(Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure)
High blood pressure is just one of the symptoms of heart disease. However, studies show that lowering your blood pressure (or keeping it lower, in the first place) may help individuals avoid serious long-term heart complications. There are many things you can do to avoid high blood pressure. A few simple things include exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet and reducing stress. Here are several suggestions for how to avoid high blood pressure.
1. Keep your weight within a healthy range. By maintaining a healthy weight, your waist is trimmed down, too. Experts claim that a large waist circumference can be a predictor of high blood pressure and heart disease. Studies show that waist measurements of 40 inches (102 cm) or more for men, 32 inches (88 cm) or more for women, 36 inches (90 cm) or more for Asian men and 25 inches (80 cm) or more for Asian women are linked to heart disease. Keep your weight and waist measurements down.
 |
| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Keep your weight within a healthy range |
2. Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Doctors recommend 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day. Consult your physician before starting any exercise plan.
 |
| Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy blood pressure |
3. Maintain a healthy diet. Incorporate vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products into your daily diet. Keep a food diary to track what you eat. Doctors recommend eating foods rich in potassium to help lower blood pressure, because they help to reduce the effects of salt on your body. Also, avoid consuming junk food.
 |
| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Maintain a healthy diet |
4. Decrease the amount of salt you consume. Dietitians indicate that 1,500 to 2,400 mg of salt is all that you really need each day. To reduce salt intake, read food labels closely, cut back on processed foods, and use spices and herbs to season your food instead of salt.
 |
| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Decrease the amount of salt you consume |
5. Reduce your alcohol intake. Experts recommend that two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women are acceptable alcohol consumption levels. If you drink more than this, scale back your alcohol consumption or substitute a non-alcoholic beverage for an alcoholic one.
 |
| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Reduce your alcohol intake |
6. Stop the use of all tobacco products. Also, avoid secondhand smoke.
 |
| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Stop the use of all tobacco products |
7. Limit your caffeine intake. Studies show that caffeine can cause instant blood pressure spikes. Drink no more than two cups (200 mg) of coffee per day.
 |
| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Limit your caffeine intake |
8. Make efforts to reduce or eliminate stress in your life. Blood pressure is directly impacted by stress. If you can't lead a less stressful life, use methods that help to reduce stress, such as yoga, self-help books, meditation, deep relaxation techniques or mental health counseling.
 |
| Make efforts to reduce or eliminate stress in your life |
9. Nip problems in the bud. If your blood pressure is occasionally high, but not that way every time you go to the doctor, you may still have a problem. Studies indicate that occasional high blood pressure can be a sign of a chronic problem in the future. Discuss this with your doctor. By catching any problems now, you may be able to alleviate problems in the future.
 |
| Ways To Maintain Blood Pressure - Nip problems in the bud |
