Lowering High Blood Pressure

I so agree with the above poster about sodium!
* And know that EVERY single processed food & MOST food at restaurants are loaded with excess sodium (SALT by only one of it's names)!
* If you can bump him down to 2000 mg of sodium even better - but it takes effort for sure. I do not have salt in my home for cooking, no salt shakers, not even onion or garlic SALT. My husband and I have both worked in cardiology for years and have seen the wreckage of the human body as it relates to sodium.
* Best wishes - it will take some time to change taste buds in order to stop craving salt.

Deli/processed meats are notoriously high in sodium. If you use frozen entrees, even the "healthy" ones, in many cases, the sodium is also higher than you want to have for one meal. You need to become a label reader. Based on my experience, Healthy Choice and some of the Lean Cuisine line are relatively good. Smart Ones, you really have to watch as they tend to be higher. The Eating Right line from Safeway also has some good options. If you set a limit of 650 mg of sodium for any frozen entree, you will find there are still many options available.

If you are not using frozen entrees, I am not suggesting you start. I will, however, say that if you are trying to learn portion control, they can help with that process.

Exercise WILL help the BP drop. I was on meds for 9 years. I lost 50 lbs. and walked regularly, and my doctor took me off the meds!!!:drinker: :drinker:

Good luck!!

my dr told me excercise at least 20 - 30 mins at LEAST 3 X per week. Walk, walk, walk is w hat he actually told me. My meds make my blood pressure high too! But my father has just reduced his meds for the same thing by excercising more than he was before.

I am going to the dr to check mine again tomorrow.

Stewie,
Another suggestion I can make is do a websearch for the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). There are numerous websites with information, and the guidelines should help you make dietary changes that will achieve the results you and your hubby are seeking.

Lily, it isn't as hard as you might think. Take the salt shaker away from your hubby. (There are salt substitutes to help him adjust.) Become a label reader. You would be amazed at the amount of sodium in processed food. If you haven't already done so, make sure sodium is one of the things you are tracking on your MFP diary, and while you are at it, MFP sets sodium a little higher than what is appropriate for someone w/ HBP, so customize your settings and reset your sodium to 2000 mg per day. Ideally, you should shoot for 1500 mg per day, but you may have to work up to that.

Good luck. Remember, if you reduce your sodium consumption, do regular cardio exercise, and lose weight if that is something that needs to be done, there is an EXCELLENT chance you can get rid of the meds and make your doctor very happy.

Don't forget to google the DASH diet--great info--lots of recipes, etc. available online.

On the other side of Sodium is Potassium. You want to lower sodium intake and make sure you are getting enough potassium. Fresh fruit and veggies are great sources. Bananas, Potatoes (with skin), and orange juice are chocked full of potassium. I also agree with the above to avoid processed foods. As I transitioned to this type of diet a few years ago, I found there was some great tasting food to be discovered.