Try These Easy Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure and Improve your Health and Lifestyle Today!
Having high blood pressure is not something uncommon. In fact, every 1 in 3 U.S. adults has high blood pressure, which, if left unregulated can lead to serious health issues. Also known as hypertension, this condition can significantly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, heart attack, and kidney or heart failure. The good news is that all these health risks can be avoided for good! The Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Luke Laffin states that “Blood pressure management is often 70% lifestyle and 30% medications, they have to go together. If you take blood pressure medication but don’t make lifestyle changes, your medications won’t work effectively.” While it does sound easy on paper, the process of making any changes to your routine, diet, and overall well-established habits is not an easy task, but since you’re here, reading this article, you’ve already made a huge step towards progressing your health which is worthy of applause! So without further ado, let’s take a look at some easy and effective natural ways that can help you lower your blood pressure!
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How Do I know if I Have High Blood Pressure?
Most people with high blood pressure never experience any symptoms, so it’s good to create a habit of measuring your blood pressure for preventative purposes, especially if you lead a high-intensity lifestyle or have a family history of cardiovascular diseases. Typically, blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). If you don’t understand what the numbers on the blood pressure monitor show, here’s an easy way to make sense of it and find out whether your blood pressure is high:
- The top number on the monitor is called Systolic pressure, which shows the blood pressure when your heart contracts. If the Systolic pressure is above 120 mm Hg, your blood pressure is elevated.
- The lower number below the Systolic pressure measurement is called Diastolic pressure, which shows your blood pressure between heartbeats when your heart rests. If the Diastolic pressure is above 80 mm Hg, you are experiencing hypertension or high blood pressure.
Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure Fast
Now that we understand how blood pressure works, let’s learn some easy tips we can use to normalize our blood pressure and live a worry-free life! Remember, while medications can have a significant impact on lowering your blood pressure, you shouldn’t accustom your body to relying solely on them. Try incorporating the following methods into your everyday life in order to lower your blood pressure naturally and improve your overall lifestyle and well-being!
Regulate Your Sodium Intake
Fast foods and processed foods are vastly consumed across the U.S. and are also incredibly high in salt content. While there is no scientific evidence that can serve as solid proof for salt as an initial cause of high blood pressure, it is evident that people who already suffer from high blood pressure experience problems processing sodium. In order to avoid further health complications, experts advise cutting down the salt intake and replacing it with other types of seating such as herbs and spices.
Consume More Potassium-Rich Foods
Potassium is a really important mineral for our tissue, which also has an electrical charge that boosts the function of our nervous system. One of the main reasons why people with high blood pressure should increase their potassium intake is because it actually aids the relegation of sodium. Some potassium-rich foods that you can include in your daily diet are:
- sweet potatoes
- tomatoes
- bananas
- avocados
- oranges
- natural Greek yogurt
- salmon
- beans
Read also: Healthy Dinner Ideas: Let your Family Enjoy a Nutritious, Delicious and Light Meal in the Evening!
Manage Stress Levels
As you’ve probably already guessed, stress is one of the main triggers for most health issues we experience, and high blood pressure makes no exception. The fast-paced lifestyles most of us lead makes the concept of a stress-free life seem more like a delirium rather than a realistic goal. You’ll probably hate to hear that, but when your body is constantly in a “fight-or-flight” response mode, this puts your nervous system under immense stress, which results in high blood pressure. The good news is that it might surprise you how easy it can be for your body to release that stress. Here are some things you can do to boost that process:
- Dance – We rarely think or talk about the benefits of dancing, but this is a good time to mention that when you dance your body releases endorphins, also known as “happy hormones”, which help your body reduce stress levels and increase the feelings of joy, calmness and even improve your quality of sleep.
- Take long walks – Did you know that only 30 minutes of walking per day every single day can significantly decrease your blood pressure levels? So what are you waiting for? Put your comfiest walking shoes on and get those miles in!
- Meditation and breathing exercises – Your parasympathetic nervous system is directly linked to the way your body relaxes and regulates blood pressure. Different deep breathing techniques have been proven to have incredibly good results in lowering blood pressure when done two times a day for a month straight. Yoga Nidra, also known as “yogic sleep” is another useful method to calm down your nervous system and subsequently lower your blood pressure over time with regular daily practices.
Enjoy Your Coffee
Everyone who’s ever had a cup of coffee is familiar with the instant energizing effect of caffeine. Contrary to what you may assume, coffee and caffeinated drinks such as green and black tea, are proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and even help regulate blood pressure.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
The amount of alcohol intake that’s considered healthy is one glass, or half a pint for women, and two glasses, or a pint for men. Any regular consumption above that dosage puts you at high risk of developing a chronic health condition, as well as high blood pressure. You should be especially cautious with your alcohol consumption if you are taking any medication, as it can actually suppress its effect.
Bibliography:
High blood pressure: What you need to know Cleveland Clinic. (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4314-hypertension-high-blood-pressure) Accessed: 18 May 2023.
