Guidelines for lowering blood pressure | Part 2

This article is all you need to know about high blood pressure. Understanding the disease is the first step for you to be able to prevent and control it most effectively. Do not ignore this article; it can change the life of you or your loved one in the future.

Lower Your Blood Pressure by Being Active

Being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to prevent or control high blood pressure. It also helps to reduce your risk of heart disease.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to become physically active. All you need is 30 minutes of moderate-level physical activity on most days of the week. Such activities include brisk walking, bicycling, raking leaves, and gardening. For more examples, see Table 5.

You can even divide the 30 minutes into shorter periods of at least 10 minutes each. For instance: Use stairs instead of an elevator, get off a bus one or two stops early, or park your car at the far end of the lot at work. If you already engage in 30 minutes of moderate-level physical activity daily, you can get added benefits by doing more. Engage in a moderate-level activity for a more extended period each day or more vigorously.

Most people don’t need to see a doctor before starting moderate physical activity. You should check first with your doctor if you have heart trouble or have had a heart attack if you’re over age 50 and are not used to moderate-level physical activity, if you have a family history of heart disease at an early age, or if you have any other serious health problem.

Lower Your Blood Pressure by Eating Right

What you eat affects your chances of getting high blood pressure. A healthy eating plan can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower blood pressure already too high.

For an overall eating plan, consider DASH, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” You can reduce your blood pressure by eating foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol and high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. The DASH eating plan includes whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts and has low fats, red meats, sweets, and sugared beverages. It is also high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein, and fiber. Eating foods lower in salt and sodium also can reduce blood pressure.

Table 6 gives the servings and food groups for the DASH eating plan. The number of right servings for you may vary, depending on your caloric need.

The DASH eating plan has more daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and grains than you may be used to eating. Those foods are high in fiber, and eating more may temporarily cause bloating and diarrhea. To get used to the DASH eating plan, gradually increase your servings of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Box 7 offers some tips on how to adopt the DASH eating plan.

An excellent way to change to the DASH eating plan is to keep a diary of your current eating habits. Write down what you eat, how much, when, and why. Note whether you snack on high-fat foods while watching television or if you skip breakfast and eat a big lunch. Do this for several days. You’ll be able to see where you can start making changes.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you should choose an eating plan that is lower in calories. You can still use the DASH eating plan, but follow it at a lower calorie level. (See box 8.) Again, a food diary can be helpful. It can tell you if there are certain times that you eat but aren’t hungry or when you can substitute low-calorie foods for high-calorie foods.

* Serving sizes vary between 1/2 cup and 1 1/4 cups. Check the product’s nutrition label. Fat content changes serving counts for fats and oils: For example, one tablespoon of regular salad dressing equals one serving, one tablespoon of low-fat salad dressing equals 1/2 serving, and one tablespoon of fat-free/ salad dressing equals 0 servings.

Professional consulting: ThS.BS.Dao Thi My Van

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