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Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check with 5 Basic Diet Changes
By | December 19, 2007
If you need to lower your blood pressure, before your doctor prescribes medications, start making changes in your diet today. Some small steps can add up to a big difference in your blood pressure. Here are 5 changes to try.
1. Cut Back on Salt. This is probably the most important change you can make to your diet if you want to lower your blood pressure. Instead of salt , experiment with different spices, sauces, and other seasonings. Always read food labels to check the amount of sodium in foods and food products. Cut back on packaged foods that are high in sodium and search for less salty options.
2. Eat Your Vegetables. A balanced diet with proper vitamins and minerals help the body to work more efficiently and results in lower blood pressure. Potassium is particularly important for lowering blood pressure. While you can always just get a comprehensive multivitamin, the best choice is to eat fruits and vegetables which contain vital vitamins and minerals. Replace some meat consumption with these healthier food choices.
3. Increase Fiber Intake. More dietary fiber will help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and help you lose weight naturally. Add dietary fiber by eating oat bran and more fruits such as apples. Another alternative is to take fiber supplements with a full glass of water.
4. Give Up Some Sugar. While scientists aren’t really sure why, eating processed sugars raises blood pressure. Give up eating so much sugar or cut back as much as possible. When you do eat sugar, eat it with fiber or protein; they slow the absorption of sugar and lessen the negative effects.
5. Toss Out Diet Pills. Many weight loss pills can actually raise your blood pressure. Instead of taking in pills, stick to a healthy diet and exercise to lose weight. That’s the best idea for lowering your blood pressure.
Making changes in diet and lifestyle take time. Don’t be harsh on yourself. Instead of trying everything at once, do them one at a time. Take small steps towards your goals instead of trying to stop a bad eating habit all at once. For example, instead of dropping all sugary or salty treats, replace one sugary or salty snack with a fruit of vegetable each day for a week. Once you get accustomed to one change, keep increasing the changes until you’re comfortable and happy with your new healthy diet and lower blood pressure.
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