High blood pressure is something that you’ll want to try to avoid as much as possible – it can lead to all kinds of nasty problems, including heart disease and stroke, and it’s a sure sign that something is wrong.
Of course, sometimes high blood pressure can’t be helped; when you work out and exercise, your blood pressure will increase, and the same is true if you’re in pain, for example, but for the most part, this is a fleeting issue, and your blood pressure will soon go back to normal. The real problem comes when it’s high more times than not, and if it takes a long time to go back to normal once your blood pressure rises. That’s why it can lead to real health problems that can be disastrous. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to avoid high blood pressure.
Eat Healthily
Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet can solve a lot of your health problems, and put you on the right track again if you’ve been feeling unwell, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to find that having the right diet can make a difference when it comes to your blood pressure as well.
There’s more to a good diet than just eating a lot of fruit and veg (although that will always be a positive thing to do); when you want to lower your blood pressure, there are some very specific things to consider. One of the most important of those things is to reduce how much salt you’re eating – that can definitely raise your blood pressure, so it’s wise to look for low-sodium ingredients and not add any additional salt to your food. You can also make sure you eat more potassium, which you can find in things like bananas, spinach, and avocados. Doing both those things and adding a moringa supplement to your daily diet will really make a difference.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
When you’re eating a healthy diet, your weight will generally be good too, but it’s important to make sure you’re maintaining a healthy weight anyway because being overweight can certainly be a factor in giving you high – unhealthy – blood pressure.
A good diet is crucial, but exercise is important as well, so it’s a good idea to create a routine for yourself that includes regular exercise – ideally you’ll want to exercise for around 20 minutes every day, and when you think of it like that, it’s not really all that much. You can definitely go for more if you want to, but if you aim for 20 minutes, that’s a great start, especially if you’re not used to doing a lot of exercise. The great thing is that exercise doesn’t have to mean going to a gym for a hard workout if you’d prefer not – it can be a brisk walk or a swim or working out at home, for example. Find what works for you, and get your weight in check to help lower your blood pressure.
Stop Smoking
Smoking is a bad habit for all kinds of reasons; it smells, it stains your teeth yellow (and your fingers too), it makes you look older than you are, and, of course, it causes cancer – as well as many other diseases and conditions. One of those conditions is high blood pressure, and that’s down to the fact that smoking narrows your arteries, so your blood has a more difficult time flowing through, and the pressure builds up.
The solution? Quit smoking! We know it’s far easier said than done, but it’s well worth putting in the effort and doing what you can to quit this nasty and potentially life-shortening habit. You can speak to a therapist or doctor, you can try alternatives like gum or patches, or perhaps hypnosis might do the trick – do whatever works for you sooner rather than later.
Stress Less
Just like telling someone to simply stop smoking isn’t helpful by itself, telling someone to stress less is just as tricky, but, just like quitting smoking, being less stressed in life can really make a difference to your overall health, and specifically your blood pressure.
The more stressed you are, the higher your blood pressure gets, so the best thing to do is to remove yourself from whatever the stressful situation is and lower your blood pressure that way. If that’s not possible (or it’s going to take some time), then you’ll need to reduce your stress in other ways, like getting a massage, listening to music, taking a bath, exercising, doing a fun hobby, or anything else that helps you feel happy and relaxed. If nothing helps, the best thing to do is see your doctor for advice.