Just found out you have…High Blood Pressure?
Or, have you known, accepted, and have been learning to manage and reduce it?
Either way, it’s definitely a lifestyle that takes some getting used to.
If you actually care, you began to reevaluate the things that you eat, as well as the number of bad substances that you’re ingesting. If not, then I’ll be the first or one of many to tell you that you should. In fact, you should probably start taking action sooner than later.
Committing to a heart-healthy diet plan is essential to managing and reducing those systolic and diastolic numbers. So what’s the best plan for people with High Blood Presser (HBP) or hypertension? The DASH diet! The DASH diet is widely known as the role model of healthy eating plans, especially for those with high blood pressure, because it’s an equally balanced diet. The plan focuses on eating foods that are low in fat, salt, and sugar, while rich in fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans, vegetables, and lean protein-packed meats.
As hard as it seems, it’s really not. I’ve been on the DASH diet, cutting salt out right away, for seven years now and I’ve managed to bring my BP down to Prehypertension from Stage 2. And the reason it wasn’t hard was that I really wanted it, my family supported me and I learned how to eliminate some of the bad while still keeping the flavor…that’s tolerable for me. So, it’s possible for you to do the same and gain a better handle on the reigns of your BP.
Thanks to the Huffington Post, we’ve compiled a few ideas of what types of foods you should integrate into your diet plan to immediately start reducing your blood pressure:
- Bananas: Rich in potassium. Potassium is a natural diuretic that helps reduce the harmful effects of sodium. So the more that you ingest, the more sodium and fluid you’ll excrete when you urinate.
- Avocado: Another power source of potassium. Try it in a smoothie with other great ingredients or on a healthy sub or pita sandwich.
- Yogurt: Calcium rich! To promote a healthy heart, look for low-fat dairy products including milk, cheese, and yogurt.
- Dark Chocolate: Cocoa powder has the highest concentration of flavonoids, which have the effect of relaxing blood vessel walls. Try chocolate with a high cocoa content of at least 70%.
- Red wine: Try red, non-alcoholic wine…if you can find it. It’s said to soothe the arteries, reduce blood sugar and lessen your risk for diabetes.
- Mrs. Dash: As it says on their website, it’s ‘the salt-free flavor statement’…and that’s all there is to it! I can certainly vouch for that.
Eating tasty foods with HBP is possible, check out some of our recipes that feature Mrs. Dash and see just how we were integrating reduced-sodium dishes into our meal plan!
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