What It Is

High blood pressure is at epidemic proportions in the US today with more than 65 million people having high blood pressure and another 45 million suffering from a condition known as pre-hypertension. A symptomless condition, high blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could very easily be suffering from it without even knowing it until it is too late.

There are of course medicines on the market that can help in lowering blood pressure, but several of these have accompanying side effects and, even though some people may need to take medicine in the short term to lower their blood pressure, a better solution is to control the condition naturally if you are able to.

For almost all of us high blood pressure is related to weight and diet and this is a major problem today when two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Furthermore, most Americans get too much salt in their diets and not enough of the many other beneficial vitamins and minerals that can actually lower blood pressure. In short, you can eat your way to a lower blood pressure, if you know what you are doing.

If truth be told, it is often possible to normalize your blood pressure fairly fast if you change your diet and begin taking exercise. That said, if you have not been exercising for a long time you ought not to suddenly begin exercising vigorously and it’s always prudent to talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

First of all though let’s talk about some things which you should avoid and top of the list is salt. Salt is one of the main culprits in today’s high blood pressure epidemic. An excess of dietary fat is also an offender because it encourages arteriosclerosis, weight gain, and other problems which result in high blood pressure. Thus, two things which you should avoid in your diet are salt and excess fat, principally saturated or trans fats.

So, what sorts of food should you have in your diet to help you in lowering your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the major substances which is missing in today’s American diet and that is very beneficial for your blood pressure. It help to reduce blood pressure just as sodium helps raise your blood pressure and thus getting enough potassium in your diet can help even out blood pressure.

It is very easy to get enough potassium in your diet by merely loading up on frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables, providing of course that they have no added suger or salt. Although this might seem bland to many people, it’s one of the best ways to make sure that you regularize your blood pressure. And of course, at the same time you also want to cut down on the salt to no more than the recommended daily intake of about 2400 mg each day. A great way to achieve this is not to add any salt to your diet at all because natural and unprocessed foods contain enough salt and, if you feel you need to add flavor to your food then simply try using spices and herbs.

Magnesium and calcium are two other minerals which can help to reduce blood pressure. Both calcium and magnesium are considered calming minerals and the majority of Americans do not get enough of them in their diets. dairy products which are low in fat are a good source of calcium as are legumes, nuts, and dark and leafy green vegetables. You need to try to get a balance of approximately two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods such as soybeans, sesame seeds and white beans not only contain a lot of calcium and magnesium but they are also excellent sources of potassium.

Finally, make sure that you drink enough water and also get enough fiber in your diet. Fiber is important because it helps to speed toxins and other unhealthy substances out of your body and it also helps you feel full so that you do not overeat.