Steps To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, there are plenty of ways to reduce or delay your need to take medications. This will be made possible by incorporating several healthy habits to your lifestyle. There are certainly ways to lower blood pressure naturally, which we’ll discuss in this article.
Poor diet and lack of exercise are usually the culprits to blood pressure and cholesterol problems, which are becoming increasingly more common in recent years. If you want to counter the negative effects this is where it could be helpful to follow a few simple steps or high blood pressure remedies.
Dietary Habits
- Garlic – This is an amazing health ‘tonic’ for many situations. Eating two cloves of garlic or one garlic tablet a day has been proven to reduce both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by a significant amount, as well as to improve many other aspects of our health.However, it should be noted that garlic can thin the blood, which makes clotting more difficult; hence it should only be used upon consultation with a doctor if you have health issues in this particular area.
- Celery – Snacking on some stalks of celery instead of those chocolate chip cookies will do you a lot of good and not just because of the lesser calories. Studies show that celery contains substances that can regulate blood pressure by relaxing the muscles along the arteries.This means that if you eat celery regularly, you will eventually have a much lower risk of suffering from high blood pressure. Many use celery seed for reducing inflammation too, such as with arthritis.
- Boost your potassium level – Any blood pressure lowering program would not be complete without increasing your potassium intake. White beans, spinach, yogurt, salmon, avocados and mushroom are few examples of potassium-rich foods.
- Lower your sodium intake – Some groups of people are known to have high blood pressure that are salt-sensitive. Since it is difficult to determine whether you are salt-sensitive it is best to lower your sodium intake to prevent your blood pressure from becoming too high.Go easy on the salt shaker and avoid processed foods as they are known to contain high levels of sodium. Another way to lower your salt intake is to use herbs, lemon, salt-free seasoning and other natural spices to add taste to your foods.
- Alcohol consumption – If you drink alcohol it makes sense to limit your alcohol intake. When kept at a minimum level, alcohol can certainly help lower your blood pressure. Any amount that is more than what your health care professional recommends can certainly put your blood pressure up.
- Black Seed Oil – A teaspoon of this natural substance a day is one natural remedy used to lower blood pressure. The only problem is the taste, which you may find to be quite disagreeable. An easy remedy to rectify this, is to mix the oil with some tea or fruit juice.
Exercise and Relaxation
- Walking – Studies reveal that regular brisk walking can help lower high blood pressure. Walking is perhaps the easiest form of exercise that most people can do. Walking enables the heart to use oxygen in a more efficient manner. In turn, the heart will no longer need to pump blood as hard as it was when a person does not exercise. Spend thirty minutes of walking on most days of the week and eventually increase your speed and distance.
- Indulge in deep breathing exercises – Yoga and tai-chi are some examples of exercises that allow you to breathe slowly and meditate at the same time. These activities are helpful in reducing the production of stress hormones and make you feel more relaxed thereby lowering your blood pressure. Try to spend time for meditation at least five minutes in the morning and another five minutes in the evening. Practice deep breathing as you expand your belly. Then, release all the negative thoughts and feelings as you exhale.
- Find ways to reduce stress – Exposing yourself to too much stress can make your blood pressure high. In fact, too much stress can prelude the existence of any serious diseases aside from high blood pressure. Try to check your daily to-do list and if you find that you have too much on your plate, start delegating some of them to others. Otherwise, you will continue to have difficulty managing your blood pressure.
Vitamins and Minerals
Many people assume the only way to combat high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels is to use medications, but as you can see there are natural solutions as suggested above. There are also natural vitamins, minerals and natural blood pressure supplements. Even doctors agree that to reduce high levels naturally, is far preferable – they are safer and give long lasting results. So now you have a few options and lifestyle changes that you can make, so why not get started today!
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