For those with high blood pressure: what food should/shouldn't you eat?
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The usual recommendation is to get on a very low salt diet (be careful when it comes to prepackaged food, sauces etc), low fat (especially animal fat), lose weight and add at least some mild exercise. But, he needs to be checked by a dr, figure out if there is indeed a problem (stress alone can cause the numbers you describe, without any other factors) and if there is a problem, if he needs meds. And do not try takign over responsibility for his health. Unless he wants things to change, it si not happening.
Thank you! I'm not trying to take responsibility, I'm just trying to help him start, as he already said he did the other day (then quickly changed his mind after i told him to lessen the Lay's haha)0 -
Don't use olive oil for frying. It loses its properties at high heat. Use a different oil.Lissa_Kaye wrote: »When my mom was on a restricted diet we found her brommel and brown yogurt spread. It is expeller pressed with no cholesterol and was doctor approved. Its a butter margerine substitute. No hydrogenated oils. It is great on dishes you would use butter in, but it does not work well for panfrying or sauteeing, stuff will still stick to the pan.
Hopefully they have it here, since my dad uses a lot of butter on his toast, too. I started making him a sandwich with sugar free jam instead haha. I'm also planning to start lessening the fried stuff or using olive oil if we do, is that ok?
The sugar free stuff might not be as good for him as the butter is. Try not to go by your own instinct on this. See if he can get his doctor to send him to a dietician and then you go with him.
Fat is good according to what the gov and science is telling us now. But fried foods tend to have more calories.
If you feel that he is eating too much rice and toast, then design meals without them.
For example, cook chill and beans with two veggie dishes on the side (baked butternut squash and sautéed broccoli with garlic.)
Cook some salmon because it has Omega 3s. Pair it with lots of colorful veggies.
thank you for that! I thought olive oil was good since my dad kept insisting it was (that and what articles say). As for the sugar free marmalade, it's more on because he's borderline diabetic. Is butter okay for those kinds of people? Am gonna try persuading him to see a doc and dietician so well know better :-)
Butter is probably o.k. -- but I am no expert.
Pork chops are almost the same calories as chicken breast.
If you can cut his carbs and sugars a little here and there that would be great.
When he starts losing weight he will feel better and will be more helpful about your "project."
Haha i guess it can be called a project/experiment? But health wise, is it fine to have pork, or is chicken/fish better?0 -
I think the general trend here is spot on... Lowering sodium and losing some weight will definitely help. If he's borderline diabetic, the weight loss is key. The dash diet was designed specifically to lower weight and blood pressure (I have no affiliation with it, my MD mentioned it to me when my bp was high..) If you Google it, you might find some good meal ideas....
Thanks, will check that DASH diet out now! :-)0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »I have hypertension, and nothing helped lower it more than weight loss and exercise. Some types are sodium reactive (need eat less salt, cured meats and canned foods), others are fructose reactive (need to eat less fruits) - though this one is still in the early stages of research, some have problems with both, and others have no problems with either.
Does your father love garlic? Try introducing a clove or two of raw garlic with every meal. Slice or crush it, leave it out for 5 or so minutes (to increase the blood vessel relaxing component) then add it to foods. My favorite way to take it is to have tzatziki, which is really tasty. This may also produce mild reduction in his LDL cholesterol as a bonus.
Does he like tea? A few cups of hibiscus tea can be really good for him. 3-4 cups a day.
Although these lower blood pressure by a few points each (don't expect miracles), it's been shown than even the slightest reduction in blood pressure is beneficial for cardiovascular health.
To help him eat less try to "bulk" his usual foods with vegetables. He likes rice? Serve him pilaf with a lot of vegetables. This cuts on the amount of rice without cutting on the volume. If he likes fried things, try and see if he would accept them roasted or sauteed.. and so on. For high calorie foods, try to serve a a homemade salt-controlled (or reduced sodium canned) soup first, then some vegetables or a salad, then his main high calorie preference meal. With a multi-course meal by the time he gets to the "junk" he will probably be full and would eat less.
As for exercise, try to make it seem like you need his help more than he does yours. Keep complaining how you want to start exercising but get bored doing it alone and need support. Don't push it though or repeat it too much. Go out on a few walks alone, then gradually start asking him to join you.
Super informative thank you so much! :-)
This close to what I was going to say too; but amused said it better
I've had hypertension for several years and the main thing that really helped, at it took most of a year, was a lot of weight loss and exercise (cardio).
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I think the general trend here is spot on... Lowering sodium and losing some weight will definitely help. If he's borderline diabetic, the weight loss is key. The dash diet was designed specifically to lower weight and blood pressure (I have no affiliation with it, my MD mentioned it to me when my bp was high..) If you Google it, you might find some good meal ideas....
Thanks, will check that DASH diet out now! :-)
Don't get tricked into buying books. The diet guide is free. You can find it here:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/hbp_low.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/dash_brief.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/new_dash.pdf0 -
I have hypertension, mine would go up as high as 220/105. I was on 3 bp meds now I am down two. Main thing for me was/is keep my sodium under 2000 and loose weight/exercise. Hopefully by this summer i will be off all bp meds, doc is hoping also.0
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He did go to the dr and is on some medication right now. Right!?!0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »I think the general trend here is spot on... Lowering sodium and losing some weight will definitely help. If he's borderline diabetic, the weight loss is key. The dash diet was designed specifically to lower weight and blood pressure (I have no affiliation with it, my MD mentioned it to me when my bp was high..) If you Google it, you might find some good meal ideas....
Thanks, will check that DASH diet out now! :-)
Don't get tricked into buying books. The diet guide is free. You can find it here:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/hbp_low.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/dash_brief.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/new_dash.pdf
+1 DASH for lowering blood pressure. Lower sodium by using spices in home cooked food instead of salt. Frozen veggies instead of canned, dried beans instead of canned, etc. Basically, if it comes in a can, it probably has a lot of sodium. Cutting alcohol and caffeine also help improve blood pressure.
The best thing he can do to lower his blood pressure is to lower his weight and become more active. In addition to cooking more whole grains, fruits, veggies, nuts, and lean proteins, you may want to consider an active family sport or activity, like walking after dinner, or Wii.
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amusedmonkey wrote: »I think the general trend here is spot on... Lowering sodium and losing some weight will definitely help. If he's borderline diabetic, the weight loss is key. The dash diet was designed specifically to lower weight and blood pressure (I have no affiliation with it, my MD mentioned it to me when my bp was high..) If you Google it, you might find some good meal ideas....
Thanks, will check that DASH diet out now! :-)
Don't get tricked into buying books. The diet guide is free. You can find it here:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/hbp_low.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/dash_brief.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/new_dash.pdf
Thank you! :-)0 -
I have hypertension, mine would go up as high as 220/105. I was on 3 bp meds now I am down two. Main thing for me was/is keep my sodium under 2000 and loose weight/exercise. Hopefully by this summer i will be off all bp meds, doc is hoping also.
Wow. I really hope you wont need to take meds anymore! Sodium intake really is something to lessen then. Thanm you!
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Yeahp hes now taking meds!zoomtech16 wrote: »He did go to the dr and is on some medication right now. Right!?!
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britishbroccoli wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »I think the general trend here is spot on... Lowering sodium and losing some weight will definitely help. If he's borderline diabetic, the weight loss is key. The dash diet was designed specifically to lower weight and blood pressure (I have no affiliation with it, my MD mentioned it to me when my bp was high..) If you Google it, you might find some good meal ideas....
Thanks, will check that DASH diet out now! :-)
Don't get tricked into buying books. The diet guide is free. You can find it here:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/hbp_low.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/dash_brief.pdf
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/new_dash.pdf
+1 DASH for lowering blood pressure. Lower sodium by using spices in home cooked food instead of salt. Frozen veggies instead of canned, dried beans instead of canned, etc. Basically, if it comes in a can, it probably has a lot of sodium. Cutting alcohol and caffeine also help improve blood pressure.
The best thing he can do to lower his blood pressure is to lower his weight and become more active. In addition to cooking more whole grains, fruits, veggies, nuts, and lean proteins, you may want to consider an active family sport or activity, like walking after dinner, or Wii.
Thanks for that! Am all for walking after dinner or using our ps40 -
My blood pressure was really out of whack. I've dropped 40 pounds, keep my daily sodium intake under 2300mg and eat lots of foods that are naturally high in potassium. My doctor is pleased with what I'm doing and for now, no meds. Search the American Heart Association website for the 'salty six' to avoid.0
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I didn't hear any mention of Cholesterol. Using turkey and chicken instead of beef is an easy one.
Also cut out a lot of oils and such. Sounds like you got some great advice so far.0 -
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thank you for that! I thought olive oil was good since my dad kept insisting it was (that and what articles say). As for the sugar free marmalade, it's more on because he's borderline diabetic. Is butter okay for those kinds of people? Am gonna try persuading him to see a doc and dietician so well know better :-)
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Olive oil is good, but it isn't good to fry with. It burns at very low temperatures and loses some of its healthy benefits when heated too much. It's perfect for salad dressings though.
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Dealing w/ hypertension & had a stent placed in my LAD coronary artery just over a year ago. Reducing sodium intake s/b a primary goal. Weight loss (if required) is also paramount, as is limiting undesirable (saturated) fats. If your Dad isn't already on statin therapy, I suggest he speak to his primary physician ( or cardiologist, if he has one) about starting it. The generic formulation of Lipitor seems to be working well for me, but different statins work best for different folks. Since hypertension stresses the arteries, minimizing plaques is even more important than usual. Where indicated ( as in my case), statin therapy reduces triglyceride and LDL levels......0
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The Mayo clinic DASH diet, specifically designed to lower blood pressure.
You have a lot of good ideas. Olive oil is good as long as it is not cooked at high heat. Use it in salad dressings, balsamic bread dips, things like that.
To overcome his overeating at the table, serve portioned plates at the table without bowls for refills. Except for a big salad. He can eat as much salad as he likes.
Exercise will help him lower blood pressure too. Can you get him in to a walking routine?0 -
By the way, I was on blood pressure medication for years but with significant weight loss I no longer need medication. As another person has noted though, exercise has reaped me even better results.0
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My blood pressure was really out of whack. I've dropped 40 pounds, keep my daily sodium intake under 2300mg and eat lots of foods that are naturally high in potassium. My doctor is pleased with what I'm doing and for now, no meds. Search the American Heart Association website for the 'salty six' to avoid.
Thank you! Sodium intake and weight loss really does make a difference.0 -
Of_Monsters_and_Meat wrote: »I didn't hear any mention of Cholesterol. Using turkey and chicken instead of beef is an easy one.
Also cut out a lot of oils and such. Sounds like you got some great advice so far.
Yes, i think we'll start buying less pork and moreon chicken, since we dont really like beef. As for the oily foods, ill lessen it but it can be inevitable at times since he'll start to protest if i cut it off immediately.
Thank you!0
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