Is your high blood pressure bringing you down? Don’t worry. There are many ways to control it. Here are more life-saving tips to lower your blood pressure and add years to your life.
Drink less
Restrict alcohol consumption to 1 drink (1.5 ounces of hard liquor, 4 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer) per day. This will help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure.
Load up on potassium
Take 3,000 to 3,200 milligrams or 75 meq of potassium daily to reduce your blood pressure and protect you from strokes. In a recent study, women over 50 who consumed more than 67 meq a day never suffered a stroke.
“There were no stroke deaths among those who consumed more than 60 meq of potassium a day but when the intake was less than 50 meq, there were 3.4 stroke deaths per 100 patients,” wrote Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld in “Doctor, What Should I Eat?”
Since the average diet contains about 60 to 65 meq, boost your potassium intake by as much as 10 meq with a glass of orange juice. Other good sources are bananas, raisins, milk, yogurt, and tomato and prune juice. If you prefer potassium supplements, consult your doctor since this can be dangerous in people with certain medical conditions.
Drink milk
Extra calcium in the diet can reduce blood pressure in pregnant women and lessen your risk of strokes and other complications. If you take 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily, your risk of developing high blood pressure may drop by as much as 40 percent. Good sources of calcium are raw cabbage, cheddar cheese, pink salmon and nonfat plain yogurt.
Get an oil change
Polyunsaturated oils like canola and safflower oil may cut your blood pressure by about 10 points. Make the switch now for good health.
Stop smoking
lf you quit now, you can lower not only your blood pressure but your risk of strokes and lung cancer. You’ll also save a lot of money.
Make meals with magnesium
This will prevent high blood pressure in some people and is good for the heart. Your daily intake should be 350 to 400 milligrams. Good sources are green leafy vegetables, nuts, fish and seafood, dried fruits, poultry, beef and pork.
Take it easy
You can’t avoid stress – it’s a part of life. But you can control it by means of prayer, yoga and other relaxation techniques. Choose one that works for you. (Next: When to use drugs for hypertension.)
Since obesity is a factor in hypertension, it pays to lose weight. To help you shed those unwanted pounds, take Zyroxin, a safe and natural supplement that will maximize your weight loss through its unique fat-burning ingredients.
For details, visit http://www.zyroxin.comSharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.HealthLinesNews.com
