Nutritional Requirements for High Blood Pressure Treatment

It is very much sure that 90 % of people don’t keep the basic understanding of Blood Pressure; they just get panic, if BP measurement on doctor’s table comes high, and then gains sympathy by themselves and starts realizing that they are not well and will start taking tablets prescribed by the doctor. In routine if they might be forgetting some important things but now taking BP medicine they will not forget. (Hypertension Diet) This happens only because they never try to make themselves aware with the factual knowledge. Only change in the lifestyle is required not the medicine

First of all let us understand what blood pressure is and how it is linked to hypertension. Everyone knows we have a small heart in the chest on the left side of our body. Heart contracts and expands. When it contracts (Systolic pressure) gives pure blood to all parts of the body through arteries and when expands (Diastolic pressure) brings in entire impure blood from all parts of the body through veins to the heart for purification. Normal pressure of the blood is 120/80. Upper (120) is systolic pressure and lower (80) is diastolic pressure. The basic Understanding is important and could save our life.

• A systolic pressure less than 120 is normal.
• A reading of 120-129 is elevated.
• A reading 130-139 leads to stage 1 high blood pressure (also called hypertension).
• A reading of 140 or more leads to stage 2 hypertension.
• Finally a reading of 180 or more is a hypertensive crisis.
• One should immediately call 911 for hypertensive crisis.

So, High blood pressure is not a disease but an alarm to set the system of the body right. High blood pressure leads to many dangerous diseases like, paralysis, Kidney failure, heart diseases, anemia, eye defects, cognitive problems sleeplessness etc.

These days due to stressful life and unhealthy eating practice more and more people are coming into the category of high blood pressure patient. One in three Indians is getting affected by it. If this will continue then in near future it could be one on one. As it affects health silently without giving any major indication, so is also called silent killer. Our heart keeps on working up to 75% of its blockage, but with a pain. It gives us a sudden surprise when the condition gets worsened more. For this it is always better to prevent from it.

So, it is always advised to keep checking BP reading regularly even if one is young.

High blood pressure can often be prohibited or reduced by eating healthy food; maintaining a normal weight, doing regular exercises, drinking alcohol in moderation, if one is in habit of taking it and no smoking.

Hypertension Diet to keep away High Blood Pressure

Doctors often recommend for DASH diet to lower high blood pressure.

The Dash Diet

DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension” Trusted Source diet. One has to reduce intake of fat, sodium, and alcohol. Then following the DASH diet for two weeks can positively lower the systolic blood pressure.

Serving Suggestions for the DASH Diet Include:

Foods	Serving per day
sodium	Should not exceed 2,300 mg on a traditional diet or 1,500 mg on a low-sodium diet
dairy (low-fat)	2 to 3
healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil, ghee)	2 to 3
vegetables	4 to 5
fruit	4 to 5
nuts, seeds, and legumes	4 to 5
lean meat, poultry, and fish	6
whole grains	6 to 8

One can make gradual changes. Say, start by limiting to 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day (about 1 teaspoon). Once the body has adjusted to this salt intake, cut back to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day (about 2/3 teaspoon).

In general, one should eat more low-fat protein sources, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

• Cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and Trans fats
• One should eat more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods
• One should eat more  of whole-grain foods, fish, poultry, and nuts
• Cut down sodium, sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats

In research studies, it was found that people who were on the DASH diet lowered their blood pressure within 2 weeks.

Hypertension Diet Tips

• It is always good to have one serving of vegetables at lunch and one serving at dinner.
• One serving of fruit to one’s meals or can take as a snack. Preserved fruits are easy to use, but one must check that they don’t contain added sugar.
• Use only half the typical serving of butter, margarine, or salad dressing, and use low-fat or fat-free condiments.
• Drink low-fat or skim dairy products any time one would normally use full-fat or cream.
• Limit meat to 6 ounces a day. Make some meals vegetarian.
• Add more vegetables and dry beans to the diet.
• One can eat unsalted pretzels or nuts, and fat-free yogurt, frozen yogurt, unsalted plain popcorn with no butter, raisins, low-fat and raw vegetables if felt like having snacks on chips or sweets.
• Always check food labels to select products which are lower in sodium.

Hypertension Diet 1 the DASH Diet

• Grains: 7-8 daily servings
• Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings
• Fruits: 4-5 daily servings
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings

How Much Is a Serving?

When one is trying to follow a healthy eating plan, it helps to know how much of a certain kind of food is considered a “serving.” One serving is:

• 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta
• 1 slice bread
• 1 cup raw vegetables or fruit
• 1/2 cup cooked veggies or fruit
• 8 ounces of milk
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil (or any other oil)
• 3 ounces cooked meat
• 3 ounces tofu

Hypertension Diet 2 Lose weight

• One should lose weight as being overweight forces heart to work harder to pump blood around the body, which can raise our blood pressure.
• One can find out from the BMI healthy weight calculator how much one has to lose weight.
• If one needs to lose some weight, it’s worth remembering that just losing a few pounds will make a big difference to one’s blood pressure and overall health.

Tips on losing weight safely

Hypertension Diet 3 Be Active

• Being active and taking regular exercises lowers blood pressure by keeping one’s heart and blood vessels in good condition.
• Regular exercise can also help one to lose weight, which will also help lower the blood pressure.
• Adults should exercise at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.
• If not aerobics then one can do physical activity which can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.

Hypertension Diet 4 Drinks

• Cut down on caffeine
• Drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day may increase one’s blood pressure.
• If one is a big fan of coffee, tea or other caffeine-rich drinks, such as cola and some energy drinks, do cut down.
• Its fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet, but it’s important that these drinks are not the main or only source of fluid.

Hypertension Diet 5 No Smoking

• Stop smoking
• Smoking does not directly cause high blood pressure, but it puts one at much higher risk of a heart attack and stroke.
• Smoking, like high blood pressure, will cause arteries to narrow.
• If one smoke in high blood pressure, the arteries will narrow much more quickly, and the risk of heart or lung disease in the future will be increased.

Hypertension Diet 6 Good Sleep

• Take a good night’s sleep with peaceful environment
• Sleep deprivation will be leading to rise in blood pressure and an increased risk of hypertension.
• Try to take at least 6 hours of sleep at night.
• One can also read various health related books to learn which foods can help one to fight hypertension.

Always it is advisable to consult your doctor before implementing the above suggestions.

“DASH Diet Is the Best Hypertension Diet for Hypertension Sufferers”