Do you want to remain healthy and illness-free for a very long time? Are you scared that high blood pressure and other heart-related problems could come at you any moment now?
Your lifestyle plays a big role in your overall health and wellbeing. If you want to keep your blood pressure normal at all times, you should be ready to quit your unhealthy habits and start making better decisions on what you eat, drink, and do.
Below are important lifestyle changes that you should do to to keep your blood pressure down without having to take medicines, supplements, or other drugs prescribed by a doctor:
Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
How often do you eat barbecue, burgers, and steaks? These foods are high in fats, oil, and grease, and can endanger your heart and blood pressure if eaten very frequently. Your body does not need so much cholesterol and saturated fats, but, rather, it should be fed with foods that are loaded with nutrients so that your blood pressure does not rise.
Your diet should consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products for a healthy and happy heart. It also needs more potassium to soften the blow of sodium to your blood pressure. Everyday, include potassium-rich foods like bananas, spinach, broccoli, spinach, apricots, and cantaloupe to your diet for better blood pressure management.
Exercise regularly.
Do you rarely walk more than 100 steps a day? If you are used to a sedentary lifestyle, you should seriously consider being more active. Physical activity on a regular basis is essential in lowering your blood pressure. According to studies, even walking for 30 minutes every other day can lead to a 5 mm Hg to 8 mm Hg decrease in your blood pressure.
Getting into basic physical or aerobic routines, such as walking, dancing, or jogging can bring about good effects over time. These exercises are beneficial for your heart, lungs, and other vital organs, as well as your muscles, bones, and joints.
Lose weight.
Did you know that weight and blood pressure are directly proportional to one another? This means that as your weight increases, your blood pressure also increases. Thus, staying within your ideal weight range should be your goal in order to avoid raising your blood pressure.
If you are overweight, you not only will have difficulty finding clothes that fit you, but you will also, most importantly, suffer from a wide variety of health problems. You will get out of breath easily and more frequently, have a tough time enjoying enough and uninterrupted sleep every night, and experience erection and fertility problems. Moreover, you will put your heart at risk of diseases that can hinder it from doing its functions to keep you alive.
Give up smoking.
Are you aware of how many diseases and complications are linked to smoking? In cigarettes, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and others, there are various harmful chemicals and compounds contained that can only bring about harm and damage to your body.
Each time you smoke, you are only subjecting your body, particularly your cardiovascular system, to more hazards. Your arteries are slowly damaged due to buildups of fatty materials, resulting to blockages. Your blood oxygen levels are reduced too.
It is crucial that you quit before more problems arise. The sooner you quit, the sooner you can improve the quality of your life, and the longer you can enjoy good overall health.
Cut back on alcohol.
How much and how often do you drink alcohol? If consumed in moderation, alcohol can actually bring some health benefits. According to experts, men can enjoy up to 2 drinks per day, and women up to 1 drink per day, to take advantage of alcohol’s ability to lower your blood pressure level by about 4 mm Hg.
However, if abused, alcohol can lead to a lot of serious harm and damage. It can cause disruptions to your mood, behavior, focus, memory, and concentration, and can introduce toxins to your liver and pancreas, resulting to inflammation, swelling, or cancer. In addition, it can put you at risk of different heart complications, such as stroke, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, and high blood pressure.
Stay away from stress.
Do you experience a lot of stress everyday? If you are constantly stressed, you are prone to experiencing high blood pressure. Whether you are exposed to it at your job, in your school, or at home, that heavy and nagging negativity can prevent you from performing to the best of your abilities and enjoying life.
You should sit back and think about what the root cause of your stress is. Is it your relationship issues? Your finances? Or a co-worker or a neighbor? Once you determine what it is, take some time to figure out what you can do to fix what needs to be fixed so as to not get stressed again. You should focus your time and effort on things that you can control and find solutions to solve them. You should also get into hobbies and activities that can relax and clear the mind, such as exercising or working out, cooking, or meditation.
Check your blood pressure regularly.
Do you want to know what your blood pressure level is without having to go to a clinic? You should get a home blood pressure monitor so that you can keep track of your levels whenever you want, without having to pay your doctor’s clinic a visit.
If you have decided to quit smoking, workout regularly, or start losing weight, you can easily and conveniently check if your lifestyle changes have begun to positively affect your blood pressure, using the home blood pressure monitor. You should be able to purchase one at drug stores and other medical equipment shops without a doctor’s prescription.
Regular visits to the doctor are still advised, though, in addition to home monitoring. Your doctor can properly advise you on any medications or treatments that you may need if your blood pressure levels are always problematic.
