By making these 10 lifestyle changes, you can lower your blood
pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.
By Mayo Clinic staff
If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure (a systolic pressure
— the top number — of 140 or above or a diastolic pressure — the
bottom number — of 90 or above), you might be worried about taking
medication to bring your numbers down.
Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood
pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a
healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delayor reduce the need for
medication.
Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood
pressure and keep it down.
1. Lose extra pounds andwatch your waistline
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Losing just 10
pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help reduce your blood pressure. In
general, the moreweight you lose, the lower your blood pressure.
Losing weight also makes any blood pressure medications you're taking
more effective. You andyour doctor can determine your target weight
and the best way to achieve it.
Besides shedding pounds, youshould also keep an eye on your waistline.
Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk
of high blood pressure. Ingeneral:
Men are at risk if their waistmeasurement is greater than 40 inches
(102 centimeters, orcm).
Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 cm).
Asian men are at risk if theirwaist measurement is greater than 36
inches (91 cm).
Asian women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 32
inches (81 cm).
2. Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity — at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the
week — can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9millimeters of mercury
(mm Hg).And it doesn't take long to seea difference. If you haven't
been active, increasing your exercise level can lower your blood
pressure within just a few weeks.
If you have prehypertension — systolic pressure between 120 and 139 or
diastolic pressure between 80 and 89 — exercise can help you avoid
developing full-blown hypertension. If you already have hypertension,
regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer
levels.
Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program. Your doctor
can helpdetermine whether you need any exercise restrictions. Even
moderate activity for 10 minutes at a time, such as walking and light
strength training, can help.
But avoid being a "weekend warrior." Trying to squeeze all your
exercise in on the weekends to make up for weekday inactivity isn't a
good strategy. Those sudden bursts of activity could actually be
risky.
3. Eat a healthy diet
Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and
low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can
lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg. This eating plan is known
as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It isn't easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you
can adopt a healthy diet:
Keep a food diary.Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can
shed surprising light on your true eating habits. Monitor what you
eat, how much, whenand why.
Consider boosting potassium.Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium
on blood pressure. The best source of potassium is food, such as
fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements. Talk to your doctor
about the potassium level that's best for you.
Be a smart shopper.Make a shopping list before heading to the
supermarket toavoid picking up junk food. Read food labels when you
shop and stick to your healthy-eating plan when you're dining out,
too.
Cut yourself some slack.Although the DASH diet is a lifelong eating
guide, it doesn't mean you have to cut out all of the foods you love.
It's OK to treat yourself occasionally to foods you wouldn't find on a
DASH diet menu, such as a candy bar or mashed potatoes with gravy.
4. Reduce sodium in yourdiet
Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduceblood
pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. The recommendations for reducing sodium are:
Limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less.
A lower sodium level — 1,500 mg a day or less — is appropriate for
people 51 years of age or older, and individuals of any age who are
African-American or who have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic
kidney disease.
To decrease sodium in your diet, consider these tips:
Track how much salt is in your diet.Keep a food diary to estimate how
much sodium is in what you eat and drink each day.
Read food labels.If possible, choose low-sodium alternatives of the
foods and beverages you normally buy.
Eat fewer processed foods.Potato chips, frozen dinners, bacon and
processedlunch meats are high in sodium.
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pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.
By Mayo Clinic staff
If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure (a systolic pressure
— the top number — of 140 or above or a diastolic pressure — the
bottom number — of 90 or above), you might be worried about taking
medication to bring your numbers down.
Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood
pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a
healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delayor reduce the need for
medication.
Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood
pressure and keep it down.
1. Lose extra pounds andwatch your waistline
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Losing just 10
pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help reduce your blood pressure. In
general, the moreweight you lose, the lower your blood pressure.
Losing weight also makes any blood pressure medications you're taking
more effective. You andyour doctor can determine your target weight
and the best way to achieve it.
Besides shedding pounds, youshould also keep an eye on your waistline.
Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk
of high blood pressure. Ingeneral:
Men are at risk if their waistmeasurement is greater than 40 inches
(102 centimeters, orcm).
Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 cm).
Asian men are at risk if theirwaist measurement is greater than 36
inches (91 cm).
Asian women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 32
inches (81 cm).
2. Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity — at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the
week — can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9millimeters of mercury
(mm Hg).And it doesn't take long to seea difference. If you haven't
been active, increasing your exercise level can lower your blood
pressure within just a few weeks.
If you have prehypertension — systolic pressure between 120 and 139 or
diastolic pressure between 80 and 89 — exercise can help you avoid
developing full-blown hypertension. If you already have hypertension,
regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer
levels.
Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program. Your doctor
can helpdetermine whether you need any exercise restrictions. Even
moderate activity for 10 minutes at a time, such as walking and light
strength training, can help.
But avoid being a "weekend warrior." Trying to squeeze all your
exercise in on the weekends to make up for weekday inactivity isn't a
good strategy. Those sudden bursts of activity could actually be
risky.
3. Eat a healthy diet
Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and
low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can
lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg. This eating plan is known
as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It isn't easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you
can adopt a healthy diet:
Keep a food diary.Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can
shed surprising light on your true eating habits. Monitor what you
eat, how much, whenand why.
Consider boosting potassium.Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium
on blood pressure. The best source of potassium is food, such as
fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements. Talk to your doctor
about the potassium level that's best for you.
Be a smart shopper.Make a shopping list before heading to the
supermarket toavoid picking up junk food. Read food labels when you
shop and stick to your healthy-eating plan when you're dining out,
too.
Cut yourself some slack.Although the DASH diet is a lifelong eating
guide, it doesn't mean you have to cut out all of the foods you love.
It's OK to treat yourself occasionally to foods you wouldn't find on a
DASH diet menu, such as a candy bar or mashed potatoes with gravy.
4. Reduce sodium in yourdiet
Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduceblood
pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. The recommendations for reducing sodium are:
Limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less.
A lower sodium level — 1,500 mg a day or less — is appropriate for
people 51 years of age or older, and individuals of any age who are
African-American or who have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic
kidney disease.
To decrease sodium in your diet, consider these tips:
Track how much salt is in your diet.Keep a food diary to estimate how
much sodium is in what you eat and drink each day.
Read food labels.If possible, choose low-sodium alternatives of the
foods and beverages you normally buy.
Eat fewer processed foods.Potato chips, frozen dinners, bacon and
processedlunch meats are high in sodium.
Ad: Free Recharge to Your Mobile, get it www.talkitives.tk/registration_0.xhtml