3 Diet tips for Hypertension

A good diet for hypertension should focus on 3 main areas which are explained in details below.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) is sustained elevation in Blood pressure, usually a BP>129/85 is considered to be Hypertension. It is diagnosed by a Doctor or Health care Professional.

One of the most effective ways to reduce Blood Pressure back to acceptable levels is through diet modification and general Lifestyle changes. Most changes recommended here are doable but need few weeks and determination to work best. 

1. Reduce Salt Intake

Sodium, which is the Element found in table salt is the cause of increase in BP . People with Hypertension (High BP) should try by all means to reduce Total daily intake of sodium. This is done By gradually reducing or stopping use of Table salt when cooking food at home.

Other sources of High sodium are Highly Processed Foods such as Canned food like beans, Pilchards or meat, Hot dogs, Sausages etc. It is usually hard to taste the amount of sodium added because they usually add other artificial flavors which mask the taste of salt. It is better to avoid or reduce canned and processed food when living with High BP. Instead it is better to cook food at home from start and eat more fresh veggies and fruit.

2. Choose Healthy Fats

Fat circulate in the Blood in different forms and has different effects. It is Called Cholesterol in the Blood, that’s where you hear of ”good Cholesterol” and ”bad Cholesterol”. Bad Cholesterol (Saturated fat) is not good in large quantities because it sticks to the walls of Blood vessels and cause Increase in BP, later it causes complete block of the arteries which leads to Heart attack (MI) or Stroke.

Saturated fat (bad Cholesterol) should be avoided at all cost. It is found in foods that become solid at room Temperature such as Margarine/Butter, Animal fat including chicken skin fat. To make it easier to identify, any fat that becomes solid at room temperature is probably  Saturated fat.

You should stick to Unsaturated fats like Sunflower oil or Olive Oil. Chicken skin should be removed on the meat and fat on other meats should be avoided. This means no KFC or McDonald’s if you have high BP. Eating lot of fat is also bad as it causes other health issues like Obesity.

3. Weight Management

Weight management is also very important because it plays a big role in BP elevation. Hypertension is linked with high BMI or obesity. The general rule of thumb is that BMI should be less than 25. This means a person who is hypertensive should avoid eating too large meals and also combine the above changes with exercise.

Exercise can be of any kind, but if you ask for my advice the best way to exercise is to run or brisk walk depending on your BMI, age as well as weight. The exercise in whatever form should be about 40 minutes and 3 times a week minimum. One thing to remember, no one is too fat or too old to exercise.

Conclusion on Diet for Hypertension

Diet plays a huge role in lowering high BP when you combined it with exercise and cessation of smoking.

It is important to note that diet for hypertension does not only help in hypertension but also your overall health even if you do not have high blood pressure.

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