetables and fruits however, make sure that you go for those rich in potassium and magnesium. These minerals are excellent for people suffering from high blood pressure. Some of the potassium-rich foods are apricots, potatoes, bananas, avocados, and figs. For magnesium-loaded foods, you may opt for scallops, broccoli, oysters, spinach, and soy milk.
3rd Tip: Never fail to consult with your physician
A good physician will advise you on the best diet to follow, so you can enjoy a much healthier level of blood pressure. This is especially important if you are overweight and you need to lose some pounds through a healthy diet.
4th Tip: Choose foods that lower blood pressure
If you really want to lose weight and to lower your risk for hypertension, you need to recognize the foods that lower blood pressure successfully. Hypertension is often inherited so if you have parents that suffer from high blood pressure you should be more careful.
For more information please go to: Hypertension
