Dietary factors are crucial in keeping hypertension under control. Many a doctor have recommended the DASH that is dietary approach to stop hypertension. Research has shown that calories and body weight are in direct relation to one another. Excess body fat will lead to health problems and hypertension is one amongst them. Hypertension cannot be cured but it can be certainly controlled by using the right approach to one’s diet.
Therefore, one is recommended a vegetarian diet as far as possible. Fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and nuts are known to be laden with benefits but less of fat. On the other hand, animal products such as meats, eggs and dairy products are known to have harmful fats which are a cause of weight gain and hypertension.
A hypertensive person’s diet must be laden with potassium. Potassium is an important mineral in the controlling and maintaining of blood pressure within permissible limits. Potassium is available in abundance in several sources but the best and easy to get source is in bananas. A banana a day is bound to reduce your blood pressure.
People who do not have adequate amounts of calcium in their bodies are likely to develop a risk of hypertension. Gorge on calcium rich dairy products in the form of skimmed milk and yoghurt.
Monitor stringently the amount of salt that you partake. Try not to leave the salt dispenser on the dining table as unknowingly you might reach for it. The tongue and taste buds will get accustomed to food with either more or less salt. Salt has a direct correlation with your levels of blood pressure. The recommended amount of sodium is 1,100 to 3,300 mg per day. One tablespoon has about 2,000 mg of sodium.
If you were to look at the DASH diet it is laden with nuts, fruits and vegetables and also complex carbohydrates and low-fat dairy products. Include a lot of Omega 3 fish in your diet. It lets people know what they can eat in order to lose weight and hence reduce their blood pressure automatically. The diet is absolutely low in fats, saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium. On the other hand it is rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium.
The DASH diet informs one about the food group that is good for one and the daily servings that fall within acceptable limits.
This diet has proved to be highly effective in people who have tried it. It has lowered their hypertension considerably. The other things that one could try along with change in diet is stress management techniques, exercise and include more physical activity, If one were to do all of these then one wouldn’t have to fall back on the medication. Hypertension is a lifestyle disease and by keeping a check on these one can control it.
Cigarettes are known to increase one’s blood pressure for at least thirty minutes after one has smoked a cigarette. Same is the case with alcohol and caffeine. If these are had in excess then they have a direct relation to raised blood pressure levels.
Avoid all snacks and processed food as they are heavily laden with sodium and saturated fats.