What helped you most in reducing blood pressure?
endoftheside
Posts: 568 Member
I have lost about 40 pounds now and have about 30 more to go. A lot of my health markers have improved quite a bit, but my blood pressure hasn't come down as much as I would have hoped.
I know I need to get more regular exercise and that is in the works. Meditation is something I've done on occasion, I could make that more a more regular occurrence.
I have been under an incredible amount of stress recently (my mom was in an accident and ended up passing away a week later ) so I am sure that is not helping.
Any tips would be appreciated, and I'll probably need some science to back it up if I don't want to hear what you are saying. :laugh: :flowerforyou:
I know I need to get more regular exercise and that is in the works. Meditation is something I've done on occasion, I could make that more a more regular occurrence.
I have been under an incredible amount of stress recently (my mom was in an accident and ended up passing away a week later ) so I am sure that is not helping.
Any tips would be appreciated, and I'll probably need some science to back it up if I don't want to hear what you are saying. :laugh: :flowerforyou:
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Replies
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Increase of Potassium rich foods. Decrease in sodium.0
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Low sodium diet. I brought my blood pressure down from dangerously high on medication to middle range of normal by completely changing my diet to low sodium. The bad news is, you will have to completely give up most processed foods, cook most of your food and religiously read nutrition labels.
The big culprits are bread and baked good, boxed dinners, TV dinners and meat. Potato chips have less salt than most commercial bread. Places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are your friends, but you're going to have to learn to be extra mindful of what you eat. 1500mg of sodium a day is not easy.0 -
losing weight I guess and lowering sodium intake0
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Prescription medication0
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Losing weight and limiting sodium, for sure.0
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Quitting smoking, watching sodium, losing weight and medication. There is a genetic aspect to it too I believe. I've done what I can.0
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As many have said, losing weight and watching sodium. I try to be at or under 1500mg a day. My NP recommended the DASH diet.0
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I am so sorry for your mom's passing. It is always hard to lose a parent.
There is debate as to the role sodium plays, if any. Calcium/Magnesium supplementation works for some. Raw garlic taken daily, if you can stand it, is supposed to help. I've been on medication and still have high pressure, nothing seems to help much. It is frustrating.0 -
All of the above and BEETROOT. It's amazing how it works. On one of my regular BP checks my BP had dropped considerably so I went through the things I had done differently that week. I realized I had eaten a lot of fresh beetroot that week. I researched and sure enough, it is known to reduce blood pressure. Try it. I roast them or grate them fresh. Delicious.0
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Turn your back on processed foods; they are easy to eat but hard on our bodies.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I hope you will find the support you need here.0 -
And try some relaxation techniques alongside the low sodium diet - meditation; yoga; Tai chi; guided relaxation - all can help with the stress contribution to your blood pressure.
formal relaxation (i.e. more than just sitting chilling) helps to calm down your autonomic responses - the fight or flight response that helps us deal with threats but aren't much help when the threat is stress. It's not the same as resting, sleeping or "relaxing" like sitting with a book.
You know that feeling you get in your chest when someone pops a balloon or you go to step off the pavement and a car wizzes past? That sudden constriction in your chest, you gasp, and fireworks go off in your head? That's the fight or flight response, and if it's something like a car it's useful because it sharpens your responses, your vision, readies your muscles, so you can leap out of the way or attack the threat.
But when the "threat" is things like bereavement, relationships, unhappiness, too many demands and so on, then the fight or flight response is unhelpful as you don't tend to need to run away or attack when confronted with those threats, so the build up can eventually cause you problems - like high blood pressure (among others).
There's all kinds of relaxation techniques - some will suit you better than others, so it's worth exploring them a bit. I started with yoga, and we used to always finish the sessions with relaxation and breathing exercises. You can join classes, or get the CDs. Guided relaxations can be deeply relaxing if that's what works for you. Something like Tai Chi would be better if you don't like to spend too much time in your own head and need something physical to focus on.
Good luck xxxx0 -
Walking & swimming every day0
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High blood pressure is one of the reason why Im dieting, ive been given a period of grace to see if I can make lifestyle changes to reduce blood pressure before being put on medication. I dont drink or smoke, but I am overweight. Obviously losing weight is going to take time, but the 2 things which had an immediate effect were to keep my salt intake to under 6g a day and to switch to decaffinated tea and coffee. There are no guarantess that losing weight will bring blood pressure down, but im hoping it will make a further reduction. Walking everyday also helps, but stress is probably the worst culprit of them all, you may not be able to change your circumstances, but its imperative you change your response to stress.0
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Low sodium diet. I brought my blood pressure down from dangerously high on medication to middle range of normal by completely changing my diet to low sodium. The bad news is, you will have to completely give up most processed foods, cook most of your food and religiously read nutrition labels.
The big culprits are bread and baked good, boxed dinners, TV dinners and meat. Potato chips have less salt than most commercial bread. Places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are your friends, but you're going to have to learn to be extra mindful of what you eat. 1500mg of sodium a day is not easy.
I have cut my sodium levels from 2500 down to 1500, some days I don't even hit 1000. You are right about bread, never realized how much sodium is in 1 pita (440 mg), gave that up. I bought some artisan bread rolls from Trader Joe's today, 240 mg of sodium, something I could live with. Wholefoods bread is high in sodium, love their prairie bread, but had to give that up. I use a lot of no salt seasoning, especially one from Costco and McCormick Italian herb seasoning. I cook all my food from scratch, hardly ever eat out and it have worked to date.0 -
All of the above and BEETROOT. It's amazing how it works. On one of my regular BP checks my BP had dropped considerably so I went through the things I had done differently that week. I realized I had eaten a lot of fresh beetroot that week. I researched and sure enough, it is known to reduce blood pressure. Try it. I roast them or grate them fresh. Delicious.
Thanks, I bought some beets today for another reason (its really cleans out my colon), but if it helps with my blood pressure I am all for it.0 -
Reduced my weight, salt intake. Just overall eating much better.0
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Eating Beet root or its juice intake really helps. I have seen it work on some of my friends that have tried it. Again too much juice can have a strong cleansing effect, so drink it in moderation.0
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Talk to your doctor. That's the best way to find out the best plan for you. Everyone is different, and what works for someone else may not work for you. I find that sodium intake has absolutely no effect on my blood pressure, something that I worked through with my doctor. But losing weight has made a HUGE difference. And now I'm off the prescription meds.
But if it comes down to living with it being high or taking meds to control it, take the meds! It is not safe to live with elevated blood pressure, even for a little while.0 -
Thanks everyone. A lot of good things to try.0
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I'm also striving to avoid blood pressure meds- I've tried lots of them and they all make me feel horrible- so I researched the web, and stopped all added sugar, grain, salt, and dairy. I base my meals on egg whites, veggies, nuts, and fruit, usually berries but sometimes other fruit.
I also drink Hibiscus tea every day.
I will research beets and add them if the research is solid.
I've lost 30 pounds and my BP is now typically about 115/65.0
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