High blood pressure or hypertension is referred to as “silent killer,” and for a reason. It often has no symptom but poses a great risk of developing serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
While you can’t have a perfect control over whether you get high blood pressure or not, following a healthy lifestyle habit plays an important role in preventing and reducing its risks to oneself.
Santé International, a global player in the manufacturing and distribution of premier organic health and wellness products and services, listed five ways that you can do to prevent high blood pressure.
Reduce sodium intake
Cutting down on sodium can help lower your blood pressure in weeks. In fact, reducing your sodium intake to as little as 6g per day can improve your heart health and reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
To reduce sodium in your diet, make it a habit to read food labels and avoid eating processed foods. Instead, opt for low-sodium alternatives of the foods and beverages you usually buy.
If you ever find yourself having a hard time drastically reducing salt from your diet, try doing it gradually—this will allow your palate to adjust over time.
Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity is an excellent way to deal with high blood pressure. It makes your heart stronger. A strong heart can pump more blood with less effort, decreasing the force exerted by the arteries. This can result in a lower blood pressure.
Regular exercise also helps you maintain a healthy weight—another important way to control blood pressure. Consider doing a physical activity such as swimming, running, biking, or even walking, and see your efforts pay off in no time.
Follow the DASH diet
The “Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension” or better known as DASH, is a diet specifically designed to lower blood pressure. This diet encourages you to reduce sodium in your diet and eat a variety of foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, low-fat and non-fat dairy, lean meats, fish, and poultry, whole grains, and heart-healthy fats.
DASH, when accompanied by exercise, may also help with weight loss, lower cholesterol, and manage or prevent diabetes. Similarly, people with cholesterol problem can benefit from this diet.
Eat superfoods
One of the most important elements to lower your blood pressure is to eat superfoods that are known to have a positive impact on health.
Considered to have the most balanced nutrient profile of all the green plants, barley grass is a “superfood” that contains vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which help boost the immune system and improve cardiovascular health.
Fortunately, one can get all of its benefits by drinking Santé Barley, a pure organic young barley grass powdered drink. It is rich in chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plants that absorbs energy from light through photosynthesis. It helps eliminate excess cholesterol, triglycerides, and other lipids (fats) in your body.
Santé Barley also contains arginine, which makes the blood vein more elastic. This component helps clean the plaques or fats in blood vessels. Thus, blood circulation becomes better and will result in normalized blood pressure.
Limit alcohol consumption
A study conducted by Dr. Michael Roerecke Ph.D., et. al, found that reducing alcohol intake lowers blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner. It also suggests that effective alcohol interventions in people who consume more than two drinks per day would reduce the disease burden from both alcohol consumption and hypertension.
Drinking more than the moderate amount of alcohol can result in a rise in blood pressure and reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications. Consider lowering the alcohol consumption to two glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women.
In trying to prevent hypertension, it always pays to take a look at your lifestyle then make the necessary changes if needed. Conquer small goals by practicing good habits until they naturally become a part of your daily routine.
