Tuesday, April 17, 2007

5 Natural Ways to Lower High Blood Pressure








Ask Glen:

Q. How can I lower my blood pressure naturally?

Lifestyle Tips to Lower High Blood Pressure

A. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is critical to preventing and treating high blood pressure, which significantly reduces your risk for heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Not only can diet and exercise lower high blood pressure, but it can also make your blood pressure medications work better.

How much can it help? National blood pressure guidelines issued by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure offer this chart to help you make healthy lifestyle changes.

The chart shows lifestyle changes can reduce systolic blood pressure (the "top" number in a blood pressure reading). By lowering your systolic blood pressure, your diastolic blood pressure would likely come down as well.

Lifestyle Change

Recommendation

Appx. Systolic BP Reduction

Weight loss

Normal BMI of 18.5 - 24.9*

5 - 20 points per 22 lbs. lost ***

Follow DASH eating plan*

Diet high in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and low in fat

8 -14 points

Sodium and salt reduction

Limit sodium to 2,400 milligrams per day

2 - 8 points

Exercise

30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week

4 - 9 points

Moderate drinking

Limit alcohol to no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women****

2 - 4 points

*BMI is body mass index, a measurement of the ratio of height to weight. It can be calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in meters, squared). Or it can be calculated by multiplying weight (in pounds) by 705, then dividing by height (in inches) twice.

**The guidelines recommend people with high blood pressure follow the DASH diet -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This eating plan is based on a daily intake of 2,000 calories:

  • 7-8 servings per day of grains and grain products (these can include breakfast cereal, whole grain bread, rice, pasta, etc.)
  • 4-5 servings of vegetables
  • 4-5 servings of fruit
  • 2-3 servings of low-fat or nonfat dairy foods
  • No more than two servings per day of meat, poultry, and fish
  • 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes per week
  • 2-3 servings of fats and oils (serving example: 1 teaspoon of margarine or oil, 1 tablespoon of salad dressing or mayonnaise)
  • 5 servings of sweets per week (only low-fat treats like sugar, jelly, or sorbet)

***Even losing as little as 10 pounds if you're overweight can help reduce or prevent high blood pressure.

****A drink is defined as 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor.


Please consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program


Wishing You Great Health,

Glen Edward Mitchell

Got a question? Ask Glen




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Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States
Is the Founder of Fitness Builders 4 Life,the WorkOut GEM,G350,G180, G90, Eat 4 Life, Clean, Lean & Mean & Ask Glen. The mission of the Fitness Builders is to provide the community with health education and to empower people to change unhealthy lifestyles thereby increasing life expectancy. By educating the community on healthier lifestyle practices it is the intent of Fitness Builders to reduce the ravages of obesity, heart disease, cancer and other lifestyle or self inflicted diseases. Glen is also a AMA Certified Nutrition Specialist and a ACE, ACSM, NASM Certified Personal Trainer has 30+ years in Sports, Exercise Science and Nutritional Food Management, Learning and Mentoring Men and Women on a more Mental & Physical Healthy Life Style consisting of a low fat, low salt, Low carbohydrate, high protein, organic nutrition which also includes moderate exercise and mental awareness. Stay Informed, Live long and be Mentally and Physically Healthy! Any questions? Ask Glen!

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