5 Easy Lifestyle Changes To Fight Hypertension
Does hypertension halt you from living your life to the fullest? Frequent visits to the doctor and unlimited medications would have made you feel like you are entrapped. In order to curb this problem, a few lifestyle modifications are essential. Listed below are 5 changes, which will not only help you control your blood pressure, but may also bring down the number of medicines you intake.
1. Adopt a DASH diet
DASH eating plan is a diet specifically designed to beat hypertension which promotes the consumption of a diet rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, and low fat dairy.
More information: Adopt A DASH Diet to Beat Hypertension
2. It’s time to lose some weight
Your weight affects your blood pressure significantly making it crucial to maintain a healthy weight. For effective weight loss and long lasting benefits, it is advised to take small steps. Losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week is sufficient.
More information:6 Things That Can Help You Lose Weight
3. Lower Sodium Intake
Cut back on salt intake and just watch your blood pressure fall. Curbing sodium from your diet is the key to maintaining your blood pressure at a healthy level.
Tips to reduce Sodium intake:
- Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking.
- Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are low in sodium.
- Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.
- Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove sodium content.
- Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned “with no salt added” vegetables.
- Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereal without salt. Avoid instant or flavoured rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
- Choose “convenience” foods that are low in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings—these often have a lot of sodium.
4. Let’s get moving, Let’s Exercise
A 30 minute regular exercise boosts your energy, and is a great way to ease stress and feel better. Therefore, owing to these factors, exercise is very important to beat hypertension.
5. Cut down on alcohol
In order to maintain blood pressure at a healthy level, we need to limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks a day, if you are a male and to only a drink, if you are a female.
Conclusion
It is quite difficult to incorporate these changes too fast, but these are totally possible once you pledge to adopt these in your life. With these lifestyle modifications, you’ll be able to manage your blood pressure like a pro. With a healthy lifestyle, you may also reach a stage, where you don’t need to take any medicines at all, but this should be done only after consulting a medical expert.
Related Articles:
Adopt A DASH Diet to Beat Hypertension
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information.
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