Hypertension is known as a silent killer, simply because of the fact that is doesn’t show a lot of obvious symptoms. Many people are unaware that they have hypertension, and they only realize that they do have it when the condition has already gotten worse. Since hypertension can creep up on you without you knowing it, the best thing you can do to deal with it is to prevent it in from affecting you in the first place.
The good thing is that even though such condition doesn’t have any symptoms, it will nonetheless cause certain manifestations that will enable you to recognize it the moment it starts to reach a certain stage. During this level, you can have your blood pressure tested to confirm whether you indeed have hypertension or not.
Hypertension can lead to aneurisms, heart attack, and even stroke, but do you know that you can cut your risks for these chronic conditions simply by doing some small changes in your lifestyle? Watching what you eat and getting rid of some of your bad health habits can actually help you fight hypertension naturally.
Your diet plays a major role in fighting off hypertension. If you are to stop it on its tracks, you have to start incorporating a healthy eating plan into your lifestyle. To lower high blood pressure, doctors recommend eating more fruits and vegetables, and foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Whole grains, poultry, fish, nuts, and foods rich in magnesium, calcium, and potassium are ideal for a person who wants to reduce hypertension. In a study done to people with high blood pressure, patients who changed their eating habits were able to reduce their blood pressure in just two weeks.
Reducing your sodium or salt intake will also help lower your blood pressure. Sodium increases a person’s risk for heart disease so even though you need sodium in your diet, you have to make sure you are only getting the daily required amount in order to avoid health risks. Most of us love to eat restaurant food, not knowing that these types of food are loaded with sodium and other salt-based preservatives. To lower your intake of salt, limit your intake of food from fast food restaurants or buying food from convenience food stores.
At the same time, read the labels of whatever product you are buying anytime you hit the grocery store, and pick only those that are low in salt, whether they are cereals or canned vegetables. If you can’t help but eat outside, you can lower your salt intake by requesting the chef to omit salt from your food. In addition, always remember to balance a salty meal by adding potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables to it.
There’s been an ongoing debate on the link between alcohol and hypertension. Some claim that drinking alcohol is good for the heart while others say it can increase your risk for high blood pressure. According to scientists, while drinking alcohol may be good for the heart, too much of it can actually hurt. Downing more than two glasses of wine each day can already be considered excessive drinking, and while the heart benefits of alcohol is well-documented, moderation is still the key. Moderate alcohol drinking can increase the levels of good cholesterol in your body by up to 20%, says experts, but it should always be accompanied by a well-balanced diet and regular exercise. So, if you’re asking whether drinking alcohol can benefit hypertension or not, the answer is yes, but only when taken in the right amounts, at about two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women.
Perhaps the best and safest way to fight hypertension is to lose weight through exercise. Lack of physical activity is one of the greatest contributing factors to high blood pressure, so if you can incorporate regular exercise to your daily routine, you will have a higher chance of reducing weight and lowering blood pressure at the same time. Exercise doesn’t just strengthen your cardiovascular muscles, it also helps you get rid of stress, another factor that largely contributes to hypertension.
Why let hypertension stop you when you can stop it on its tracks? Start applying these five natural methods and see high blood pressure fly out the window!
