Table salt is 40% sodium by weight which equates to about ⅔ tsp of salt. Try to avoid foods with more than 200 mg of sodium per serving. Generally, processed foods with long shelf lives have a higher sodium content than fresh or plant-based foods. Use a food tracker, like MyFitnessPal, to log your sodium intake.
Limit your intake of fats and sweets.
Herbs: basil, bay leaf, cilantro, dill weed, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, tarragon, and marjoram. Spices: cinnamon, cloves, curry powder, ginger, mace, and nutmeg. Seasonings: chives, garlic, lemon, dried or chopped onions, nutritional yeast, and vinegar.
Sodium-free or salt-free: each serving contains 5 mg of sodium at most. Very-low sodium: each serving contains 6 to 35 mg sodium. Low sodium: each serving contains 36 to 140 mg sodium. Light or lite in sodium: each serving contains 50% of the regular version’s sodium quantity. Some of these products might still be high in sodium. Reduced or less sodium: each serving contains 75% of the regular version’s sodium quantity. Some of these products might still be high in sodium. Unsalted or no salt added: no salt has been added during the processing of a food that normally contains salt. Some of these products might still be high in sodium.
Generally, processed foods have more sodium than their fresh version. Generally, foods with long shelf lives have more sodium than their shorter-lived counterparts. Restaurants rarely know exactly how much sodium or salt is in a dish. Research how to make the dish yourself, or look up the sodium content of the ingredients.
Incorporate fruits and vegetables as snacks. If you like to munch on crunchy snacks, try eating carrots. If you like sweet snacks, try apples or plums. Try healthy snacks that are bursting with flavour. For example, frozen berries are great in the summer, especially in yogurt. Try the non-salty version of a snack, or make it at home. For example, nuts are often available unsalted. Similarly, popcorn made from scratch without salt has a much lower sodium count than popcorn bought from a store.
Cut out foods one at a time. If your diet is high in salt and sodium, it might take a couple of weeks to transition to a diet lower in salt and sodium, and maybe months before you are happy and used to these changes. Manage cravings. If you cut out too many foods too fast, or stop consuming a food your body is accustomed to, you will probably experience a craving for that food. Try to eat a healthier version of the food, but if needed, decide to eat a reasonably sized portion to satisfy your craving.
Raisins (1/2 cup): 618 mg Orange juice (1 cup): 496 mg Bananas: 422 mg Spinach (2 cups): 334 mg
Getting some sun. When your bare skin is exposed to sunlight, ultraviolet B rays help your body produce vitamin D. Eating fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna, or eel. Fish is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which is beneficial for your heart health. Eating dairy products that are fortified with vitamin D, like low-fat yogurt and milk. However, avoid cheese which is higher in fat and sodium.
To see if caffeine affects your blood pressure, drink a caffeinated beverage and check your blood pressure within 30 minutes. If your blood pressure has increased by 5 to 10 mmHg, then caffeine likely causes an increase in your blood pressure. Confirm this with your doctor.
Different people have different alcohol limits. Ask your doctor how much you should drink. Drink alcoholic drinks that are lower in sodium and salt than others.
Write down everything you eat, how much, and when you eat. After you have maintained this food diary for a week or so, review your entries and see if you are happy with what food you are eating. If there are any meals, snacks, or food items that you think you should cut out, do so. Keep up the food diary and use it as a source of information about your diet.
Your doctor will be able to give you a target weight and size for your body which can then be a goal to work towards. A body carrying extra weight puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels, so losing weight often helps you maintain and control your blood pressure. [17] X Trustworthy Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Research and education center within the National Institutes of Health Go to source Don’t quit. If it helps, think of your exercise like a prescription: The doctor ordered that you walk for X minutes just like the doctor might order you to take a pill. Be honest about your schedule, lifestyle, and motivations. Do you really have time to walk 40 minutes? Can you afford to subscribe to a gym membership? If not, there are many other ways to get active for free and that use little time and space. Ask if your doctor knows what other patients have found successful.
Doing the laundry. Carrying weighty baskets of clothes and walking around and standing up lightly exercises your body. Sweeping and mopping. You walk around while pushing a weight with your arms. Doing garden or yard work. Depending on the activity, you might be planting, raking the leaves, collecting branches, or pulling out stubborn weeds. Washing the car. Washing your car takes arm strength and endurance. Moving furniture. A room in your home might need a mini-makeover or you might need to clean the floor underneath the couch. However, be careful moving heavy objects and avoid harming your body. Doing the dishes by hand. Washing dishes while standing up doesn’t burn a lot of calories, but it can keep the extra weight off. Even loading and unloading the dishwasher counts as exercise.
Look into joining an exercise, fitness, or sports groups. For example, you can often find boot camps, yoga classes, or walkers and joggers who routinely meet at parks. There, you can meet new people with similar goals to motivate you to be active. Find a fitness buddy. Most people find they stick to their exercise schedule more closely when they have a partner or buddy who is also trying to exercise. You can try to find someone who wants to run at around the same time and pace.
One simple difference like taking the stairs instead of the elevator every day at work can help keep your weight in check.
For example, you can use the playground as a gym instead of going to a fitness gym. You can exercise by walking up slides, hanging onto monkey bars, or climbing onto platforms. However, make sure you aren’t disrupting children from playing on the playground. Use the park in the early mornings, during the school day, or late at night when children are least likely to be at the park.
Ask your friends and family for support. You need the help of others around you to succeed. Eating healthy and working out can become fun social activities and having someone supportive encourage you or do it with you can help reduce stress. It can also help strengthen your relationship with whoever you choose to share this lifestyle change with. Join a support group. Many support groups put fellow blood pressure patients in contact with one another. Ask your doctor or nurse if there is a group around you. Get professional help. Health, social, and lifestyle changes can be very difficult at times. Contact a psychologist or therapist near you if applicable.
Think of 3 things you are grateful for every day. You can do this before going to sleep, at dinner, or halfway through the day. You can do this out loud and with others, or only in your head to yourself. Say thank you to people. After someone has done something nice for you, telling them that you appreciate them can not only make others feel good but can make you feel good as well. Tell your loved ones why you love them. Showing people that you care and are grateful for them can make you less stressed. In addition, your loved ones are more likely to respond positively, and your relationship will be less stressful.
Create a list of times when you get stressed, or what stresses you out. Identify repeating or important factors: “my mother-in-law” or “when it’s 10pm and I still have the dishes to do. ” Decide how you want to handle these situations to avoid getting stressed. Often, people find it helpful to think of a reason or way to excuse themselves or ways to communicate with others about their stress in a situation. Try to recognize when stressful events will happen such as looking for warning signs. You want to get good enough that you can anticipate your stress, and take action to avoid getting stressed. For example, if you become stressed when you still have dishes to do late at night, you can avoid your stress trigger by choosing to do the dishes right when you get home. Alternatively, you can ask someone else living with you to do the dishes earlier.
Do something calming that you enjoy. This might include reading, watching TV, yoga, window-shopping, walking, or doing a crossword. Do nothing. Some people consider meditation and focused breathing to be incredibly relaxing. Some also say meditation helps with control over their emotions and thoughts. [26] X Research source
Being alone or stuck in one environment can close your perspective about many things. Opening yourself up to new activities and spending time outside of where you are normally can give you a new outlook on life and lower you stress.
Cigarette smoking can lead to health complications that will also cause you stress and limit your lifestyle. Cigarettes are expensive, and heavily taxed in some areas. They can cause financial stress to some people with tight budgets. In some cultures and cities, there is a social stigma against cigarette smoking. Experiencing pushback for smoking from your friends or coworkers can cause you stress.
A common mistake of people who embark on changing their lifestyle or habits is expecting too much, too fast, and then becoming discouraged when their expectations are not met. Think realistically about what changes you can make, and in what time frame. Use numbers to calculate calories, sodium intake, hours of exercise or rest, and so on when possible.
Even if family and friends do not want to eat the same food or exercise the same amount as you, they can still support your decisions and help encourage you to go to the gym, or to eat certain meals. Start first with the changes that are easiest for everyone. For example, adding fresh fruits to everyone’s diet is easier than eliminating a certain food altogether. Or start with light walks around the neighbourhood before asking friends or family to go on marathons or to the gym. Ask people you trust and are comfortable with for support. It can make changing your lifestyle less stressful if the people who support you are positive, encouraging, and non-judgemental.
You could also give yourself negative consequences for not completing your goals. For example, if you smoke regularly, you can tell yourself that for every cigarette you smoke, you have to put money in a jar and donate that money to a charity or an organization that helps smokers quit. Or you could say to yourself, “I’m working on having a healthier diet. If I cheat and have unhealthy snacks after dinner, I have to increase my exercise the next day. ”
Remind yourself of your goals and motivations. Ask friends and family to help you reinforce your rules and goals even when you are unmotivated. At the beginning, write a list of the reasons why you are doing this, or goals you hope to achieve. Reread this list when you start to feel unmotivated.
Between doctor’s visits, you can check your blood pressure at a local drugstore or using a home blood pressure kit. Your doctor can make sure your lifestyle and dietary changes are working.
For example, birth control pills, pain medications, certain antidepressants, and over-the-counter cold medications can raise your blood pressure.
You may need to revise your treatment plan over time.
There are several different treatments for high blood pressure, depending on your needs. Your doctor will explain each treatment option to you and help you decide which one is right for you.
