Living a hectic and busy lifestyle often means we compromise our health – giving way to heart disease, stress, and high blood pressure.
We may not realize the bad food choices we have been making, such as eating fast food and junk just to put something in our tummy as we succumb to the daily demands of work, until one day we are faced with heart disease and high blood pressure.
Wise and healthy eating choices are at the core of the high blood pressure diet; in fact it is not much different from general health recommendations.
Whether you need to do a high blood pressure diet because you are genetically prone to it, or simply want to live a healthier lifestyle, it involves simple yet remarkable changes in your lifestyle.
A high blood pressure diet means removing the following from your lifestyle:
- Salt – Since salt attracts water, too much salt means there is more water in the blood. This in turn raises the volume of blood, and consequently, higher blood pressure. This can be avoided by staying away from processed food, bacon, ham, condiments, and broth. The body needs only 500 mg a day of salt to function, and you can measure your intake by reading sodium labels of food products.
- Alcohol – Equally crucial to avoid in a high blood pressure diet, because alcohol directly raises blood pressure. While a glass of red wine every now and then has been proven to be good for the heart, excessive drinking definitely is not. Alcohol also damages the blood vessel walls. Ensure your heart by drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices instead of just drinking pure water.
- Fat – A high blood pressure diet means abstaining from saturated fat and trans-fat, commonly found in fast food and red meat. You can however have small amounts of other types of fat in the high blood pressure diet, but olive oil is always a healthier option.
Here are useful changes you should make for a high blood pressure diet:
- Instead of using salty and preservative-filled condiments, use natural herbs and spices to add flavor and aroma to your dishes.
- Exercise regularly, as obesity is also a contributor to increased blood pressure. It will not only keep your blood pressure levels down but keep you fit and healthy.
- A good high blood pressure diet also means being more aware of products that you buy by reading the labels. Stay away from food products whose ingredients have the word “sodium” on it, such as monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite, and many more.
- Make sure to incorporate more potassium into your diet. Potassium has been shown to help manage blood pressure levels, and can be found in fruits and vegetables.
While on a high blood pressure diet, you may also find yourself more relaxed and feeling better. It contains the simple and basic rules for living a long and healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally.
