High blood pressure has a lot to do with your diet and lifestyle. So besides reducing your sodium intake it's important you check what you eat. And that's where we come in.
Healthy eating can play an essential role in warding off high blood pressure. But many fear that a blood-pressure-lowering diet involves bland, unseasoned foods and deprivation. That's far from the truth.
Here's a list of 10 foods that are easy to find, delicious, nourishing, healthy, can lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Banana : These portable, easy-peel fruits aren't just sweet and low in sodium; they're also rich in potassium which helps lower blood pressure. To incorporate more bananas into your diet- add it to your cereal, cake, bread, smoothies and milkshakes. Or try grilling or sauteing banana halves, then top it with a scoop of frozen yogurt.
- Spinach: This green leafy delight is low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with nutrients like potassium, folate, magnesium - key ingredients for lowering and maintaining blood pressure levels. Did you know that half a cup of cooked spinach provides around 12% of an adult's recommended daily calcium intake? Need an easy way to eat more of this great green? Add fresh spinach leaves to salads or sandwiches.
- Celery: Medicine practitioners have used celery for reducing high blood pressure for ages! Research has shown that eating as few as four celery stalks a day can reduce high blood pressure. It contains phytochemicals known as phthalides that relax the muscle tissue in the artery walls, enabling increased blood flow and, in turn, lowering blood pressure.
- Oatmeal: Eating a diet high in fiber & whole grains helps your body maintain a healthy blood pressure and oatmeal does just that! It helps reduce both your systolic and diastolic pressure. This low-sodium food can be prepared as a hot cereal and topped with fruit or used in pancakes. You can also add it to many baked goods.
- Avocados: The oleic acid found in avocados can reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Avocados also contain potassium and folate, which both essential for heart health. It is rich in vitamins A, K, B & E and are loaded with fiber.
- Watermelon: It contains an amino acid called L-citrulline, which has proven to lower blood pressure. Watermelon is a heart health promoting food loaded with fiber, lycopenes, vitamin A and potassium. All these nutrients have blood pressure-lowering effects. Add this delectable fruit to your diet and wait for the magic to happen!
- Beetroot: This crimson root veggie is rich in nitrates, which is thought to relax blood vessels and improve blood flow. Drinking a glass of beet juice can yield a five-point drop in blood pressure, according to a 2012 Australian study. The effect might be even greater over the long term if they are drinking it day upon day. Yes, beetroot juice lowers systolic blood pressure in just a few hours
- Sunflower Seeds: Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E, folic acid, protein and fiber. Just a handful of sunflower seeds help to lower your blood pressure and promote your heart-health. They are also a great source of magnesium and they make a nutritious snack - but be sure to buy them unsalted in order to minimize your sodium intake.
- Oranges: This super rich vitamin fruit - is another food you must indulge in to lower your blood pressure. Opt in for a glassful of orange juice or eat the whole fruit to load yourself with fiber and vitamin C.
- Carrots: The cure for high BP might be one carrot away! Carrots are high in potassium and beta-carotene which have been shown to be effective in reducing high blood pressure. Carrot juice also helps maintain normal blood pressure by regulating heart and kidney functions.
High blood pressure can be reduced with healthy eating and a balanced lifestyle before it gets too late. A nutritious diet and exercise is the key.
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