No one ever wants to hear that they have high blood pressure. Especially at a young age. Years ago, my weight was up and so was my blood pressure. But instead of taking another pill to get it down, I decided to change the way I ate and exercise.
High blood pressure puts extra strain on your heart and blood
vessels. This dangerous condition can increase your risk of heart
attack or stroke, as well as cause heart and kidney disease. High
blood pressure is treated with prescription medication normally but who wants to take another pill with more side effects?
Here are some natural remedies for high blood pressure that will help keep you
healthy.
Exercise
In a world where
our consistent use of technology is resulting in a more sedentary
population, it’s important that we all factor regular exercise into
our routine. Exercise helps make the heart stronger and more
efficient at pumping blood around your body. Whilst high-cardio
exercise is great for managing high blood pressure, even just 30
minutes of walking a day can significantly lower your blood pressure.
Drink Less Alcohol
Alcohol
is directly linked to 16% of high blood pressure cases around the
world, making it a big factor in efforts to reduce blood pressure.
Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as no more than two glasses a
day for men, and one glass a day for women. Any more than this and
you should seriously consider cutting back.
Treat Stress
Stress
is one of the major contributors to high blood pressure and should
never be ignored. There are several natural ways to treat stress,
not least of which is massage. Heaven and Earth offer therapies
where their Hatfield
massage therapist practice services that can leave your mind,
body and spirit feeling completely relaxed, including Swedish
massage, which is long recognized as a way to lower blood pressure.
Cut Back on Caffeine
Whilst there is
little evidence to suggest that regular consumption of caffeine can
cause a lasting increase in high blood pressure, tests have shown
that a cup of coffee causes an immediate spike in blood pressure,
making it a consideration for anyone consuming large amounts of
caffeine. Of course, it is safe to say that caffeine affects us all
differently, but it doesn’t hurt to moderate your caffeine
consumption.
Manage Your Weight
A 2016 study
showed that losing 5% of your body mass could significantly reduce
high blood pressure. This is due to the fact that losing weight
enables your blood vessels to do a better job of expanding and
contracting, making it easier for the left ventricle of the heart to
pump blood. Of course, this is only true for people who are
overweight to begin with, so if in doubt, a full body mass index
assessment can help establish if you could benefit from some weight
loss.
Cut Back on Refined Sugar
New research has
pointed towards a link between the consumption of refined sugar and
high blood pressure. One such study found that women who consumed
even one soda per day had higher blood pressure than those who didn’t
drink sodas. This is also true for refined carbohydrates that are
rapidly converted into sugar in your bloodstream, and studies have
shown that low-carb diets can help to reduce your blood pressure.
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