To lower blood pressure and thus fight hypertension, it is essential to lead a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle. High blood pressure is dangerous. The heart is forced to make a greater effort to pump blood to the rest of the body and this can affect the appearance of various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic kidney disease and other disorders such as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. In addition to taking medications prescribed by your doctor, there are a number of natural ways to lower blood pressure, such as exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and decreasing sodium consumption.
Steps
Part 1 of 6: Brief Overview
Step 1. Reduce your sodium intake
You should take less than 2300 mg per day, preferably staying below the 1500 mg threshold. You can take simple steps to immediately limit sodium use:
- Don't use salt. When you can, try to season the dishes yourself;
- Avoid industrial and prepackaged products. Fast food foods are also notoriously high in sodium;
- Buy products with no added sodium. Many canned foods and vegetables contain sodium to keep them fresh longer.
Step 2. Run, bike, swim, or exercise for an hour a day 3-5 times a week
Regular sports are essential for keeping blood pressure under control. Since your goal should be to get your heart rate up for the duration of your workout, look for an activity that makes you sweat and makes breathing difficult. Even a long daily walk is enough to lower your blood pressure.
- Train with someone. By motivating each other, you will encourage each other to play sports regularly;
- If possible, take the stairs. Use the lawn mower in the garden, try to work standing up or use a workstation that favors physical activity, and generally try to incorporate physical activity into your daily life.
Step 3. Make some moments of relaxation every day
Anxiety increases the pressure. Stress has a profound effect on your health, so you need to find ways to unwind once you get home, when you are most likely to relax.
- Carve out 15-30 minutes each day for yourself. Close the door, turn off your cell phone and engage in an activity in perfect solitude.
- Read a good book or listen to some music before bed. Before falling asleep, take some time to free yourself from any distraction and tension.
- Learn to say no to new responsibilities.
- Make use of your vacation days so you will be happier and more productive in the long run.
Step 4. Eat healthy with every meal and limit your portions
A correct diet includes the consumption of lean meats (such as chicken, turkey and fish), a large variety of complex carbohydrates (such as oats, quinoa and wholemeal flour), lots of fruit and vegetables. Sodium can be eliminated easily, helping to lower blood pressure and improving your physical fitness in general.
- Wait 10-15 minutes before serving larger amounts of food. The body needs time to process the sense of satiety, therefore it often happens that a person continues to eat even when in reality he is not hungry.
- Try to consume at least one serving of fruit and / or vegetables per meal. Potassium and magnesium, found in many naturally occurring foods, help lower blood pressure.
- Go for healthy snacks, for example, eat hummus, fruit, carrots, low-sodium crackers, and yogurt. It is precisely the snacks that make most people "sgarare".
Part 2 of 6: Reduce Your Sodium Consumption
Step 1. Aim to get less than 1500 mg of sodium per day
This won't always be possible, but in general, you shouldn't consume more than 2300 mg per day.
- Table salt has a sodium content of 40%, equivalent to about half a teaspoon of salt;
- Try to avoid foods with a sodium content greater than 200 mg per serving;
- Generally industrial foods that have a long shelf life have a higher sodium content than fresh or plant-based foods.
Step 2. Prefer spices to flavor foods
If in the kitchen you open the doors to new flavors, you can reduce the consumption of salt and condiments characterized by a high concentration of sodium. Here are some examples of low sodium alternatives:
- Herbs: basil, bay leaf, coriander, dill, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon and marjoram;
- Spices: cinnamon, cloves, curry, ginger, mace and nutmeg;
- Seasonings: chives, garlic, lemon, dried or diced onion and vinegar.
Step 3. Choose foods whose labels indicate that they are low in sodium
However, don't blindly trust what's on the package. For example, a low sodium product does not necessarily mean that it contains little, but it is possible that it has less than before. Here is a list of some phrases typically found on packaging and their interpretation:
- Sodium-free or salt-free: each serving contains a maximum of 5 mg of sodium;
- Very low sodium content: each serving contains 6-35 mg of sodium;
- Low in sodium: each serving contains 36-140 mg of sodium;
- Limited sodium content: each serving contains a quantity of sodium equal to 50% of that found in the normal package. However, some of these products may have high amounts of sodium.
- Less sodium: each serving contains an amount of sodium equivalent to 75% compared to the regular version.
- No salt or no added salt: no salt has been added when processing a food that normally contains it. However, some of these products may be high in sodium.
Step 4. Replace high-sodium foods with healthier alternatives
You will often find that low sodium versions of certain foods do not alter the flavor, texture, or shelf life of a product. For example, canned peas can be easily substituted for frozen peas in most recipes, yet the former contain 3 times more sodium than the latter.
- In general, foods of industrial origin contain more sodium than fresh ones;
- Foods that last longer usually contain higher amounts of sodium than the short-shelf variants;
- Restaurants rarely know the exact amounts of sodium or salt in a dish. Do some research to find out how a dish is prepared or find out about the sodium content of each ingredient.
Step 5. Look for healthy snack alternatives
Snacks, especially salty ones, are bitter enemies of low-sodium diets. If you like snacking, try products containing less sodium or reproduce the healthy version of your favorite snacks.
- Incorporate fruit and vegetables. If you like crunchy foods, try munching on carrots. If you have a sweet tooth, eat apples or plums.
- Try some healthy but tasty snacks. For example, frozen berries are great in the summer, especially with yogurt.
- Try the salt-free versions or make your own snack. For example, unsalted nuts are readily available. Homemade popcorn with no added salt has a significantly lower sodium content than packaged popcorn.
Step 6. Gradually reduce your sodium intake
Changing is a slow process and the results are not immediate. Changing your lifestyle takes a lot of time and patience. The key is to have attainable and realistic expectations. Go at a pace that makes you feel safe.
- Eliminate one food at a time. If you eat a diet rich in salt and sodium, it will take a couple of weeks to switch to a healthy diet. Plus, it will likely be months before you can fully get used to and feel truly satisfied with these changes.
- Keep cravings in check. If you eliminate too many foods in a short time or stop consuming a food that your body is used to, you will probably end up with irresistible cravings. Try eating a healthier version. If absolutely necessary, allow yourself a portion of a reasonable size to satisfy the desire.
Part 3 of 6: Eating Properly
Step 1. Take 4800 mg of potassium per day
This substance counteracts the effects of sodium. Choose foods that are rich in them, such as fruits and vegetables, or take vitamin and mineral supplements. Here are some examples of foods that contain potassium:
- Bananas: 422 mg;
- Baked potatoes with peel: 738 mg;
- Orange juice: 496 mg;
- Low-fat yogurt: 540 mg.
Step 2. Get more vitamin D
According to research, people with higher vitamin D levels tend to have lower blood pressure. Increase your consumption by doing the following:
- Get out in the sun. The sun's rays allow you to fill up on vitamin D. Exposing yourself for 20-25 minutes a day can bring numerous benefits.
- Eat fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna, or eel. Fish is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for good heart health.
- Eat milk and dairy products such as skimmed yogurt. However, avoid cheese, which is high in fat and sodium.
Step 3. Consume less caffeine
People who rarely take this substance may experience an increase in blood pressure, especially in the case of hypertension. Caffeine contributes to hardening of the arteries, so the heart will have to make more effort to pump blood and the pressure will go up.
- To find out if caffeine affects your blood pressure, sip a drink that contains caffeine and measure your blood pressure within 30 minutes. If it has experienced an increase of 5 to 10 mmHg, then it is likely that caffeine is to blame. Check with your doctor to confirm this.
- Although most researchers believe that coffee raises blood pressure, other studies have shown that limiting caffeine consumption (if it is taken regularly) does not lower it.
Step 4. Drink less alcohol
In small quantities it can lower blood pressure. However, excessive consumption can cause it to rise and reduce the effectiveness of many medicines.
- Alcohol consumption is subjective. Ask your doctor for clarification;
- Go for low-sodium, low-salt spirits.
Step 5. Avoid smoking
Smoking a cigarette increases blood pressure for a few minutes, not to mention that it harms health in general. If you smoke, it will be more difficult to maintain good physical shape and your blood pressure will go up. Many people smoke to control stress, so it is important to find an alternative to combat it.
- Cigarette smoking can lead to health complications that will further affect your stress and negatively affect your lifestyle.
- Cigarettes cost. Smoking can also cause financial stress if you are on a tight budget.
- In some cultures and cities, cigarette smoking is marked by social disapproval. Being rejected or excluded by friends or co-workers for this reason can be stressful.
Step 6. Keep a food diary:
it is useful for becoming more aware of what you eat. Write down the type of food you consume and its quantities. You will probably have several surprises. For example, you may find that you eat too little or too much of a certain food.
- List everything you eat, quantities and times included;
- Once you have noted everything you eat for about a week, re-read the diary to see if you are satisfied with your diet;
- If you think you need to exclude certain meals, snacks, or foods, do it without thinking;
- Update it constantly and use it as a source of information about your diet.
Part 4 of 6: Training to Achieve the Ideal Weight
Step 1. Develop a training schedule with the help of a doctor
You should plan for workouts that match your specific lifestyle, schedule, and health status. It is important to have a realistic schedule: if you stop exercising, your blood pressure will go up again.
- A doctor can tell you your ideal weight so you can have a goal to work on. Being overweight can put even more strain on the heart and blood vessels, so losing weight helps maintain and control blood pressure.
- Don't throw in the towel. It may help to imagine that playing sports is like taking a medicine: if your doctor has told you to walk for a certain amount of time, observe the prescription, just as if you were to take a pill at a certain time.
- Be honest about your schedule, lifestyle, and why you want to lose weight. Do you really have time to walk 40 minutes a day? Can you afford to join the gym? If not, there are plenty of alternatives to keep moving while having little money, time and space. Talk to your doctor about what strategies have been effective with other patients.
Step 2. Take care of the housework
You may not have noticed it before, but daily home care is a great way to keep yourself moving. Most household chores can help you get a decent amount of physical activity. Here are some examples:
- Do the laundry. Carrying baskets full of clothes from room to room, walking around the house and standing are all actions that allow you to exercise the body, even if only slightly.
- Sweep and wash the floor. In addition to making you walk, these actions allow you to push a weight with your arms.
- Do some work in the garden or in the yard, such as planting, raking leaves, picking up fallen branches, or pulling weeds.
- Wash the car. This activity requires arm strength and stamina.
- Move the furniture. Maybe you want to renovate a room or dust under the sofa. Just try to be careful when moving heavy objects to avoid injury.
- Wash the dishes by hand. It doesn't allow you to burn a lot of calories, but it's still better than nothing. Loading and unloading the dishwasher can also be considered good exercise.
Step 3. Do fun activities with other people, such as friends, family or groups
Exercise can be much more fun and rewarding this way.
- Try joining a group or team. For example, boot camp sessions, yoga, walking or jogging are regularly organized in various parks. You will get to know people who have similar goals and who will motivate you to keep moving.
- Try to play sports with a friend. Many people manage to be more consistent when joining forces with others. Try to find someone who is willing to play sports at about the same time and pace as you are.
Step 4. Move on foot
When you can, try to get to a place by walking, running or cycling, instead avoid taking the car, the elevator or the escalators.
Just make small changes, like taking the stairs rather than the elevator to the office, to avoid putting on weight
Step 5. Unleash your creativity
Physical activity isn't just limited to walking or running - there are practically endless ways to train. Sign up for a dance or aerobics class, join a team, start doing yoga and Pilates at home. If you haven't figured out the right workout and program for you yet, take a look online or at a local fitness center and ask friends and family for suggestions. Sooner or later you will find the perfect exercise for you, but it takes some time to figure out what actually works for you.
For example, instead of going to the gym you can work out on the playground. You could practice climbing the slides, using the climbing frames or climbing the various platforms. Just make sure you don't bother playing children. Take advantage of it early in the morning, during school hours or late in the evening, in short, when it is difficult to find children in the park
Part 5 of 6: Controlling Stress
Step 1. Get help
Changing your lifestyle is difficult and time-consuming, so trying to lower your blood pressure can be stressful. However, tension does affect blood pressure, so it's important to ask for help when you need it. Support from friends, family, workplace and living space can be effective in managing stress and pressure.
- Ask for help from friends and family. To be successful you need the support of others. Eating healthy and exercising can become enjoyable activities to share with other people. Also, the support and encouragement of others can help you fight stress. This will also allow you to strengthen the relationship with whoever you have decided to share your new lifestyle.
- Join a support group. Many groups create contacts between participants affected by the same problem. Ask your doctor if he knows anyone in the area.
- Get help from a professional. Changes affecting health, social interactions and lifestyle can sometimes be very difficult. If necessary, get in touch with a psychologist or psychotherapist.
Step 2. Learn to be grateful
Expressing gratitude can help fight stress. Many believe that there is a correlation between conscious gratitude and lessening of stress.
- Think about three things each day that you are grateful for. You can do this before bedtime, at dinner time, or in the middle of the day. You can say it out loud and share it with others or just do it mentally.
- Thank people. If someone does something nice for you, expressing gratitude will do both of you good.
- Remind your loved ones why you love them. Showing others that you care and that you feel grateful to have them in your life can help you fight tension. Also, your loved ones are likely to respond positively, making the relationship less stressful.
Step 3. Find out the causes of stress
The factors that trigger stress are subjective. For some people it is useful to recognize in advance the events, things or individuals that cause tension (these variables are also called "stress triggers") and to distance themselves.
- List times when you feel stressed or things that stress you out.
- Identify factors that recur or have a particular impact, such as "my mother-in-law" or "when 10 pm comes and the sink is still full of dirty dishes".
- Determine how you prefer to handle these situations to avoid stressing yourself. People often find it helpful to think of a reason or tactic to get away from the source of stress, or they try to find a way to express to others the stress they face in a given situation.
- Try to recognize when stressful moments occur, such as watching for certain red flags. You need to learn to predict stress and take action to prevent it from taking over. For example, if you get stressed out when you have to wash dishes late at night, you can avoid this triggering factor by deciding to take care of it as soon as you get home. Alternatively, you can ask the people who live with you for help.
Step 4. Take some time to relax
It is easy to end up overloading with commitments and demanding too much of yourself. If you don't take the time to unplug, you risk stressing yourself out even more. Make sure you take breaks throughout the day to keep stress and pressure under control.
- Engage in a calming activity that you like, such as reading, watching television, doing yoga, window shopping, walking, or doing a crossword puzzle.
- Abandon yourself to idleness. Many people find meditation and concentrated breathing relaxing. Some believe that meditating is also effective for keeping emotions and thoughts in check.
Step 5. Spend time with people who make you feel good
A person's social life greatly affects their psychophysical well-being. Spend time with the people you are good with to have fun and unwind. It doesn't matter what activity you do: being together with your friends helps you relax.
Being alone or trapped in a certain environment can limit one's perspective on the world. Opening up to new activities and visiting new places can offer new perspectives and ease stress
Part 6 of 6: Being Consistent
Step 1. Set yourself achievable goals
If you set yourself complex goals and fail to surpass them, you risk becoming discouraged. You can devise a workable plan and follow it consistently by letting yourself be helped by a doctor or other professional. Change it if your needs change over time.
People who decide to change their lifestyle or adopt new habits make a very common mistake, which is they expect to see great results right away. If those expectations are not met, they are overwhelmed with frustration. Think realistically about the changes you can make and the time frame in which you can make them. Whenever possible, mathematically calculate calories, sodium consumption, hours spent exercising or resting, and so on
Step 2. Look for a person who is willing to accompany you all the way
Eating is a deeply social activity, but sport can be too. Invite friends and family to make lifestyle changes with you to make the transition that much more feasible.
- While they may not want to eat the same foods or train in the same way, they can still support your decisions and encourage you to go to the gym or make certain choices at the dinner table.
- You can start by making changes that are workable for everyone involved. For example, it is much easier to supplement the consumption of fresh fruit than to eliminate a certain food. Another example: before inviting friends or family to go for a marathon or go to the gym, suggest short walks.
- Get help from people you trust and feel comfortable with. If the people who support you are optimistic, encourage you, and don't judge you, changing your lifestyle will be less stressful.
Step 3. Develop a contingency plan
Some people try to motivate themselves to adopt new habits by contracting with themselves to determine what to do if the plan fails. Under this agreement, failure to comply with the contract will result in punishment. In this way, they encourage themselves to do their best to avoid having to face negative consequences. Here are some tactics for integrating a contingency plan:
- Talk to a friend about your goals and ask them to make sure they accomplish them. In some cases, sharing your plans with someone is a good contingency plan. By sharing your achievements with another person, you take responsibility for them. In fact, you will feel compelled to honor your commitments. You will work hard to reach them and make her proud of you, without letting her down or losing face.
- Determine negative consequences to deal with if you fail to achieve your goals. For example, if you are a heavy smoker, you can decide to put some money in a jar every time you light a cigarette, and then donate it to a charity that helps people break this habit. You could also try saying to yourself, "I'm making a commitment to eat a healthy diet. If I cheat eating a bar of chocolate after dinner, I'll have to clean all the bathrooms in the house."
Step 4. Believe in your work
It is difficult to definitively adopt a new lifestyle or a new behavior and it is not possible to do it overnight. Often you have to be patient for months. There will be days when you don't feel like eating healthy or exercising. It is good to remember that even the little things matter. Working hard and having an honest relationship with your body will pay off in the future, although you may not see any immediate results.
- Remind yourself of your goals and the reasons why you do it;
- Ask friends and family to help you remember the rules and goals when you feel unmotivated;
- First make a list of the reasons you do this or the goals you hope to achieve. Read it again as soon as the motivation begins to wane.
Advice
- If you have any concerns about your health, talk to a doctor.
- Try to find a solution that is right for you. Remember that it is your body, your health and your life. The key to long-term behavior change is to find an effective program for your needs.
- Don't be discouraged by failures or mistakes. Everyone has occasional setbacks, the important thing is to be determined and keep pushing.
Warnings
- If you feel confused, dizzy or dizzy, call an ambulance.
- Hydrate yourself well and drink plenty of water.
- It is possible that the pressure is not lowered using only natural methods. Consult a doctor to find out if you need to take any medications.
