Tips for Outsmarting High Blood Pressure

I realized the other day as I talking with a friend over coffee... that I was becoming older. Not many people of the two generations after me know what a kazoo is. We also realized that all our conversations start with the queries about each of our parent's heath. At the end of our meeting, we watched as two more women, approximately a generation behind us came in to order. One was very animated... and not in a positive way. I simply mentioned that I was concerned for her blood pressure. My friend and I looked at one another, smiled, then out and out laughed... yes, we had become older somehow... and were now concerned with proper health management. (Remember being young and health worries never entered your mind?)

Yes, we are becoming older.

What can we do about that?

Well, if you are similar to my friend and I, we initiated a conversation about ways we knew or actions we have taken to make sure our blood pressure remains normal. You know, more than just less salt intake... though both of us have switched to sea salt in our homes. (We had the rapt attention of all the people our age and older...)

Tips for outsmarting high blood pressure- tea for two

Drink tea. Something so simple can pack a wallop against high blood pressure. I drink two cups daily of green tea. It can reduce inflammation in blood vessels; therefore, blood pressure related problems are lowered. You can also choose to drink black or oolong tea, of green tea is not to your liking. I also gave some to my father (a hard-core coffee loving octogenarian)... he has been drinking one cup daily for three months now. See it is never too late to learn new things and try something new.

Tips for outsmarting high blood pressure- better sleep

Wear earplugs to bed. Beings awakened several times throughout the night by street sounds (this is mostly geared to those of us residing in cities) can cause an increase in our stress hormone, cortisol, which, in turn, can lead to a spike in our blood pressure.

Tough we may be able to simply turn over, and fall right back into sleep, the hormone could already have spiked our blood pressure.

We can also get more sleep, as a way to alleviate or prevent high blood pressure. Consistently getting six or less hours of sleep a night can be taxing on our heart...increasing the risk for us to develop hypertension. Turn in earlier and sleep in a little later.

Tips for outsmarting high blood pressure- pantry smarts

Do you know two things you most probably have in your pantry right now that can help stave off the development of hypertension? Olive oil and garlic. Olive leaves contain oleuropein reduces pressure by relaxing blood vessels. Garlic also can relax blood vessels due to its antioxidant, allicin. If you do not have either of those in your pantry, your local health food store will have them in supplement form.

Tips for outsmarting high blood pressure- being the age that we are right now

Drinking a glass of red wine, for enjoyment, not intoxication, can also aid in reducing high blood pressure. One glass can help blood vessels expend, therein, reducing pressure. However, regular consumption of more than one glass can cause the blood vessels to harden, creating high blood pressure.

Go ahead, meet with your friends, and share this info... over tea or a glass of wine.