Friday, October 28, 2011

Lower Your Blood Pressure With These Simple Steps

By Frank Woods


Unfortunately, high blood pressure is something many people suffer from, often not even knowing they do. Often, people are told that changes in their diet and exercise habits are enough to control blood pressure, without the use of medication. This is especially helpful for people with mild to moderate blood pressure levels.

Reducing your sodium intake is one of the most important factors in reducing your blood pressure level. Many patients who have problems with high blood pressure report a reduction of their blood pressure in contingency to their lower intake of sodium. It is certainly necessary to do some research on which foods are high in sodium and either reduce them or eliminate them completely.

Fruits, vegetables and some grains provide the necessary intake of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Some research suggests that people who consume a high amount of these foods and a low amount of fat, can better manage their blood pressure, at least a little.

If you eat a healthy diet and get the right amount of exercise, your results will be even more marked. It helps to prevent and to control hypertension, and it is said that people who are active in exercise have lower death rates than their sedentary counterparts, even when they have the same blood pressure. An added bonus is that studies suggest that exercise not only reduces the risk for cardiovascular and other diseases, but can help prevent obesity, which is another high blood pressure risk factor.

Exercise is considered part of the foundation of successful behavioral change programs. One of the benefits of exercise is that it makes people feel good about themselves overall, and it reduces stress.

Adopting a healthy diet and exercising are the founding stones for reducing blood pressure. However, there are a few other things you should pay attention to. Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake can make an extreme difference. The best thing to do is to drink these beverages in moderation or to avoid them altogether. Giving up smoking can make a difference, too. These are not simple steps. You may find that you cannot simply give these things up. It might take you several months to fully give up these behaviors successfully.

Reducing stress is another highly important factor in reducing your blood pressure. This is certainly a challenging goal, but your whole life can benefit from it. If you don't seem to be able to get on top of it on your own, taking a stress management class can help.

Most of us know about the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise to reduce blood pressure, but it is always a sensible idea to consult your doctor before you reduce your intake of medication, or if you decide to undergo any changes in your lifestyle.




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