By Ashish Jain
High blood pressure is not an uncommon medical term. Often you see in magazines, newspapers, articles pertaining to its causes and remedies. But when you will find yourself suffering from it, you might be left dumb-founded with astonishment and disbelief. This is because you wonder as to how could it possibly hit someone as "healthy" and as "well" as you.
The next step, naturally, will be to find out the facts and reasons that contribute to high blood pressure. And you'll doubtlessly find a great number of factors responsible for it. They will range from:
genetic predisposition,
continuous smoking,
lack of physical activities,
a highly stressful life,
to over dosage of alcohol.
The fact is that the food we take determines whether or not we become hypertension patients. Here goes some medically tested advice for high blood pressure patients.
Lower the intake of sodium. That is, you need to lower your salt intake. Start taking whole foods including fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as these can effectively control the sodium intake without making you feel deprived of anything.
Having lesser amounts of frozen or canned foods also help in minimizing the levels of preservatives. The roles of three other minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium in controlling blood pressure is equally crucial. Bananas, beans and potatoes are not only rich in potassium but are also very affordable. Make them a part of your daily diet.
Low fat dairy and meat products are also recommended. In case of lean meat, it is better to eat them grilled than fried. Increase your regular intake of water and do no sink below your regular intake of eight glasses of water a day. Avoid using white flour and sugar as much as you can.
High blood pressure diet does not compel you to sacrifice your favorite delicious foods altogether. However preference should be given to healthy choices on a consistent basis, while you can, once in a while, enjoy a less healthy diet of your favorite food.
Make it a habit to keep in touch with your doctor often, which would help you monitor your blood pressure constantly and would also help you take timely measures to prevent it from rising to alarming levels.
Medications is not the cure, they simply bring the blood pressure under control. The only real cure is to eat healthy and live well. |
