Foods and Lifestyle Changes For Controlling High Blood Pressure / Hypertension

High blood pressure, medically termed as Hypertension, is a serious health ailment that has been affecting people worldwide. If not treated timely can increase the risk of heart attacks , strokes, diabetes , heart failure, vision loss or metabolic syndrome.

While medications and pills are available, they may cause side effects like insomnia , leg cramps, anxiety and dizziness. Fortunately, naturopathy and lifestyle changes have greatly aided in lowering high blood pressure.

The below methods are helpful in keeping hypertension at bay.

1.Weight loss – Having excess body weight puts pressure on the walls of the artery. Thus , obesity is directly proportional to hypertension and any increase in weight can be dangerous. So first and foremost ,we need to keep a check on weight . Few tips on weight reduction panacea ,are given in the link below.

Techniques to reduce weight

2.Reduce Sodium or salts intake – Too much salts or sodium causes water retention , which raises the blood pressure. Hypertension can be reduced to a great extent , if sodium intake is reduced or limited.

3. Cocoa Extract / Chocolates – Cocoa extract or dark chocolates are enriched with flavanols , which may slightly lower the blood pressure in hypertensive people or pre-hypertensive people. However, it should be consumed in limited amounts because of the caffeine or high sugar content.

4.Go for Garlic – Garlics which are used for the treatment of various ailments ,also have found to be an effective remedy for high blood pressure .This is due to the presence of allicin -a sulfur compound.However , it is better to take in tablet form since allicin is a very unstable compound and degenerates in acidic environment ,if kept for longer duration.

5. Exercise Regularly – A regular involvement in a physical activity or any form of exercise, has shown remarkable results in getting blood pressure back to normal.
The best types of exercise for lowering blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Strength training also can help reduce blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program.

6. Boost potassium levels in food – Increase in the potassium levels can decrease the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Potassium rich sources are fruits and vegetables. Supplements are not essential.
So these are the few simple techniques, which can really help in combating with hypertension.

Pleae revert in case of any concerns .

Take care & stay fit.
Wishes.spardha ☺