Are you suffering from high blood pressure? Do you want to lower the risks related to this disease? Then apart from getting medical advice, you definitely need to follow a diet meant for patients suffering from high blood pressure. As stated by the American Heart Association, approximately 72 million people above the age of 20 suffer from this disease. If your aim is to use diet control for high blood pressure, then follow these simple steps to achieve your goal.
Diet To Control High Blood Pressure
1. Eat Fruits And Vegetables:
You must include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Start eating 2 to 2 ½ cups of vegetables and fruits every day. Include leafy green vegetables, broccoli, blueberries etc in your diet. Potassium helps in maintaining the blood pressure in the human body, so you must consume potassium rich food daily like water melon, oranges, bananas and potatoes.
2. Opt For Low Fat Dairy Items:
A high blood pressure does not mean you have to give up on your favourite dairy items, but you must immediately switch your dairy products to fat free or low fat. Milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese and other low fat cheese must be included in your daily diet.
3. Eat Protein Rich Food:
You must consume foods rich in proteins. You must consume approximately 6 or less ounces of protein each day. You can opt for chicken instead of red meat. Eat eggs, or fish, daily, as they are the best source of healthy protein.
4. Eat Whole Grains:
To keep your blood pressure under control, one thing you have to give up is processed food. Instead, you must always consume whole grains. Oats, cereal, whole grain breads, pasta are good choices. Consume around 8 ounces of these daily. But before you purchase any item, you must always check the nutritional label for the sodium content in the food.
5. Nuts, Seeds And Beans Are Good For Health:
Kidney beans, cannellini beans, nuts, natural peanut butter and other seeds are some healthy diet choices that help keep your heart healthy and also help in lowering the blood pressure. You must eat nuts, seeds and beans at least 4 to 6 times a week.
6. Switch Over To Healthy Oil:
You must consume 2 to 3 teaspoons of healthy oil like olive oil every day. You can also consume low fat margarine daily because they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids that are good for your heart. These margarine spreads will help in lowering your blood pressure.
7. Limit Alcohol And Sugar In Your Diet:
You must limit your sugar and alcohol consumption if you want to keep high blood pressure at bay. This is because sugar and alcohol tend to increase the level of blood pressure. You must also eliminate carbonated beverages, foods containing saturated fat and trans-fat. These food products will complicate the disease and damage the vessels of your heart.
8. Keep a Blood Pressure Monitor At Home:
You can always purchase a home blood pressure monitor and keep a track of your blood pressure levels on a daily basis. If you stick to this diet plan, you will be able to see the difference in pressure levels within a matter of 14 days.
9. Cut Down The Sodium Level In Your Diet:
If you are suffering from high blood pressure then you must reduce the sodium intake. Sodium not only comes from salt, but it is also present in processed and canned foods. You must read the food label carefully before buying any food item. You must restrict your sodium level to 1500 mg every day. Try and avoid eating chips, frozen sea food, mustard, ketchup and pickles. One single bite of any of these will bring around 1000 mg of sodium with it! You can use herbs in your daily cooking which will help you lessen the amount of sodium intake.
High blood pressure is a dangerous keg of gun powder waiting to explode, but with careful handling, and a sensible diet and life style, you can always keep it under control. Hope this diet for blood pressure control helps you. Do leave us a comment!
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