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CHANGE YOUR DIET FOR HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE AND AVOID HEART DISEASE

By Tess Thompson

Nearly 25% of Americans suffer from high blood pressure, known as hypertension in medical terminology. The scariest thing about the condition is that it is a common cause for heart failure, stroke and heart diseases.

High blood pressure is confirmed when your systolic and diastolic pressure is higher than 140 and 90 mmHg respectively. Minor fluctuations in this reading are normal but a blood pressure that is consistently higher than these levels is a cause of concern.

High blood pressure does not necessarily mean that you have to take drugs for treatment. In most cases, hypertension is primary and does not have an underlying disease that causes it. The best course of action in such cases is to take recourse to natural remedies for high blood pressure, which includes dietary changes.

As with all diet regulations, there are certain exclusions and inclusions in a healthy diet for blood pressure. Try to exclude/avoid/reduce the following to maintain blood pressure within the recommended range.

* Salt
* Red meat
* Alcohol
* Sugars

If you find that you do not relish your food without salt and sugar, you can always look for substitutes that are not harmful. Aspartame is one substitute for sugar and though it may seem a bit bitter to start with, once can get accustomed to the taste fairly quickly. Too much of red meat can increase cholesterol levels, which ultimately ends up blocking arteries and reduce free flow of blood. If you must drink, temperance should be maintained.

Try to include the following in your diet as some of these foods can improve heart function as well as control blood pressure.

* Potassium rich fruits like bananas, avocados, grapefruit juice and acorn squash. * Potassium is good for maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Tomato juice is another natural source of potassium.
* Magnesium and calcium rich foods like sardines, broccoli green beans, tofu, spinach and legumes.
* If you are a compulsory meat eater then restrict your non-vegetarian diet to fish and poultry.
* Try baking and grilling instead of frying and use sauces those are low in salt and sugar content.
* Eggs are good but their intake should be limited.
* Whole grain products and nuts should complete your requirement of the necessary nutrients for maintaining normal activity and energy.

The best strategy is to check quantities of everything that you eat. The focus should be on ‘eating to live’ and not on ‘living to eat’. Large quantities of oily and fatty foods are detrimental to general health. They also have a negative impact on blood vessels as they lead to vasoconstriction and block the flow of blood.

When blood does not flow freely the heart has to work harder for survival. Consistently high blood pressure may lead to a life long treatment with high blood pressure medications and increase your risk of myocardial infarction and other heart ailments.

References:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Natural-Food-Supplement---Foods-to-Eat-to-Lower-High-Blood-Pressure&id=798925
http://ezinearticles.com/?High-Blood-Pressure-Diet---What-You-Need-To-Know&id=799824