Natural Remedies For High Blood Pressure
- Article posted by Editor
High blood pressure is often referred to by health professionals as the ’silent killer’ as it often doesn’t manifest as significantly noticeable or debilitating symptoms, until it is too late.
In fact many people actually have no idea what their blood pressure range is and research has shown that 7 out of 10 people do not have their blood pressure under control.
So What Exactly Is Considered High Blood Pressure?
It is generally considered that 120 / 80 represent healthy blood pressure. High blood pressure is generally considered as 140 / 90 or higher.
Natural Remedies For High Blood Pressure
Fortunately there are steps you can take to rapidly reduce your blood pressure down to more healthy levels, without needing to take drugs or medicines with undesirable side effects.
Diet
It should come as no surprise that making simple changes to your diet can improve your blood pressure dramatically. Poor diet after all is a leading cause of high blood pressure and high cholesterol in the first place.
Research has shown that a diet more commonly referred to using the acronym DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is highly effective in reducing blood pressure. The DASH diet is not anything special or difficult to follow, it is really just a commonsense approach to creating healthy and balanced eating habits.
For example, it recommends consuming a diet that is very high in vegetables and fruits (raw is best) and at the same time cutting down significantly on high fat, high cholesterol producing foods such as red meat and dairy products.
Reduce Salt
Salt too is a big no-no as it encourages fluid retention within the body, causing blood pressure to rise. Most people are completely oblivious to the astronomically high levels of sodium that are present in the foods that they are consuming. Basically anything that has been processed including cereals, frozen dinners, breads, cheese and meats have very high sodium levels. Worse still is many people also add additional salt to these foods when they sit down to eat them.
One particular food that is extremely high in salt is pizza. Yes, it is a favorite of many, however it is made up of high salt ingredients, bread, cheese and processed meats. If you’re eating pizza more than once or twice a month, that may be a clue to your high blood pressure or any ill health you may be experiencing.
It’s always best to read the labels on foods so that you can aim to keep your sodium consumption to under 1500mg per day, which is actually less than a single teaspoon. Wherever you can, try and eat as close to the earth as possible meaning lots of fresh vegetables and fruits and avoid processed foods all together.
Reduce Alcohol, Cigarettes & Caffeine
All 3 of these have shown to increase blood pressure significantly so if your blood pressure is high you should seriously consider cutting back or quitting them all together. Smoking is no good for anyone, however a glass of wine and a cup of coffee daily have shown to have health benefits. These are best avoided however until you can gain control of your blood pressure and bring it down and maintain it at more healthy levels.
Exercise
Although exercise may temporarily cause a rise in blood pressure. However if exercise such as walking, running, riding a bike or swimming are performed regularly (at least 30 minutes, 3 times per week), it has shown to keep resting blood pressure at healthy, safe levels. Exercise will also encourage your body to shed any excess weight you may be carrying, which only forces your heart to work harder than it needs to and creating unnecessary stress on your blood vessels and internal organs.
Relax
Stress causes blood pressure to rise and so it’s polar opposite ‘relaxation’ invariably causes blood pressure to fall. There are many weighs that we can relax, including deep breathing, enjoying time in nature, as well as meditation. All of these activities have shown to reduce stress hormones within the body and therefore act as natural remedies for high blood pressure. Related activities also include Tai Chi, Yoga and massage.
Magnesium & Calcium
Magnesium is very effective in the smooth muscle tissues that line the blood vessels to relax and open. However, magnesium should always be taken with calcium and a generally accepted recommended daily dose is 400mg of magnesium and 1000 mg of calcium taken a couple of hours apart to achieve the most effective absorption into the body. Seek professional medical advice from a licensed and qualified health practitioner to ensure that this is a healthy and recommended course of action for you.
Potassium too has shown to lower blood pressure so you should definitely eat high potassium, natural foods such as apricots, avocados and bananas as these will increase your potassium levels without increasing your sodium intake.
Garlic
Believe it or not, garlic has shown to lower blood pressure although why it does is not understood. Nevertheless, a clove of raw garlic taken daily has numerous health benefits, including supporting the immune system and helping to cleanse the blood of toxins. Just be sure to also carry some breath freshener or mints with you throughout the day.
Fish Oils
Fish oils both taken as supplements and also by eating oily fish such as salmon and trout are rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These good fats have shown to increase circulation throughout the body, reducing stress on the heart and decreasing blood pressure. Again, you should always check with a licensed and qualified health practitioner before taking any supplements.
So there you have some natural remedies for high blood pressure that have proven to be effective time and time again. It all boils down to healthy diet, healthy exercise and a healthy and balanced mental and emotional state.
Perhaps your high blood pressure will be the catalyst that helps you to make a lasting lifestyle change that will support you in living more fully and happily in the years to come. I hope you’ll put these proven natural remedies for high blood pressure to good use and I wish you good health.
 |
About The Author
James Thomas is the Founder & Editor for Self Empower Magazine and is one of it’s most active writers. He has spent the last 18+ years working in both the Health and Wellness and Personal Development industries and is passionate about helping others live more health conscious lives. He is also a trained counselor, life coach and natural remedies enthusiast.
Return to main Natural Remedies category.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
