Naturally Controlling Your Blood Pressure Without Medication
Loose weight.
Even a weight loss of as little as 10 pounds will help significantly your lower blood pressure.
Daily exercise.
Daily exercise of at least 30 to 60 minutes, 5 to seven days per week, can lower your blood pressure reading by as much as 4 to 9 mm Hg. If you have a sedentary lifestyle you will see an improvement in you blood pressure in a very short time, often as little as a few weeks.
Talk to your doctor before you start any exercise regimen to make sure that you are healthy enough to exercise. He/She can also advise you on exercises that will be of benefit to lowering your blood pressure.
Reduce salt intake.
1 teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium, a healthy adult only needs between 1500 and 2400 mg of sodium per day. An individual with high blood pressure must lower their intake of salt, even a slight reduction in sodium can lower your blood pressure reading by 2 to 8 mm Hg.
Slowly cut back your salt consumption until your taste buds adjust. Reduce the amount of processed foods you eat, don't add salt during cooking, sprinkle on food sparingly before eating and check your food labels, even candy and soda contain sodium.
Don't smoke.
Not only does smoking cause lung cancer and birth defects, it raises blood pressure by as much as 10 mm Hg as well with each cigarette you smoke. This effect will last for an hour or more. If you smoke several times throughout the day you are keeping your blood pressure elevated.
Limit your alcohol intake.
Alcohol in small amounts can be beneficial to lowering your blood pressure reading. However, if you drink more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men alcohol can actually raise your blood pressure reading by several points.
If you are a heavy drinker lower your consumption gradually over time. Don't try to quit all at once as this can cause your blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels. Talk to your doctor for advice on how to quit safely.
Start a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
Eat foods such as whole grains, low fat dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables. Introduce foods to your diet that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. This change in eating habits can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg.
These simple lifestyle changes can help to significantly lower your blood pressure. Visit your doctor regularly to have your blood pressure monitored. With you blood pressure controlled, you are on your way to living a longer and healthier life.
sources: www.mayoclinic.com
www.diabetesmonitor.com
Published by Tfurby
Tommie Sandlin enjoys family life, the outdoors, and writing. She has been writing articles via the internet for almost four years. View profile
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