Do you struggle with high blood pressure?
Millions of people do worldwide, and the
condition can dramatically raise your risk of
heart disease, stroke, and other potentially
life-threatening ailments. But while there’s
no substitute for medical treatment, there
are things you can do improve your
situation. Whether medication isn’t enough
or you’re just curious about alternative
methods, here are 5 natural ways to help you
lower your blood pressure.
Take the Stairs
We all know the huge benefits of regular
exercise, but for people who suffer from
high blood pressure, introducing a daily
exercise regimen can be especially
challenging.
The good news is that the benefits from even
a small amount of exercise can have
significant effects on lowering blood
pressure. Even 10 minutes of light physical
activity can help decrease excess pressure
and/or amplify the effect of blood pressure
medications. If you can push that activity to
30 minutes every day, then you can
potentially lower your pressure by 4 to 9
millimeters of mercury! So, when you’re
facing that elevator or debating pulling into
the closest parking spot, think again! Those
small minutes of exercise may add up to a
healthier you.
Pick Up a Banana
The importance of a healthy diet cannot be
underestimated. If there was ever a reason
to eat better, controlling your blood pressure
is it. In addition to eating many dark leafy
greens and foods low in saturated fat, adding
a hearty portion of potassium to your diet
can be your savory ticket to low blood
pressure.
Potassium works to lower the pressure by
balancing out the harmful effects of salt –
the excess of which is one of the leading
causes of this dangerous condition. Foods
high in potassium include potatoes, squash,
avocados, fish, yogurt, and – you guessed it –
bananas.
Add some potassium to your diet for a potent
hit against high blood pressure. Extra points
for lugging a bag of bananas or potatoes up
the stairs.
Swap out the Regular Joe for Half-Caff
If you think that last cup of coffee at 10 am
doesn’t hurt you, think again. Caffeine can
cause a 4 mmhg jump in your blood pressure
that lasts right up to bedtime.
The good news is that half-caff or decaf
options taste pretty good these days.
Everywhere from grocery brands, like
Folgers, to higher-end vendors, like
Starbucks, offer tasty, less-caffeinated
versions of their most popular drinks. Swap
out your regular cup of Joe for the half-caff
version and you still get all the great flavor
without aggravating your body.
Have that Nightcap
Studies have shown that a small amount of
alcohol, defined as 1 drink a day for women
and 1.5 for men, can actually decrease your
blood pressure. One study, at Brigham and
Women’s Hospital in Boston, even found that
the adding one drink to your day, even if
that’s more than you’re accustomed to, can
have the same health benefit.
Of course, moderation is the key. Drinking 5
drinks in one sitting isn’t going to make it 5
times more effective. Likewise, skipping the
drinks throughout the week and having
them all at once on Saturday night can be
extremely detrimental to your health. But, a
single drink, defined as one 12 ounce beer, a
5 ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirit,
can be an easy, natural way to lower your
blood pressure. Add to that that this same
regimen can help control the risk of heart
disease and it’s a no brainer. Have that
night-cap.
Relax
Your body under the effects of stress is a
tremendous thing: the central nervous
system floods the body with adrenaline and
other hormones; the heart rate spikes,
muscles clench, breathing quickens, and, of
course, blood pressure rises.
If you are going through this every day in
response to work, family, and other of life’s
common stressors, you are quickly wearing
out your body and exacerbating your blood
pressure condition. Taking time for yourself
to slow down, unwind, and relax might be
just the thing that tips your blood pressure in
the right direction.
So, after that half-caff drinking day at the
office and the adventure of lugging bananas
up the stairs, relax with that nightcap and
call yourself an au-naturel champ the Blood-
Pressure Lowering game.
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