Diet Changes That Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Most of us don’t give a second thought to what’s going on inside our bodies until there’s something obviously wrong. For most of my life I was the worst for this and I would only make changes in my lifestyle when my health dictated it, instead of being pro-active and taking steps to make myself healthy before the old body demanded it.

Reducing the amount of salt (sodium) you eat is one diet change that can help lower blood pressure naturally.

Over the past couple of years of blogging here I have discussed numerous diet changes that can benefit all kinds of health problems, such as insulin resistance, diabetes and even cancer. There is no doubt that making positive changes to your diet and getting regular physical activity is a major key in making your body healthier and stronger – I am living proof of this and many of you are too. Always remember, though, that there is no better time to make these changes in your life than right now. Why wait until a doctor’s visit uncovers you have high blood pressure, pre-diabetes or high cholesterol? By making some simple changes in your diet you can naturally reduce your chances of developing many of these preventable diseases.

One of the most common health problems of people who are overweight or obese is high blood pressure. Keep in mind, however, that high blood pressure can also be present in people who are not overweight. Either way, when you hear that your blood pressure is higher than it should be, you need to take action immediately. In many cases, you can make changes to your diet which will lower blood pressure naturally so that you may not even have to take medication. In lowering your blood pressure, you will reduce your chances of heart troubles such as stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Here are three diet changes you can make today in order to lower your blood pressure naturally right away and reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure in the future.

Diet Changes That Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Eat Less Salt (Sodium) -You may wonder how a diet too high in salt (sodium) can raise blood pressure. Basically, when you consume sodium your kidneys work hard to eliminate it from your body. However, when you eat too much sodium for your kidneys to eliminate on their own, some of this salt ends up in your blood. Since salt attracts water, your blood volume rises, which causes a corresponding rise in blood pressure.

Thus, one of the best ways to lower your blood pressure naturally is to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet. While 2300 milligrams of sodium daily is considered a safe amount in the typical adult diet, most people are eating twice and even three times as much salt. Most of this unnecessary sodium is coming from processed foods which are flavored with salt. Instead of looking for foods with less sodium, it is a good idea to begin to prepare your own foods at home, helping you control the salt you eat each day. And while you do still need some salt in your diet, look for foods that are not processed so that it’s easier to control your intake.

For people who already have high blood pressure, it is recommended that they consume no more than 1500 milligrams of sodium a day. Keeping track of how much sodium you eat can be a tedious task so a good rule of thumb is to avoid any type of food that contains more than 100mg of sodium per serving. If you are cooking at home, try to not use salt when preparing your meals. Instead, you can add a pinch of salt to your food once it’s on your plate if you need to.

Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption – Since alcohol can increase your blood pressure, you will want to remove as much alcohol as you can from your diet. You don’t have to avoid all alcohol, but anything above one drink is going to become harmful for a woman and anything about two drinks a day is considered too much for men. Try to slowly curb your alcohol intake to no more than a few drinks a few times a week in order to help your heart and your blood pressure reading.

Include More Potassium in Your Diet – If you want to lower blood pressure naturally you may also want to include more potassium-rich foods in your diet. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add fortified foods to your diet, such as milk and cereals that have added vitamins and minerals and to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Some of the best food sources of potassium are bananas, soy, beans and potatoes.

As you can see, with just a few minor diet changes you can lower your blood pressure naturally. What’s even better is that these diet changes are also ones that will help you to lose weight. In fact, a healthy diet that consists primarily of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy will go a far way to not only lowering your blood pressure, but also your body weight. Add regular exercise to these diet changes and you will be well on your way to a lifetime of lower blood pressure and overall improved health.

Other Related Posts and Articles you May Find Interesting: “Health Problems Associated with Being Overweight”, “Tips for Making Healthier Food Choices”, “The Blood Pressure Diet” and “The DASH Diet”.