Diet to lower High (DIA) Blood Pressure in young people ?

ThatDoll
ThatDoll Posts: 37 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Helllo~! I'm 19 years old, 5'8 and 160lbs. High Blood Pressure runs in my family :( Both my parents, their parents (one of my grandad actually passed from a heart attack), all of their siblings, a cousin of mine (because he drinks) and my brother all suffer from high blood pressure and high cholesterol :(. The worst case is my brother because he's 24 and he's already taking daily medication (if he misses one day, he'll have a high reading the next). Because of this, he's having kidney problems and his liver is slightly troubling (his old medicine slightly damaged them).
For some years (I'd say 4), I've been having high readings (During summer or when I get a sinus infection). Today, I had another bad reading (It usually starts with a headache) and it really scared me :(.
I don't wanna end up like my brother or the rest of my family :(
I don't log on MFP with this account. I created it back in 2011 and I totally forgot about it so I made another one (which I deleted to protect my privacy from this person) and now I found out about it so I don't have to make a new one !
I think my problem is the amount of Carbs (specially sugar) and Sat Fat I eat. I eat soooooo many sweets and I can't live without rice!
Are there users who've successfully lowered their high blood pressure by changing their diet and routine??
I really would appreciate the help!! I don't wanna have heart problems so young :( Just thinking about it makes me wanna cry :'(.
Which foods should I avoid ?? and which should I eat plenty of???

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    There is no set formula as everyone has a different goal they want.
    Tomorrow eat less than you ate today.
    Track everything. You will see what you can reduce.

    For some people not eating sweets and switching to nutrient rich foods helps in the weight loss journey.
  • SydNyd
    SydNyd Posts: 11 Member
    Well, your BMI is perfectly healthy, for one thing, but if you're worried about your health, I'd say to avoid all fried foods, junk foods, refined sugar, and meat. I hate to be all preachy vegan here, but meat, especially red meat, is one of the worst things for your blood pressure. If it's hard, then if you give up steak first, and see how you feel, and then stick to just chicken and fish for a while, it'll be a lot easier. Replace things slowly, like for example switch out pork for vegan pulled port (jackfruit + barbeque sauce… its scary how similar the texture is!) Another thing that can help is yoga. It's really good in calming your body down, especially if you meditate along with the positions. Make sure you're drinking enough water, too!
    And lastly, I know that you're concerned about giving up dessert, but never fear, because there are actual HEALTHY desserts!
    One of my favorites in raw vegan pie, which tastes like rainbows and mermaid magic.
    To make it, you blend walnuts in your blender until it's like crumbly flour, but not so it turns into walnut butter. Then, mix in maple syrup with your hands (maple syrup, by the way, is one of the healthiest sweeteners on earth; it's a great source of magnesium!) and form the dough into a pie crust shape on a plate. Then, arrange sliced fruit (mangoes, blackberries, oranges, or cinnamon and apples are the nicest combinations) and devour!
  • SydNyd
    SydNyd Posts: 11 Member
    Oh! Eating plenty of!
    Okay, the best thing I can recommend is to make a raw BEET juice and drink it for breakfast!! Beets are AMAZING for your heart and blood, and adding lemon and ginger will help detox your body. I also like to add an apple to sweeten it. Make sure you drink it right away, otherwise it'll turn to sugar!
    I also like to add a raw vegan organic protein powder to my juices. Juicing is excellent. It gets all the nutrients to your body quicker than when you would eat them.

    Another thing…. I would make another one of your meals JUST fruits and/or vegetables. Make sure you're eating plenty of nutrients!
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    I had high blood pressure issues at about your age and younger due to a medication I was taking, the advice the doctor gave my parents was to not add salt to what I was eating and to not eat excessively salted foods such as country ham or that shaved meat stuff. Watch the processed foods to those tend to have a ton of salt as well. I would also advise discussing all of this with your doctor and find out what he/she recommends.

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