The first thing, after the obvious matter of weight control, is diet. The first thing they look for in diet is sodium intake. While the debate is on as to whether sodium is as important as once thought in blood pressure control, in at least some people who are salt sensitive it does play a role. Most people have no idea how much sodium they really take in on a daily basis. This is because even if they do not add salt to their food, they are clueless to the amount of sodium in most of today’s packaged and convenience foods. It is an eye opening experience to realize this once you start investigating. There are some convenience foods that will supply you with over 9000mg of sodium in one sitting, and the daily limit is only set at around 2500mg. That is almost four times the daily limit in one fast food meal, and what person who eats like that really stops at one? Excess sodium causes the body to hold onto more water, and this increases blood volume and hence raises blood pressure. For basic health sake it is good to cut down on convenience, packaged, and fast foods. You will be getting less sodium, less cancer causing chemicals, and a general lack of nutrition which goes hand in hand with such false foods. Eat fresh food, learn how to cook and prepare food, and stop relying on corporate food giants to poison you. Stop being lazy when it comes to food and food preparation. You are not too busy to do this, and if you think you are, then I am here to tell you that you are not. Make the time because your health is worth it.
Along with healthier eating comes better nutrition. When you eat fresh fruits and produce, and use it in your food preparation, you will get more of the blood pressure regulating minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Not enough potassium can also result in excess sodium in the body. If you take in enough potassium then you might not have to watch sodium as much, but again if you are choosing healthy foods the overabundance of dietary sodium will naturally correct itself.
Supplementation with the minerals magnesium is also a safe way to try to lower blood pressure. Magnesium oxide is a good absorbable form, and please do not go over 400mg per day or you can end up with loose stools and intestinal discomfort. Remember that you also get magnesium in your food if you eat healthy, so you will be getting more than 400mg anyway. Do not worry about the amount you get from your food.
If you are not susceptible to overindulgence of alcoholic beverages, one 5 ounce glass of red wine with meals is perfectly acceptable. It can relax you and it provides polyphenols and antioxidants that relax blood vessels and contribute to heart and circulatory health. Remember more is not better and stick to one or two 5 ounce glasses per day that that is it. If the wine is aged then it contains ellagic acid from oak wood barrels, and this is also a potent antioxidant and blood vessel relaxer.
There are other things that many people will tell you helps lower blood pressure. These things range from adding more garlic to your diet to taking supplements or teas of hawthorn berries or nitric oxide. These things can help, but you should start with weight and diet management first, and add some light exercise like walking, and work from there. This is a sensible approach and it might save your life.
T.J. has been writing articles on many different subjects because his Bachelor of Arts degree imbued him with a love of knowledge in many different areas. His latest site, http://omronwristbloodpressuremonitordata.com discusses the benefit of owning an Omron wrist blood pressure monitor and getting your blood pressure back on track.
