[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you’ve been diagnosed with high ***** pressure, you might be worr*** about taking medication to bring your numbers down. Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high ***** pressure.
If you successfully control your ***** pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication. Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your ***** pressure and keep it down.
1. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline
***** pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises your ***** pressure. Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling ***** pressure.
Losing just 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help reduce your ***** pressure. Besides shedding pounds, you generally s**uld also keep an eye on your waistline. Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high ***** pressure.
In general:
- Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters).
- Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters).
- These numbers vary among ethnic groups. Ask your doctor about a healthy waist measurement for you.
SEE ALSO: Easy ways to lose weight without spending a shilling
READ: How to burn off that extra fat
2. Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity — at least 30 minutes most days of the week — can lower your ***** pressure by 4 to 9 m***imeters of mercury (mm Hg). It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your ***** pressure can rise again.
If you have slightly high ***** pressure (pre************), exercise can help you avoid developing full-****n ************. If you already have ************, regular physical activity can bring your ***** pressure down to safer levels.
The best types of exercise for lowering ***** pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Strength training also can help reduce ***** pressure. Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program.
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3. Eat a healthy ***t
Eating a ***t that is rich in w**le grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and c**lesterol can lower your ***** pressure by up to 14 mm Hg. This eating plan is known as the ***tary Approaches to Stop ************ (DASH) ***t.
It isn’t easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy ***t: Keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can shed surprising light on your true eating habits. Monitor what you eat, **w much, when and why.
Consider boosting pot***ium. Pot***ium can lessen the effects of sodium on ***** pressure. The best source of pot***ium is food, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements. Talk to your doctor about the pot***ium level that’s best for you. Be a smart s**pper. Read food labels when you s**p and stick to your healthy-eating plan when you’re dining out, too.
SEE: How to choose the right food for your body
4. Reduce sodium in your ***t
Even a small reduction in the sodium in your ***t can reduce ***** pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. The effect of sodium intake on ***** pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to less than 2,300 m***igrams (mg) a day or less. **wever, a lower sodium intake — 1,500 mg a day or less — is appropriate for people with greater salt sensitivity, including: Anyone age 51 or older, anyone diagnosed with high ***** pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney *******.
To decrease sodium in your ***t, consider these tips:
- Read food labels. If possible, c**ose low-sodium alternatives of the foods and beverages you normally buy.
Eat fewer processed foods. Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. Most sodium is added d****g processing. - Don’t add salt. Just 1 level teas**** of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Use herbs or ****es to add flavor to your food.
- Ease into it. If you don’t feel you can drastically reduce the sodium in your ***t suddenly, cut back gradually. Your palate w*** adjust over time.
SEE: How to use pepper to keep blood pressure away
5. Limit the amount of alco**l you drink
Alco**l can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your ***** pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg.
But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alco**l — generally more than one drink a day for women and for men older than age 65, or more than two a day for men age 65 and younger. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. Drinking more than moderate amounts of alco**l can actually raise ***** pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of ***** pressure medications.
READ: Make your own beer at home using this machine
6. Quit *******
Each ********* you smoke increases your ***** pressure for many minutes after you finish. Quitting ******* helps your ***** pressure return to normal. People w** quit *******, regardless of age, have substantial increases in life expectancy.
7. Cut back on caffeine
The role caffeine plays in ***** pressure is st*** debated. Caffeine can raise ***** pressure by as much as 10 mm Hg in people w** rarely consume it, but there is little to no strong effect on ***** pressure in habitual coffee drinkers.
Alt**ugh the effects of chronic caffeine ingestion on ***** pressure aren’t clear, the possibility of a slight increase in ***** pressure exists.
To see if caffeine raises your ***** pressure, check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated beverage. If your ***** pressure increases by 5 to 10 mm Hg, you may be sensitive to the ***** pressure raising effects of caffeine. Talk to your doctor about the effects of caffeine on your ***** pressure.
READ: Why Kenyan women live longer than their men
8. Reduce your stress
Chronic stress is an important contributor to high ***** pressure. Occasional stress also can contribute to high ***** pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alco**l or *******.
Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or ***ness. Once you know what’s causing your stress, consider **w you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can’t eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way. Try to:
- Change your expectations. Give yourself time to get things done. Learn to say no and to live within manageable limits. Try to learn to accept things you can’t change.
- Think about problems under your control and make a plan to solve them. You could talk to your boss about difficulties at work or to family members about problems at **me.
- Know your stress triggers. Avoid w****ver triggers you can. For example, spend less time with people w** bother you or avoid driving in rush-**ur traffic.
- Make time to relax and to do activities you enjoy. Take 15 to 20 minutes a day to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Try to intentionally enjoy what you do rather than hurrying through your “relaxing activities” at a stressful pace.
- Practice gra***ude. Expressing gra***ude to others can help reduce stressful t**ughts.
SEE ALSO: Seven lifestyle changes you must make to be successful in life
9. Monitor your ***** pressure at **me and see your doctor regularly
**me monitoring can help you keep tabs on your ***** pressure, make certain your lifestyle changes are working, and alert you and your doctor to potential health complications. ***** pressure monitors are available widely and wit**ut a prescription. Talk to your doctor about **me monitoring before you get started.
Regular visits with your doctor are also key to controlling your ***** pressure. If your ***** pressure is under control, you might need to visit your doctor only every six to 12 months, depending on other conditions you might have. If your ***** pressure isn’t well-controlled, your doctor w*** likely want to see you more frequently.
10. Get support
Supportive family and friends can help improve your health. They may encourage you to take care of yourself, drive you to the doctor’s office or embark on an exercise program with you to keep your ***** pressure low.
If you find you need support beyond your family and friends, consider joining a support group. This may put you in touch with people w** can give you an emotional or morale boost and w** can offer practical tips to cope with your condition. [source: Mayo Clinic]
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