High blood pressure is quite common in India. It is a condition that poses risks of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure occurs when the force of your blood pushing against artery walls is too high. In case you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, the doctor will prescribe some medicines at first to bring your numbers down. But by and large, you need to improve your lifestyle, maintain a healthy weight, and be physically active to avoid high blood pressure risks. A healthy lifestyle may even help you get off medications for hypertension. This article talks about some natural remedies that can help keep your blood pressure under control.
Natural remedies to keep high blood pressure under control
1. Maintain a healthy weight and watch your waistline to prevent hypertension
Blood pressure is often found to increase with an increase in weight. Being overweight can also disrupt your sleep cycle, which can further elevate blood pressure. An active lifestyle measure to keep your weight under control is to lose weight. According to MayoClinic, your blood pressure is likely to come down by 1 mm Hg with each kg of weight loss. Also, keep an eye on your waistline as carrying too much weight around your waist can increase the risk of high blood pressure.
2. Exercise regularly and keep yourself physically active
People with high blood pressure should make sure they do 150 minutes of medium-intensity exercise and 90 minutes of high-intensity exercise every week. Exercising regularly can help in preventing hypertension and keeping high blood pressure under control. It is also essential to keep yourself physically active for the rest of the day. Do not sit in the same place for long hours. Keep moving whenever possible. Include walking, jogging, swimming, and dancing in your fitness routine to prevent high blood pressure.
3. Eat healthily
Diet plays a massive role in terms of determining high blood pressure. Reduce consumption of salt to a bare minimum. Avoid the use of processed, packaged, and junk foods. They are packed with sodium and other preservatives that can contribute to elevated levels of blood pressure. Also, include potassium-rich foods in your diet as they can negate the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Banana, avocado, oranges, apricots, dried fruits, prunes, and raisins are all examples of high potassium foods that can keep blood pressure under control.
4. Cut down on alcohol and quit smoking
Poor lifestyle habits like regularly drinking alcohol, and regular tobacco is hazardous for high blood pressure patients. Alcohol not only increases blood pressure but also nullifies the effects of hypertension medicines. Smoking can increase your blood pressure after several minutes of smoking a cigarette. Smoking causes cancer, and you must quit smoking as soon as you can.
5. Take less stress
Being chronically stressed can be harmful to high blood pressure patients. Change your attitude towards stress causing problems. Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho says that it is not essential to react to every stressful situation that you come across in your life. Learn to ignore them and take things lightly. Have a positive outlook and engage in activities of your choice to feel less stressed and prevent hypertension.
