Lower Blood Pressure

Keeping The Numbers In Line

Working diligently to lower blood pressure is also a testament to preventing one of the major early symptoms of diabetes. The metabolic syndrome, common in diabetic patients, includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugars and abnormally high cholesterol and triglycerides. All of these together are red "flags" that will lead to future diabetic complications.

What Is Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure is two numbers written as 120/80mnHg (millimeters of mercury). The first number is called the systolic pressure. This number represents the force your blood is pushing against the artery wall as your heart beats. The second number is called the diastolic pressure. It is a reading of the same force of blood against the wall except it is taken between heart beats (when there is less pressure- thus less force). An ideal reading for the normal adult is accepted as 120/80mmHg. Any normal adult with a reading over 140/90mmHg, it is recommended treatment programs be started.

Recommendations To Lower Blood Pressure

There is some practical lifestyle changes which can be made which help to reduce your blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension. Most doctors will recommend these first before a new medication regimen is started. Remember though, adding all of them is exceptional, any small changes you can make will ultimately only increase your chances of better control.

• Quit smoking. Smoking itself does not cause high blood pressure but it does lead to greater risks of heart disease. One of the symptoms of heart disease is high blood pressure.
• Lose some weight- for every 10 lbs you can lose, it is equivalent to the same control you will receive from another medication. Therefore by adding some whole grains, fruits and vegetables to your normal diet and you will slowly notice the weight is dropping off. A perfect breakfast would include some whole grains such as oatmeal, bran flakes or shredded what with added fresh berries for a double bonus.
• remove excess salt from your diet. Take away the salt shaker on the table and taste your food before you automatically salt it if you constantly use your salt shaker too freely. Be very careful what kind of pre-packaged or snack foods you are eating. Read the labels per serving size and try to keep your selections under 400 mg/serving.
• cook with spices instead of salt for flavoring
• use alcohol sparingly. This includes one drink per day for women and two drinks for men

• exercise your heart muscle by doing some type of aerobics workout (walking, swimming, bicycling etc). Exercise actually makes your heart beat faster and more forcefully but it strengthens the muscle which ultimately leads to less effort is expended
• try the new watermelon therapy principle to reduce your blood pressure readings naturally
• avoid canned vegetables and soups which are high in salt. If you must use the can, open the can and rinse the contents with water first before using.
• adding 4 cups of green tea every day as a beverage has shown proven reductions in the risks of heart disease such as lowering your systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings and raising your good cholesterol (HDL) levels while lowering your bad (LDL) cholesterol.
• add some fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries or raspberries) to your diet daily if possible. Each of these have anthocyanins which is a compound which has been proven to reduce blood pressure
• a good white russett baked potato has gotten so much bad press but actually it is a storehouse of potassium and magnesium. Both of these are necessary to maintain good healthy blood pressure levels and yet many people test low on both. Adding a baked potato to your diet occasionally can actually be good for your health now also. Get your blood tested occasionally to confirm your potassium,sodium and magnesium levels are all within their normal limits.
• An unusual selection because it is not often recommended is to drink one glass daily of unsweetened red beet juice. The nitrates in fresh beet juice will actually reduce your blood pressure within hours of digestion for most test subjects. Steer clear though of sweetened beet juice, especially if you are a diabetic.
• regular use of low-fat or nonfat milk products has been showing remarkable advantages to lowering blood pressure readings. It seems to be an accumulative effect over time, if you start adding some skim milk, low-fat yogurt or frozen yogurt etc. to your daily diet. Testing is still being done on this suggestion though so follow along closely with your health practitioner to monitor your results.
• a 1 oz square of 70 to 80% dark chocolate or raw 100% organic cocoa powder used 3-5 times per week will actually dilate the blood vessels which normalizes blood flow within the system. The high flavanoid contents of a good quality dark chocolate is a gift from mother nature. Now you may eat your chocolate as a diabetic and enjoy it too!

So pick and choose an assortment of diet and lifestyle changes which will fit into your daily life and with time you may even be able to reverse the downward slide and lower blood pressure without the aid of medication.

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*Disclaimer*
This site is not intended to replace the advice and supervision of your professional medical treatment plan. Although all of the information is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge, we still recommend you carefully check all food labels before consuming any food product. We can not assume any legal responsibility for any illness obtained while following the advice contained on this site.