Ways to lower your blood pressure

Here’s an idea…

Did you know that May is National High Blood Pressure Month? Did you know that about 1 of 3 US adults have high blood pressure? High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, which increases your chances of stroke and heart disease. In 2010, more than 360,000 deaths (which is 1,000 deaths each day) in America were related to hig
h blood pressure, known as the “silent killer.”

In other words…
It is very important to monitor and maintain a healthy blood pressure. This can lower your risk of stroke and heart disease. Always check your blood pressure and make sure that it is within normal level, which according to the Nutrition Care Manual is 120/80. Some ways to help control blood pressure are:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• 30 minutes of physical activity throughout the week
• Eat a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetable but low in sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
• Manage your stress
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
• Take medication that has been prescribed to you
• Check your blood pressure regularly.

Here’s how you can use this idea to better your life…
The best diet for hypertension and any other heart problems is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH Diet). The Dash diet wants to limit the amount of sodium to 1,500 to 2,400 mg per day, and includes fruits and vegetables. Using the 2,000 calories per day the DASH diet will include 7 to 8 servings of grains, 3 which should be whole grains, 4 to 5 servings of fruits. Also, 4 to 5 servings of vegetables, 2 to 3 servings of low-fat or nonfat dairy, 2 or fewer servings of lean meat (fish or poultry), 4 to 5 servings of nuts (also seeds, and legumes), limiting the fats and sweets. 

To find out more…
For more information about blood pressure you can visit these websites:
https://www.nutritioncaremanual.org/topic.cfm?ncm_category_id=1&lv1=5803&lv2=8480&ncm_toc_id=8480&ncm_heading=Nutrition%20Care
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HighBloodPressure/
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/hbp_low.pdf
http://www.uaex.edu/health-living/food-nutrition/default.aspx