Guess how many people have high blood pressure? A billion!
It’s said to be the “#1 risk factor for death and disability in the world.”
If you have high blood pressure, it’s best that you are monitored by your healthcare professional. If you’re on medication for high blood pressure, never change that without speaking with a medical professional.
What is high blood pressure?
It’s something your doctor commonly checks. You can check it yourself in many pharmacies, or purchase at-home blood pressure monitors. There is an inflatable tube placed around your arm that gets blown up and tight. It measures how hard your blood is pushing against the walls of your blood vessels.
If your vessels are stiff, the pressure increases. It’s important to get your blood pressure checked regularly. For many people there are no symptoms as it slowly creeps higher and higher.
This measurement is important because elevated high blood pressure for too long can cause serious damage. In extreme cases, it can result in blindness, kidney damage, stroke, or even a heart attack.
Here are a few of the foods and drinks that can help with blood pressure:
To reduce blood pressure, eat more plants – This is key
If there is one thing you can to eat to help with blood pressure, it’s plants.
Plants increase your intake of many critical nutrients. Especially vitamins C, E, and folate. Plants are also rich in minerals like magnesium, potassium, and sulfur. Not to mention the all-around health booster known as fibre. All of these nutrients are needed for optimal heart and blood health.
Focus on eating more leafy greens (kale in particular), legumes, nuts/seeds, broccoli, cauliflower, and tomatoes.
Two plants I want to highlight in particular are flaxseeds and beets. A few tablespoons of ground flaxseeds a day is one of the best foods to help with blood pressure. Beets contain a blood pressure lowering substance called nitrate. Beet juice has been shown to reduce blood pressure within hours of drinking it.
Eating fewer processed foods will aid in reducing blood pressure
We’ve all heard the advice to reduce sodium intake for high blood pressure. Not surprisingly, most of the sodium in our diet is from the salt added to processed foods. It’s not from the dash or two on your homemade cooked-from-scratch dinner. Reducing processed food intake not only reduces sodium and sugar intake but also increases intake of more nutrient-dense less processed foods. Win-win.
Ditch the fast-food, takeout, restaurant meals, and convenience snacks. Replace them with some of the plants I mentioned above.
Ditch the caffeine… particularly if you’re sensitive to it
Coffee has been shown to temporarily increase blood pressure. Its effects can last for up to three hours after drinking it. It may not be so bad if you’re not sensitive to it, but caffeine affects some people more than others. Some caffeine sensitivity symptoms include shakiness, worry, irregular heartbeat, or difficulty sleeping.
If you find caffeine affects you, then try switching to decaf or eliminating it altogether.
PRO TIP: Don’t drink a cup of regular coffee or have other sources of caffeine right before your next doctor’s appointment or blood pressure test.
Drink hibiscus tea
This is not hype. There is science behind the blood pressure lowering effects of hibiscus tea.
Several clinical studies have shown that it works. In one study, people drank two cups of strong hibiscus tea every morning. Those two cups were made using a total of five tea bags. This lowered the subjects’ blood pressure as much as a blood pressure medication.
Infrared sauna sessions help to lower blood pressure
Several Medical Studies support Infrared Sauna’s ability to lower blood pressure. Sitting in an infrared sauna has benefits similar to cardiovascular exercise-without the exercise! Our Infrared Sauna’s at Solera are medical grade and also offer Chromotherapy at the same time. To learn more on the benefits of Full Spectrum Sauna, click HERE.
Lifestyle
In addition to food, know that a number of lifestyle factors can be helpful too.
● First of all, if you smoke, really focus on quitting.
● Keep alcohol to a minimum.
● If you’re seriously stressed, try meditating, yoga, deep breathing, walking in nature, or any other way that busts your stress.
● If you don’t exercise, start small. Also try not to overdo exercise if you already have high blood pressure.
Which of these are you going to try first? Let me know in the comments below.
References:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure-with-diet/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-treat-high-blood-pressure-with-diet/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/hibiscus-tea-vs-plant-based-diets-for-hypertension/
http://www.healthline.com/health/foods-good-for-high-blood-pressure#overview1