Six Natural Ways to Balance Your Blood Pressure & Keep You Healthy
High blood pressure is one of the most common chronic conditions in the world and is also known as hypertension. It is a medical condition that happens when your blood pressure consistently stays above what’s considered healthy. High blood pressure increases your risk of having a stroke, coronary artery disease, or heart failure. If left untreated, high blood pressure can also lead to severe consequences such as blindness, renal failure, and premature death. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help ease the effects of high blood pressure and keep it from getting worse. Read on to learn more about the six natural ways to balance your blood pressure and keep you healthy.
Exercise regularly
Exercise is one of the best ways to lower your blood pressure, and it has a lot of other health benefits as well. It can be challenging to fit regular exercise into your lifestyle, but it’s important to remember that small changes can make a big impact. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, try creating an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle and schedule. You can walk, do yoga, or strength train using household items like water jugs or grocery bags to make it more convenient. You don’t have to do hours of exercise to see results. Just 30 minutes of physical activity a few times a week can make a difference. Exercise also lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, which may help prevent or manage diabetes and its complications. It can also lower cholesterol and triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, which can protect against heart disease and stroke. Regular exercise can also help you maintain a healthy weight, which can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Eat a healthy diet
You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Eating a healthy diet can help lower your blood pressure and make other health benefits easier to achieve. While there are many different diets out there, each with its own list of pros and cons, a healthy diet will generally include lots of fruits and vegetables and fewer processed or unhealthy foods. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure. There are a couple of ways this can happen. First, certain vitamins and minerals found in these foods have been shown to lower blood pressure. Second, a diet high in produce is also typically low in sodium and rich in potassium, both of which can help lower blood pressure. Ensuring that you are fueling your body with nutrient dense vitamins should be a priority when it comes to lowering blood pressure. Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Magnesium and antioxidant-rich supplmenets like Quercetin all contain natural healing properties to balance out your bodily functions.
Stay hydrated
Healthy blood flow depends on adequate hydration. When you don’t drink enough water, your blood thickens, making it more difficult for your heart to pump it around your body. This can lead to a spike in blood pressure. The best way to prevent this is by drinking a healthy amount of water each day. You should aim to drink eight glasses of water a day. People often don’t drink enough water, which can lead to a variety of health complications. Drinking enough water can help with everything from low energy levels to joint pain and headaches. If you’re not sure how much water you should drink each day, try tracking how much you drink for a few days. You should aim to finish at least three-quarters of a cup of water with each meal, plus another eight cups throughout the rest of the day.
Manage your stress and anxiety
There is some evidence that stress and anxiety can lead to high blood pressure. If you’re under a lot of stress or regularly experience anxiety, you may want to try some stress-reducing techniques. One of the simplest ways to reduce stress is through meditation. There are lots of different meditation techniques out there, but they all have the same goal—to relax your mind and body. If you have a more serious anxiety disorder, you may want to talk to a doctor about medication or therapy. Therapy can teach you new coping skills to help you deal with stress more effectively in the future. Medication can also help you manage stress and anxiety, but it’s important to talk to your doctor first and make sure it’s right for you.
Watch your caffeine and salt intake
While no one food or drink will lower your blood pressure or prevent it from rising, certain items may contribute to it. Caffeine is a commonly known culprit of quick blood pressure rises. The amount of caffeine you consume can vary from person to person. While coffee is a popular source of caffeine, caffeine can also be found in tea and other drinks. Try to limit your caffeine intake to one or two regular cups of coffee or two to three cups of tea per day. This will help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range without affecting it too severely. Salt is another food substance that can affect your blood pressure. Most people already consume more salt than they should, but if you’re at risk for high blood pressure, you should limit your salt intake even further.
Conclusion
High blood pressure is a common condition that can be managed through changes in diet and lifestyle. By making small changes, you can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure and the complications it causes. There’s no way to completely prevent high blood pressure, but you can take steps to lower your risk. Exercise, eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, managing your stress and anxiety, and watching your caffeine and salt intake can all help lower your blood pressure and keep you healthy.