Necessary Lifestyle Changes To Help While Treating High blood Pressure
Please note that aside from taking any form of medication to cure hypertension, there are some healthy lifestyle practices you should consider adopting. Medication may solve 70% of your problem but the remaining 30% depends on you. For instance, in a situation where you use medication and get healed after a month, you could equally adopt these healthy lifestyle practices and get cured even faster, say within 2½ weeks and this way, you won’t stand any risk of having the high blood pressure return again after being cured.
Here are some healthy lifestyle practices to consider adopting from now:
1. You need to exercise regularly from now
Exercise as we know makes the heart stronger. Having high blood pressure is some wort proportional to a person that doesn’t exercise at all.
Laziness is not an option here, get up from your bed early in the morning say 6 or 7am and start your day with a good body exercise. Jogging is great, it is an aerobic activity since it promotes healthy heart functions.
Assuming its probably your first time of doing this in a while, you would want to start the first day jogging for about 5 minutes around your compound, ask your kids to join you, make it an habit for them, it all starts from the now, what they grow up with will become an habit for them. You can both inspire each other to keep at it without losing interest. Go for 10 min next time, take it up to 15 min the next time. Keep increasing the minutes each time you go out to jog until you attain a steady jog time of about 30 minutes, 2 – 3 times per week. Do this while you take your medications right and your heart will thank you for your extra effort. You need to be dedicated for this to work out, only dedication can bring persistency, don’t give up, know what you are aiming for and go for it. In addition to this, try hit the gym at least once or twice a week and engage in general body workout such as push ups, squats, weight lifting and so on as you can think of. You could also join a workout group so you don’t lose interest later on. Exercise from the convenience of your home, it all begins from the little changes you make in your day to day activities. Carry out household chores, such as raking leaves, gardening, mowing the lawn, scrubbing the floor, don’t leave it all for the kids. Also, climbing of stairs, walking, bicycling, swimming, even dancing with your spouse or kids. Start making a difference today with your daily routine and hence, improve your health greatly.
2. Lose extra pounds and watch your waist line
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises your blood pressure.
Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. Losing even a small amount of weight if you’re overweight or obese can help reduce your blood pressure. In general, you may reduce your blood pressure by about 1 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg) with each kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight you lose.
Besides shedding pounds, you generally should also keep an eye on your waistline. Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure.
In general:
Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters).
Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters).
These numbers vary among ethnic groups. Ask your doctor about a healthy waist measurement for you.
3. Healthy diet
This cannot be over emphasized, you are what you eat. Your diet of course is a major contribution to your recovery. You can’t continue to eat all the wrong food and expect to automatically stay cured even after taking medications. Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg. This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It isn’t easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy diet:
Keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can shed surprising light on your true eating habits. Monitor what you eat, how much, when and why.
Consider boosting potassium. Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium on blood pressure. The best source of potassium are fruits and vegetables. Talk to your doctor about the potassium level that’s best for you.
Be a smart shopper. Read food labels when you shop and stick to your healthy-eating plan when you’re dining out, too.
4. Reduce sodium in your diet
Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can improve your heart health and reduce blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure.
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less. However, a lower sodium intake — 1,500 mg a day or less — is ideal for most adults.
To decrease sodium in your diet, consider these tips:
Read food labels. If possible, choose low-sodium alternatives of the foods and beverages you normally buy.
Eat fewer processed foods. Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. Most sodium is added during processing.
Don’t add salt. Just 1 level teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Use herbs or spices to add flavor to your food.
Ease into it. If you don’t feel you can drastically reduce the sodium in your diet suddenly, cut back gradually. Your palate will adjust over time.
5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. By drinking alcohol only in moderation — generally one drink a day for women, or two a day for men — you can potentially lower your blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol.
Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
6. Reduce your stress
Chronic stress may contribute to high blood pressure. More research is needed to determine the effects of chronic stress on blood pressure. Occasional stress also can contribute to high blood pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.
Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what’s causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can’t eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way. Try to:
Change your expectations. For example, plan your day and focus on your priorities. Avoid trying to do too much and learn to say no. Understand there are some things you can’t change or control, but you can focus on how you react to them.
Focus on issues you can control and make plans to solve them. If you are having an issue at work, try talking to your manager. If you are having a conflict with your kids or spouse, take steps to resolve it.
Avoid stress triggers. Try to avoid triggers when you can. For example, if rush-hour traffic on the way to work causes stress, try leaving earlier in the morning, or take public transportation. Avoid people who cause you stress if possible.
Make time to relax and to do activities you enjoy. Take time each day to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Make time for enjoyable activities or hobbies in your schedule, such as taking a walk, cooking or volunteering.
With these changes made to your lifestyle, it will be easier to heal faster while treating high blood pressure.
Olaitan's Blog 