Lowering blood pressue with food and exercise

Sweet_Intensity
Sweet_Intensity Posts: 11 Member
edited November 23 in Food and Nutrition
Any one else out there battling hypertension and looking to lower blood pressure with food and exercise (in conjunction with a weight loss program)?

I know that body fluid balance is an important factor and that balancing sodium and potassium intake can do wonders to help lower blood pressure.

Any links to articles, tips, suggestions or recipes would be most welcome.

Thanks

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You may or may not be able to normalize your blood pressure with diet and exercise. I'm hypertensive and losing 40 Lbs combined with regular exercise allowed me to reduce my meds, but I'm still on them...but, before I lost weight and started exercising, my meds still had me around 140/90...with weight loss and regular exercise and reduced medication I'm around 118/78, so it's definitely helped.

    I just focus on eating largely whole foods and preparing my meals from scratch, whole ingredients or minimally processed food goods and watch my sodium...that said, losing weight and regular exercise is going to have far more impact than any particular food.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,899 Member
    I have seen many patients who rely on your way of thinking and it never goes down enough to not cause eventual damage.
    Genetics plays a key roll too! If you have a prexisting condition that could play a roll. If you smoke and and are a habitual drinker, another roll. Some can rely on weight loss...diet and exercise but many others cannot and must take meds! Thats okay but protection of those kidneys are key!
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  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    FWIW, my BP dropped from pre-hypertensive by the old standards (hypertensive by the new) at over 130/90 to at or below normal at 110/60 after losing 38# from 196 to 158 and dropping my BF from over +20% to a
    10-12% by means of diet control and exercise. So, I believe that losing weight and BF can directly contribute to a reduction in BP.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    My blood pressure used to be 140/80 and up. I tried improving it (and blood lipid problems) via activity and food choices. Very limited success.

    Losing 50+ pounds, down to a healthy weight, brought it down to (typically) around 115-120/70ish. And my lipids are solidly in the normal range.

    I don't, AFAIK, have a genetic predisposition to either of those problems, though. Not everyone will have the same results I did.
  • Iamnotasenior
    Iamnotasenior Posts: 235 Member
    Yes. You can definitely reduce high blood pressure through a combination of losing weight, exercising regularly, reducing the amount of sodium and caffeine you consume and getting enough potassium in your diet. That said, until you do reduce your blood pressure to at or below 120 over 80, continue to take your meds until your doctor says you don't need them anymore. High blood pressure can damage your kidneys, heart and brain (stroke) so it's important to control it until you can make health changes.
  • justlog
    justlog Posts: 125 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You may or may not be able to normalize your blood pressure with diet and exercise. I'm hypertensive and losing 40 Lbs combined with regular exercise allowed me to reduce my meds, but I'm still on them...but, before I lost weight and started exercising, my meds still had me around 140/90...with weight loss and regular exercise and reduced medication I'm around 118/78, so it's definitely helped.

    I just focus on eating largely whole foods and preparing my meals from scratch, whole ingredients or minimally processed food goods and watch my sodium...that said, losing weight and regular exercise is going to have far more impact than any particular food.

    Very similar situation with me as well. Helped reduce the dosage significantly... still need them.
  • gengenito
    gengenito Posts: 1 Member
    I'm in my 30s, has a family history of hypertension, and now borderline hypertensive that occasionally goes up. What I found to help in terms of meal prep is to substitute salt with spices like an Italian mix. You can definitely tell the lack of salt but overtime you get used to it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    In order of effectiveness in lowering my blood pressure;
    1. Lost significant weight
    2. Exercise (lowered my heart rate most of all, but that's all got to be good, right?)
    3. Reduced salt diet

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20048456
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Oh, and PS. V8 low sodium is vile. I'd rather chew on a raw parsnip.
  • GuyWinton
    GuyWinton Posts: 19 Member
    My typical diet reflected here. It doesn't vary much due to the limited low-sodium choices. BTW I'm single so I just do what I choose to...
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    3r09uw7kdhqj.jpg

  • Sweet_Intensity
    Sweet_Intensity Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you all for your thoughtful advice. Very much appreciated.
  • Carl_Carlson
    Carl_Carlson Posts: 85 Member
    Two years ago I was a hypertensive, 65 year old power lifter (250 Lb weight class). I switched from "Big Eating & Big Lifting", quit power lifting and took up a vegetarian (albeit not a strict one) cyclist's lifestyle. I Lost almost 30 lbs of fat and muscle and recently was taken off of blood pressure medications. I ride a bike 150 miles a week and spend two days in the gym a week lifting light weights to prevent "Cyclists Osteoporosis".
  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
    I've been more or less low-sodium since late 2002 after kidney failure and congestive heart failure. Diet plays a big role in it (there's surprise sodium in weird places), losing weight helped, exercise helps, but in my case I'll still be on blood-pressure meds forever.
  • watchdezshrink
    watchdezshrink Posts: 11 Member
    I am doing this to lower my blood pressure as well, also for vanity...mine goes all over the place! I also have anxiety, which effects it. My goal is to get odd meds, but if i cant then at least have it lower naturally and with help of meds.
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