Ways to control high blood pressure without medication

Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.

1. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline

Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Losing just 10 pounds can help reduce your blood pressure. In general, the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure. Losing weight also makes any blood pressure medications you're taking more effective. You and your doctor can determine your target weight and the best way to achieve it.
Besides shedding pounds, you should also keep an eye on your waistline. Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure. In general:

• Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters, or cm).
• Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88 cm).
• Asian men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 36 inches (90 cm).
• Asian women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 32 inches (80 cm).

2. Exercise regularly

Regular physical activity — at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). And it doesn't take long to see a difference. If you haven't been active, increasing your exercise level can lower your blood pressure within just a few weeks.
If you have prehypertension (systolic pressure between 120 and 139 or diastolic pressure between 80 and 89), exercise can help you avoid developing full-blown hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.
Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program. Your doctor can help determine whether you need any exercise restrictions. Even moderate activity for 10 minutes at a time, such as walking and light strength training, can help.
But avoid being a "weekend warrior." Trying to squeeze all your exercise in on the weekends to make up for weekday inactivity isn't a good strategy. Those sudden bursts of activity could actually be risky.

3. Eat a healthy diet

Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg. This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It isn't easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy diet:

• Keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can shed surprising light on your true eating habits. Monitor what you eat, how much, when and why.
• Consider boosting potassium. Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium on blood pressure. The best source of potassium is food, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements. Talk to your doctor about the potassium level that's best for you.
• Be a smart shopper. Make a shopping list before heading to the supermarket to avoid picking up junk food. Read food labels when you shop, and stick to your healthy-eating plan when you're dining out, too.
• Cut yourself some slack. Although the DASH diet is a lifelong eating guide, it doesn't mean you have to cut out all of the foods you love. It's OK to treat yourself occasionally to foods you wouldn't find on a DASH diet menu, like a candy bar or mashed potatoes with gravy.

4. Reduce sodium in your diet

Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. The recommendations for reducing sodium are:

• Limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less.
• A lower sodium level — 1,500 mg a day or less — is appropriate for people 51 years of age or older, and individuals of any age who are African-American or who have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

To decrease sodium in your diet, consider these tips:

• Track how much salt is in your diet. Keep a food diary to estimate how much sodium is in what you eat and drink each day.
• Read food labels. If possible, choose low-sodium alternatives of the foods and beverages you normally buy.
• Eat fewer processed foods. Potato chips, frozen dinners, bacon and processed lunch meats are high in sodium.
• Don't add salt. Just 1 level teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Use herbs or spices, rather than salt, to add more flavor to your foods.
• Ease into it. If you don't feel like you can drastically reduce the sodium in your diet suddenly, cut back gradually. Your palate will adjust over time.

5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink

Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol — generally more than one drink a day for women and more than two a day for men. Also, if you don't normally drink alcohol, you shouldn't start drinking as a way to lower your blood pressure. There's more potential harm than benefit to drinking alcohol.
If you drink more than moderate amounts of it, alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications.

• Track your drinking patterns. Along with your food diary, keep an alcohol diary to track your true drinking patterns. One drink equals 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer, 5 ounces of wine (148 mL) or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor (45 mL). If you're drinking more than the suggested amounts, cut back.
• Consider tapering off. If you're a heavy drinker, suddenly eliminating all alcohol can actually trigger severe high blood pressure for several days. So when you stop drinking, do it with the supervision of your doctor or taper off slowly, over one to two weeks.
• Don't binge. Binge drinking — having four or more drinks in a row — can cause large and sudden increases in blood pressure, in addition to other health problems. 

6. Avoid tobacco products and secondhand smoke

On top of all the other dangers of smoking, the nicotine in tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg or more for up to an hour after you smoke. Smoking throughout the day means your blood pressure may remain constantly high.
You should also avoid secondhand smoke. Inhaling smoke from others also puts you at risk of health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.

7. Cut back on caffeine

The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debatable. Drinking caffeinated beverages can temporarily cause a spike in your blood pressure, but it's unclear whether the effect is temporary or long lasting.
To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage you regularly drink. If your blood pressure increases by five to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine.
Regardless of your sensitivity to caffeine's effects, doctors recommend you drink no more than 200 milligrams a day — about the amount in two cups of coffee.

8. Reduce your stress

Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure. Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what's causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can't eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way. Take breaks for deep-breathing exercises. Get a massage or take up yoga or meditation. If self-help doesn't work, seek out a professional for counseling.

9. Monitor your blood pressure at home and make regular doctor's appointments

If you have high blood pressure, you may need to monitor your blood pressure at home. Learning to self-monitor your blood pressure with an upper arm monitor can help motivate you. Talk to your doctor about home monitoring before getting started.
Regular visits to your doctor are also likely to become a part of your normal routine. These visits will help keep tabs on your blood pressure.

• Have a primary care doctor. People who don't have a primary care doctor find it harder to control their blood pressure. If you can, visit the same health care facility or professional for all of your health care needs.
• Visit your doctor regularly. If your blood pressure isn't well controlled, or if you have other medical problems, you might need to visit your doctor every month to review your treatment and make adjustments. If your blood pressure is under control, you might need to visit your doctor only every six to 12 months, depending on other conditions you might have.

10. Get support from family and friends

Supportive family and friends can help improve your health. They may encourage you to take care of yourself, drive you to the doctor's office or embark on an exercise program with you to keep your blood pressure low. Talk to your family and friends about the dangers of high blood pressure.
If you find you need support beyond your family and friends, consider joining a support group. This may put you in touch with people who can give you an emotional or morale boost and who can offer practical tips to cope with your condition.

Good Food for High Blood Pressure

Choosing food for high blood pressure sufferers need not be a daunting task or a boring one. Tips and recipes from around the world are soon to collect here, so we will have a whole menagerie of cultures to choose from. Heh! Let’s face it! Can you find a better excuse for enjoying the culinary delights of the whole world? Well, ok, there are lots, but at least just drooling over the recipes will make your blood pressure drop a few mmHg. And that’s exactly what I have in store for you in this little corner of delightful indulgences.
Here you are going to find a high blood pressure recipe to suit almost everyone, and if the dishes don`t stop you worrying over your high blood pressure for a while, then nothing will.
Starting with a list, preferably organic, of the main food categories that are known to help reduce high blood pressure, will help those of us who are born Chefs in the kitchen to create new, tasty dishes.

Vegetables
 Parsley, Celery , Spinach, Green Cabbage, Broccoli, Carrots (raw), Beets (raw), Tomatoes, Garlic, Asparagus
 
These vegetables are at the top of the list of food for high blood pressure, for supporting the cardiovascular system either by their powerful antioxidants or diuretic activity.

Fruit
We have so much potassium rich fruit to choose from as food for high blood pressure. Instead of buying the usual, step out of the comfort zone and mix in some exotic varieties.
Sanguinello (the Sicilian blood red orange)
A medium sized sanguinello has 260mgs of potassium.

Bananas
Bananas are a well known nutrient packed food for high blood pressure. When you are in a hurry and don`t have time to sit and eat, pack a banana. What`s more maybe they protect against heart disease and stroke!
Strawberries
Anyone for tennis? One of the highlights of Wimbledon Tennis season is the strawberries and cream. Lovely! They definitely need to provide food for high blood pressure there, I should say! Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, flavanoids and need I say it, potassium. Available worldwide they are found in desserts from around the world.

Apricots
Apricots glow with beta-carotene and potassium

Passion Fruit
Don’t forget the passion fruit. They call it Parcha in Puerto Rico believing that it lowers blood pressure. The flower too, as a herb, is noted for it`s effectiveness. It is said that if you eat enough of the fruit you can fall in love with the person sitting next to you, so if you want somebody that badly, invite them out to dinner and eat, drink and sleep Passion fruit. Eat your heart out King Solomon!
As a reminder, rich potassium laden food for high blood pressure should be eaten in balance. These are only rough guidelines to give you an idea of the choices. Your dietician knows you as an individual having specific needs.

Healthy Juice BlendsThis page is not just about food for high blood pressure, but also drinks too. While I was in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Mexico, I sampled 2 great juice blends that are good for helping to lower blood pressure. If you are taking diuretics, consult your doctor before consuming them as some of the fruits and veg contain high amounts of potassium.

Vampire Juice
This juice blend consists of carrot, celery, and beet. Three vegetable juices that compliment each other and taste really great. Beet has been discovered to open the arteries and help blood flow, reducing blood pressure for up to 24 hours after consuming.




Diet Juice

This juice contains grapefruit, pineapple, celery, parsley, and wait for it...cactus! This combination of juices are great for reducing your weight and your blood pressure.
The taste is very refreshing and pleasantly sweet. If you don`t like the taste of celery very much, you don`t really taste it in this drink.

Foods to be avoided for high blood pressure

High blood pressure if left unchecked results in increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and leads to target organ damage such as LVH, retinal changes and vascular changes. The main objective in the management of hypertension is prevention of target organ damage and reduction of cardiovascular risk. The management requires a multi-prolonged approach. Although it is widely accepted that drug therapy is essential for optimal Blood pressure control, it should not be forgotten that nonpharmocological measures are also important in the management of hypertension.

What are the foods to be avoided in high blood pressure? This is very common question my patients often ask me. On one hand, it is exceedingly complicated and complex and has been the continued focus of research by doctors and physicians. On the other hand, the vast majority of dietary recommendations for hypertension have resemblance and similarities to general healthy diet recommendations.

1. Alcohol
The association between alcohol and high blood pressure is well documented both in population and clinical studies. An Alcohol intake of about 80 g/day (Equivalent to four pints of beer) has been shown to raise Blood pressure particularly in patients of hypertension. Blood pressure tends to fall when alcohol is stopped or reduced and remains low in patients who continue to abstain. Patients with hypertension should avoid Alcohol. As alcohol can raise blood pressure directly, is also an important factor in damaging walls of blood vessels, which can elevate the blood pressure further and make it more difficult to treat, while at the same time increasing the risk of complications. Limit consumption of Alcohol to no more than two drinks per day in most men and one drink per day in women and lightweight men.

2. Salt
A restriction in dietary sodium intake can reduce the incidence of hypertension. Studies have shown that there is a clear relationship between dietary salt intake and Blood pressure and people who consume less salt have a smaller rise in Blood pressure with advancing age. Salt restriction to about 100mmol/day (2.4 gm sodium or 6 gm sodium chloride) has been shown to produce a significant reduction in systolic Blood pressure to about 8-14 mm Hg in several randomized placebo-controlled studies. In some people, eating too much salt can make blood pressure much worse and In other cases the same salt consumption may have no effect.

More salt intake will result in more retention of fluid by kidneys and this will lead to more preload on heart, that will result in more blood pressure. You should avoid salt in your diet if you really want to control your blood pressure. If you are already a patient of hypertension, then reduce salt in your diet as it just accentuates the problem. You can lower your blood pressure to a great extent if you reduce salt consumption in your diet. You should not have more than 6 grams (100mmol/day) of salt per day. Pizza, canned foods, frozen diners, broths, canned soups and salad dressings have high sodium so try to avoid these foods. If you are non-vegetarian then make sure you are including white meat like chicken and fish rather than red meat in your diet.

3. FatsFood that is rich in fats should be avoided. Foods High in Fat are as follows
Fats and oils (like margarine, vegetable oils, butter, lard, salt pork, meat drippings, gravy, and fat back)
Cream, ice cream, Whole milk, 2% milk.
Most pies, pastries, cakes.
Most cheeses (like cream cheese, cheddar, American)
Many snack foods (like nuts and chips)
Fatty meats (like corned beef, regular ground beef, ribs, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, bologna, salami,)
Fried foods (like French fries and fried chicken)
Most cookies contain high fat content
Many fast foods are also rich in fats

Saturated fats are not good for heart and blood vessels. Low density lipoprotein LDL is main factor which causes thickening of blood vessels so causing extra strain on blood vessels in patients of high blood pressure. The balanced high blood pressure diet should include mild amounts of saturated and trans-fats (red meat, fast food), and moderate amounts of other fats (olive oil and canola oil).

4- Caffeine Intake: The evidence from the literature is rather conflicting and the effects of caffeine seem to depend on multiple variables such as daily dose, preexisting Blood pressure and coffee drinking habits. The ingestion of 250mg of caffeine has been shown to cause an increase in systolic blood pressure ranging from 6mm of hg in normal individuals to 10 mm hg in patients with hypertension and an increase in diastolic blood pressure of 5 mm hg in normal individuals to 8.5 mm Hg in patients of hypertension.

Secret to Rainy Day Fitness!

Now that summer showers are turning to autumn rain, the outdoors is a far less enticing place. It’s much harder to find the will to work out yourself, and almost impossible to motivate the kids. Here are a few ideas and guidelines to help fill those rainy hours and improve your family's fitness

1) Turn the music on. Great, upbeat music creates an instant boost of enthusiasm and can get any sulky child to tap their toes. Put on something filled with beat and rhythm, and get everyone dancing along. Just to dance through a couple of songs should be enough to get the blood pumping and the endorphines flowing. When you've started, you may not want to stop - so, if you're of that disposition, think about inventing a dance routine with the kids! If it's rainy all the time, you could get pretty good!
2) Another music-based tip: challenge the kids to dance everywhere they go - and during everything they do - for a few hours! If there's a reward waiting for them at the end of it, chances are they'll love the challenge. Simply dancing around makes your heart beat significantly faster than sitting down, or even walking: it improves circulation, co-ordination, and raises the fitness level considerably (if undertaken regularly).
3) Exercise videos. An obvious one - but true!
4) Creative indoor games! Invent some, or play some old favourites like 'keep-away': blow up some balloons bat them into the air. Try not to let any of them touch the floor again! Or use paper fans to play a version of table tennis: Use your fan to create gusts of air to blow your balloon across the table towards an opponent—get it past them to score a point. (Remember, the scraps from popped balloons are a choking hazard, so take precautions if you have small children.)
5) Other games. Stock your toy shelf with games that encourage kids to move, from classics like Twister to new hits like the Nintendo Wii, Wild Planet Hyper Dash, or Cranium's Hullabaloo. We hope that these ideas are enough to get you thinking of new ways to enjoy those rainy days, and new ways to enjoy keeping your family fit. Remember - it doesn't have to be a sport to be exercise, and the less it seems like a chore, the better.

How to Look Pretty

Smile Making the effort to smile every once in a while will make you feel good about yourself, and make others feel positive. You can even practice smiling in the mirror--it'll be a great start to your day and put you in a good mood. Think of something that made you laugh, and you'll have the most charming and pretty smile!

Remember confidence is a very important thing. If you are self-conscious, chances are, you won't look or feel beautiful.

Clear skin is pretty too, but it doesn't matter if you don't have clear skin, not everyone does.

• Buy clothing that flatters you. Unflattering clothing is horrible for an image. Black clothes are slimming, as are vertical stripes- Be modest, so don't wear shirts that are too low, or shirts or skirts too short.
• Flatter a 'blah' outfit with accessories. Try a headband or a cute necklace, but don't over-accessorize! In the infamous words of Coco Chanel, 'take off one accessory before you go out the door.'

Take care of your hair. Get it trimmed regularly (search online for colors and styles that best fit your face shape and hair type).

• Brush your hair everyday, because the oils at the top of the head not only keep your hair shiny, but it will protect it. (Plus, the oil at the top of your head can collect and ruin your appearance.) Apply a heat protectant if straightening or curling your hair, otherwise it can get damaged very easily. Healthy hair is pretty.
• If you wish to dye your hair, make sure it's a dye that suits your skin tone--two shades darker or lighter than the natural color of your hair. It's not recommended however, as it can cause breakage.

Body language says a lot! Stand up straight. Let others know that you respect yourself, and they will follow your lead. Plus, it has the visual effect of smoothing out any bulges that aren't particularly flattering. Posture is important and can make you look more attractive.Standing or sitting slumped burns fewer calories then sitting or standing up straight.

Understand the value of inner beauty. There are "pretty" people in this world, but beauty is common. A bad attitude makes the difference. Being horrible towards others can make you seem really ugly, and make people stop paying attention to your looks.

• • With that in mind, remember that all the makeup in the world won't help if you are unhappy and negative towards others.
• Love yourself, love others and you will feel and look great.People are attracted to and feel comfortable with people who respect themselves. Liking yourself and respecting yourself doesn't mean you are conceited, it just shows others that you are happy about your appearance.
• Never sacrifice your personality or looks for someone else.
• Be yourself, be warm to others, and feel great. Soon enough, others are bound to notice.

If your friends give you positive compliments, don't try to change them into negative ones. Accept them and use them to make you feel even better. Expressing a modest "thank you" is much healthier than putting yourself down.

Exercise. Looking great doesn't mean makeup and clothes, it means feeling good about yourself and staying healthy.Exercise for an hour or half hour at the least every day, and drink 8 glasses of water daily. The water helps you get a nice glow in your skin and makes your complexion much clearer.

• If you don't have time to get to the gym one day, try incorporating 40 minutes of brisk walking - this can be as simple as walking around on coffee and lunch breaks for 20 minutes at a time or even walking to work or school instead of driving or taking the bus.
• Any sports that you find interesting are nice, but if you don't play a sport find an exercise that fits you best .

Get enough sleep. This will help you to always look your best. Regular sleeping patterns help your body to effectively regenerate and feel great the next day! Avoid sleeping on your face, this will cause wrinkles.

Maintain good dental hygiene - Brush your teeth after every meal, floss twice daily, and use mouth wash. However, don't brush hard - you may think it cleans your teeth better, but it's only damaging them. Make sure you don't brush until at least 10 minutes after your meal. This can damage your enamel, which will make is painful to chew sugary and cold/warm foods.

Remove unwanted body hair. Wax, shave, or pluck body hair such as bikini line, armpit hair, leg hair, eyebrow hair and other areas.

Believe you are beautiful! If you don't think it, no one else will. Simply look in the mirror and say this: I Am Beautiful. Although you may not think so, everyone is beautiful in their own way. You can look the part by smiling. That is the easiest way to be pretty way. Remember - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.