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Hypertension is better known as high blood pressure and it is a problem that seriously impacts about one adult in four. The problem gets worse with age because the heart and arteries are less efficient in doing their job of pumping blood around the body. High blood pressure for many adults is caused by a poor diet, which is high in salt, sugar and fats combined with a lack of exercise. Fortunately though, the human body is resilient and so you can lower your blood pressure if you take 10 steps to beat high blood pressure now.
Diet
Of course, if you are looking to lower your blood pressure and avoid taking myriad pharmaceutical drugs, the first place you should start is through your diet. Making some changes to your diet can help you to put off the regime of pills and supervision in your most advanced years.
So what are some heart friendly, lower cholesterol foods?
Fish
Fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which raises the amount of good cholesterol and thus lowers the bad and lowers your blood pressure with it. That is a nice two for one deal, isn’t it?
Fruits and Vegetables
Doctors recommend ramping up your intake of leafy green vegetables and fruits to lower blood pressure.
Whole Grains
Whole grains help by reducing your overall intake of food, increasing levels of potassium and decreasing insulin resistance in your body. Insulin, in case you have forgotten, is what our pancreas is filled with and depleting it (Type II Diabetes) comes with a whole host of other problems.
Exercise
Riding off in the sunset together are a good diet with a good exercise program. As long as you don't have an incredibly high blood pressure or a very low blood pressure, you should be able to exercise safely. Start out by doing things like swimming, walking and yoga for seniors. Exercise will help you become more fit and relaxed and that in turn will lead to a lower blood pressure naturally.
When The Going Gets Rough, The Tough Sit This Round Out
High blood pressure over a long period of time is often synonymous with stress. Although it is not conclusive that perpetual stress will lead to high blood pressure, it is thought that the lifestyle that accompanies high stress does. With the verdict still out, why test it? Just relax and “sit this one out.” Odds are in your favor that your body will thank you for it. Apart from yoga, mediation and tai chi can both do wonders to minimize stress, which in turn can lower your blood pressure.
Just Say No To Cigarettes
There are no benefits what so over to smoking. Cigarettes clog and constrict your arteries, which minimize blood flow to your heart. Although the act itself doesn’t raise your blood pressure, over time with constricted arteries, if a heart attack doesn’t follow, an aneurysm will. Additionally, it fills your lungs with carbon monoxide, which makes it difficult for you to exercise. It also makes your clothes and breath smell, and nobody will want to be around you. With no one around to complain to when your stress gets bad, your blood pressure doesn’t stand a chance at reduction.
If You Do Nothing Else On This List, Do Sleep!
Ah, the eternal quest for sleep! Despite all the conclusive evidence that good, restful sleep is beneficial, intelligent as we humans are, we continue to go without ample sleep each night. Sleep is a chance for the body to restore itself and without sufficient sleep, the risk of high blood pressure increases. Although every body is different, on average, most people require about eight hours of (preferably) uninterrupted sleep to reap all of the health benefits and wake up refreshed.
Weight Loss
It doesn't take much weight loss to knock your blood pressure down to something more manageable. Losing as little as ten to 20 pounds can immediately reduce blood pressure. The trick though is to not only lose the weight, but also to keep it off through a healthier diet and physical activities. And being a senior living in assisted living housing is no excuse for being overweight. In fact, no longer on your own, you have numerous people around you to keep you at a healthy weight.
Slow Breathing
Some researchers have found that 15 minutes a day of slow breathing can help you lower blood pressure. This is because you are forcing yourself to relax and slow down. Minimizing your stress can help your whole body slow down and thus lower blood pressure. When it seems as though it is someone’s mission to annoy you (whether it is one of your grown kids who can’t seem to get his or her life together or the person who cut in front of you on the grocery line), rather than react and “stress out,” instead, practice controlled breathing. Although the situation hasn’t changed, your reaction to it has.
Cook At Home
Instead of eating out frequently, try cooking at home. Many restaurants, especially fast food joints, use far too much salt in their cooking and high sodium intake is guaranteed to raise your blood pressure. Cooking at home gives you far more control over what is going in. Here’s a health tip: If you are accustomed to using salt in your cooking, reduce the salt and add Rosemary, Thyme, Basil and Oregano. Your food will taste just as good, if not better and you have replaced salt with an alternative that is both tasty and healthful.
Dark Chocolate and Red Wine
Not only will two glasses of wine per day help keep the doctor away, so will dark chocolate. Both contain flavinols, which are natural antioxidants and offer the added benefit of lowering blood pressure.
Prescription Drugs
If at all possible, your goal should be to avoid statins as long as possible. They should only be taken when diet combined with exercise aren’t doing what they should to keep your blood pressure in normal range. For some, this simply isn’t possible and quite often is due to a predisposition to high blood pressure. Indeed, African Americans have a significantly higher prevalence to hypertension than do Caucasians. If your doctor and you decide that it is best to start taking statins, it is important that your doctor continue monitoring your blood pressure when you are on these drugs.
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