Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication. High blood pressure-also, known as hypertension or “the silent killer”-affects 1 in 3 adult Americans, or roughly 67 million people, and that number only continues to grow. 90-95% of cases are known as primary hypertension, which is hypertension with no underlying medical cause. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a serious health problem that can lead to heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. A blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or above is considered high.

Do you know?

• Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg.
• Pre-hypertension is systolic pressure that’s between 120 to 139 or diastolic pressure between 80 and 89.
• Stage 1 hypertension is systolic pressure between 140 to 159 or diastolic pressure between 90 and 99 mmHg or higher.
• Stage 2 hypertension is systolic pressure higher than 160 or diastolic pressure of 100 or higher.

 To reduce hypertension what should we do?

1. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises your blood pressure. Obesity and diabetes can cause secondary hyper tension.
2. Exercise regularly Regular physical activity — at least 30 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again.
3. Eat a healthy diet Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg. This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
4. Reduce sodium in your diet Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. When you buy packed food items and snacks read label to understand salt amount in the package and understand how much salt goes per serving.
5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg (Mercury)
6. Practice Yoga & Meditation To keep mind calm one need to practice and be ready for any situations in life. Yoga and meditation helps our body and mind to be prepared for various life situations.

Common Home remedies that are in practice for Hypertension:

• Add 1 teaspoon of honey in 1 glass of boiled and cooled water. Drink it in the early morning regularly.
• Drink watermelon juice with pinch of cardamom and coriander powder.
• Eat cucumber with all your meals.
• Prepare moong dal soup with pinch of turmeric, cumin seeds and coriander. Drink this regularly before dinner.
• Drink freshly prepared peach juice with pinch of cardamom and 1 tsp of coriander powder twice a day.
• Soak 1 or 2 rudraksha beads in a glass of water overnight and drink in early morning.
• Include more garlic and ginger in your cooking.
• Boil 1 tsp of coriander seeds in 1 glass of water and drink instead of normal tea.
• Lemons: Lemons help keep blood vessels soft and pliable and by removing any rigidity, high blood pressure will be reduced. In addition, you can help lower your chance of heart failure by consuming lemon juice regularly, due to its vitamin C content. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals.
• Garlic: Several studies have demonstrated blood pressure lowering effects of garlic. Both raw and cooked garlic help control high blood pressure and at the same time reduce cholesterol levels. Garlic helps relax blood vessels by stimulating the production of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide.
• Banana : Bananas are one fruit that people with high blood pressure can eat regularly to control it. Bananas are a rich source of potassium, which lessens the effect of sodium.
• Coconut Water: People with high blood pressure must keep their bodies well hydrated. It is a good idea to drink eight to 10 glasses of water daily. Coconut water is particularly beneficial for lowering blood pressure.

This article is for educational purpose only. If you and your near ones have hypertension please contact your physician and get proceed with treatment as suggested by your physician.

Imagecourtesy: Image by Antonio Corigliano from Pixabay