Eat Your Way To Lower Blood Pressure

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In the United States today high blood pressure is at epidemic levels with more than 65 million people suffering from high blood pressure and another 45 million having a condition referred to as pre-hypertension. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease which heightens your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could very easily have it without any knowledge of it until it is too late.

Most of us know that if you quit smoking cigarettes that will help with your blood pressure. Of course there is also blood pressure medicine available that can help to lower blood pressure, but many of these have side effects and, even though some people may need to take medicine at least in the short term to control high blood pressure, a far better solution is to seek out some natural remedies for high blood pressure if you are able to.

For almost all of us high blood pressure is linked to weight and diet and this is a major problem today when nearly seventy percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. Additionally, most Americans get far too much salt in their diet and not enough of the many other beneficial minerals and vitamins which can actually reduce blood pressure. In a nutshell, it is possible to eat your way to a normal blood pressure and never have to use blood pressure medicine, if you know what to do.

Indeed, it is often possible to reduce your blood pressure quite quickly if you alter your diet and begin taking exercise. That said, if you've not been exercising for a long time you ought not to suddenly begin exercising vigorously and it is always prudent to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

To begin with though let us look at some things which you should avoid and top of the list comes salt. Salt is one of the main offenders in today's high blood pressure epidemic. Excessive dietary fat is also a culprit as it encourages weight gain, arteriosclerosis, and other difficulties which result in high blood pressure. Therefore, two things which you should avoid (or at least reduce) in your diet are salt and excess fat, particularly saturated or trans fats.

What types of food should you include in your diet to help lower your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the main substances which is missing in today's American diet and which is very beneficial for your blood pressure. Potassium helps lower blood pressure just as salt helps raise your blood pressure and so getting enough potassium in your diet can help stabilize blood pressure.

It's easy to get enough potassium in your diet by merely adding plenty of frozen or fresh vegetable and fruits, providing of course that they do not have any added salt or sugar. Although this could seem unappetizing to many people, it is an excellent way to make sure that you normalize your blood pressure. And of course, at the same time you also want to cut down on the salt to no more than the daily sodium intake recommended of about 2400 mg each day. An excellent way to do this is not to add any salt to your diet at all as natural unprocessed foods contain sufficient salt and, if you wish to add flavor to your food then simply try adding spices and herbs.

Magnesium and calcium are two other minerals that can help in lowering blood pressure. Both calcium and magnesium are considered to be calming minerals and the majority of Americans don't get enough of either in their diets. Dairy products which are low in fat are a good source of calcium as are nuts, legumes, and dark and leafy green vegetables. You ought to endeavor to get a balance of roughly two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods like soybeans, white beans and sesame seeds not only contain a lot of calcium and magnesium but they are also good sources of potassium.

Lastly, ensure that you drink enough water and also get sufficient fiber in your diet. Fiber helps to clear toxins and other unhealthy substances from your body and it can help you feel full so that you are not tempted to eat too much. If you try all these dieting ideas, it is likely that you will never need blood pressure medicine.