I’ve talked with so many people who are dealing with elevated blood pressure.. so I felt that perhaps there are more of you out there looking for some ideas to get your own blood pressure under control!
I just wrote this list of ideas for an upcoming workshop and am sharing it with all of you here too.. read on for all sorts of easy ideas!
Ask if you have questions.. I’m here for you!
(PS.. working with me as your own personal health coach is a great way of figuring out how to make these lifestyle changes permanent in your own life! 🙂 ) Contact me and lets talk about how I can partner with you!
<>Diet is a key element in lowering blood pressure.. & following “clean eating” standards is the first step.
Clean Eating naturally removes “simple carb” sources, encourages minimally processed whole grains, seeds and complex carbs, as well as healthy fats , lean meat choices and of course includes eating lots of veggies (7-9 servings per day!) The Greener and the Leafier the better (see the blog titled Clean Eating 101 on this site for more specifics)
“Clean Eating” also supports the DASH recommendations “which may help prevent or help normalize high blood pressure”. DASH also encourages a diet low in sodium, and rich in foods containing potassium, calcium and magnesium.
(*if you are on the medication warfarin(Coumadin), make sure to double check with your doctor on potential drug/food interactions.. Warfarin (Coumadin) is the only anticoagulant that has these drug/food interactions. The other (newer) anticoagulants available do not have any food restrictions. )
In keeping with all of the above and the idea that “food is medicine” there are specific foods that naturally help to balance and lower blood pressure too!
- Salmon (wild caught)
- Olive oil (extra virgin organic)
- Beets and Beet juice (organic no sugar added)
- Pomegranates and pomegranate juice (organic no sugar added)
- Flax seed
- Pistachios
- Hibiscus tea
- Berries (organic)
- And DARK CHOCOLATE!! (Like 70% or more “dark”.. get at sprouts or central market as they have a good selection)
*watch the sugars in the beet and pomegranate juice.. consider drinking half a serving or less to keep sugar intake low
To help balance salt/potassium in your body seek foods that are particularly high in potassium which include:
- Vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Fruit, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges and apricots
- Dairy, such as milk and yogurt (grass-fed cows)
- Tuna and salmon (wild caught)
- Nuts and seeds (raw, no salt added and sprouted seeds)
- Beans (soaked and rinsed)
As a reminder, Clean Eating also points to lessening your sugar intake to 24 g or less per day . (so watch sugars in all foods/drinks including fruit.. of note, melon and berries are lower glycemic index fruits)
And the marker for salt is to keep sodium intake less than 2300mg/day is key. (less is even better! In fact, some guidelines point to less than 1500mg/day)
*(read those nutrition labels and pay attention to serving sizes .. Salt & Sugar is in EVERYTHING!)
<>If you are not already, incorporate physical activity into your life. 30 minutes of walking a day is a good example of level of effort and quantity of time to aim for at a minimum.. more is always a good thing! Water aerobics & swimming are excellent low/no impact exercises. (Whatever you choose, just remember to work it at a level that gets your heart rate up!)
<>Managing stress is a BIG DEAL.. the truth is that its very seldom that we can do anything to change the source of many stressors in our lives.. however we CAN change how we process and deal with that stress! Meditation, yoga, deep belly breathing & journaling are all super methods to look to.. or how about listening to calming music on that 30 minute walk each day? J Find what works for you and make it a regular habit..
<>Weight is another area.. and this gets more and more difficult with age.. however a loss of even 5% of your excess body weight has a big affect on lowering blood pressure! Happily… regular physical activity, decreased sugars and refined foods, and increased whole natural foods all help move toward healthy weights.. so this becomes a win win! J
<>Alcohol is an issue in elevated blood pressure.. and no.. drinking more alcohol is not a healthy way to deal with stress!!! So limiting your alcohol consumption will help to get your blood pressure levels back to a health range (120/80 or less)
<>Quitting smoking will naturally help lower blood pressure (as well as helping your entire body’s health!)
<>There is evidence that a healthy gut microbiome helps to balance blood pressure.. (honestly, a well balanced microbiome is critical to so many body system’s proper function that its worth your time and effort to help it along!) To get there, the first step is to understand that you just cannot ingest artificial sweeteners anymore.. (sucralose, aspartame, splenda, equal, sweetnlow etc).. these are all conclusively linked to killing off good gut bacteria and feeding bad bacteria.. to have “even a little artificial sweeteners“ will undo so much good work that you have done.. its just not worth it! To help your gut bacteria get healthy look to add in probiotics to your life.. whether by supplement *, food or both.
Sources of food that contains probiotics are “fermented foods and drink” .. like REAL sauerkraut and pickles (not vlasic! I’m talking about the home made kind!), kimchee is another source and also fermented dairy like kefir and yogurt (you can get coconut based of both if you are dairy intolerant) and drinks like Kambucha.. Also add in prebiotics (which feed the good gut bacteria) like onion, garlic, artichoke, asparagus, leeks, bananas, apples, oats, flax seed & seaweed to name a few).
*If you would like trusted sources of pharmaceutical grade probiotic supplements please see the resources tab on this site as I have 3 professional accounts that all offer excellent probiotics, plus other supplements and vitamins.
This is a “short list” of ideas .. while nothing is a guarantee… by following these suggestions.. you will be giving your body a fighting chance at healing in so many ways! I’ve taken all of this information from a myriad of sources and tried to condense it down for you. If you have questions, please ask!.. While I am NOT a doctor, nurse or dietician.. (& I encourage you to discuss any changes that you want to make with your doctor.) I AM a certified health coach and as such am available to you to be your sounding board, your accountability partner, your mirror and your guide as you seek to set goals and make these healthy shifts in your life! Call me! Lets talk!
Ps.. Some of the reference sources I used are:
Previous training from the Institute of integrative Nutrition Medicalnewstoday.com – 15 ways to naturally lower your blood pressure Healthline.com – 13 foods that are good for high blood pressure Hopkinsmedicine.org – natural ways to lower blood pressure