Lowering Your Blood Pressure

Provided Courtesy of Nutrition411.com

Review Date 11/13 G-1073

Contributed by Shawna Gornick-Ilagan, MS, RD, CWPCUpdated by Nutrition411.com staff

Lower Blood

Pressure

Limit Alcohol

Maintain Healthy Weight

Avoid Smoking

Exercise Regularly

Limit Sodium

Manage Stress

Tips to Limit Sodium

Choose more:•Fresh fruit and vegetables•Breads•Cereals•Plain pasta or rice•Low-fat milk and yogurt•Fresh meat and poultry

How Much Sodium?

•Limit sodium to 2400 milligrams (mg)/day, or 1500 mg/day if you are older than 51 years of age, African American, or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease

Tips to Limit Sodium

Read labels and look for products that are:•Sodium free/salt free—less than 5

mg/serving•Very low sodium—35 mg or less/serving•Low sodium—140 mg or less/serving•Less, fewer, or reduced sodium—contain at

least 25% less sodium than comparable foods (always check labels because these foods sometimes are still high in sodium)

Tips to Limit Sodium (cont’d)

Choose salt-free seasonings:•Do not add salt when cooking or at the

table•Use herbs and spices to add flavor to your

foods•Avoid seasonings that contain salt, such

as:?̶Garlic salt?̶Seasoned salt

•Bacon•Barbecue sauce•Cheese spreads•Gravies•Ham•Hot dogs•Ketchup

•Luncheon meats•Meat sauce•Salad dressing•Salt pork•Sausage•Some other condiments •Soy sauce

Limit or Avoid These Foods

•Bouillon or broth•Canned sauces•Canned soups•Canned vegetables•Convenience foods (main course)—choose ones than contain less than 8 mg of sodium/serving

•Fast food•Frozen dinners•Packaged potatoes, rice, and stuffing mixes•Snack foods, such as chips and salted nuts•Tomato and vegetable juice (regular)

Other Foods That Are High in Sodium

Manage Your Stress

•If left unmanaged, stress can cause emotional, psychological, and physical problems:

?̶Heart disease?̶Blood pressure?̶Chest pain?̶Irregular heartbeat

•Stress also may cause you to:?̶Overeat?̶Exercise less?̶Have more of a tendency to smoke

Manage Your Stress (cont’d)

•Identify the stressor•Avoid hassles and minor irritations, if

possible•Try to continue doing the things that you

enjoyed doing before the change or stress occurred in your life

•Learn how to manage your time effectively•Do one thing at a time—take breaks•Ask for help if you need it

Avoid Smoking

•What if I told you I would pay you $2055 to quit smoking today?

?̶That is how much you would pay yourself in just 1 year (based on one pack/day at the average price of $5.63/pack)

Quitting Smoking: The Health Benefits

•Within 2 days: Improved sense of smell and taste

•1 to 3 months: Reduced coughing and relief of sore throat

•1 year: Risk of heart attack or sudden death cut in half

•2 to 3 years: Risk of heart attack (in people without cardiovascular disease) is as low as for lifelong nonsmokers

•5 to 10 years: Risk of stroke is that of a lifelong nonsmoker

Focus on Activity

•Exercise provides health to your heart, lungs, and circulation

•Moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity:

?̶30 minutes most days of the week at 50% to 85% maximum heart rate?̶Maximum heart rate for males=200‒age?̶Maximum heart rate for females=226‒age?̶Several sessions are fine—three 10-minute or two 15-minute sessions to equal 30 minutes

Focus on Activity (cont’d)

•Physical activity can reduce:?̶Blood pressure?̶Cigarette smoking?̶The chance of you getting diabetes?̶Extra body weight in the overweight/obese?̶Triglyceride levels

•Physical activity also can increase high-density lipoprotein and so much more

Limit Alcohol

•Moderate drinking is defined as:?̶No more than one drink/day for women?̶No more than two drinks/day for men

•Drinking more than three drinks/day is detrimental to heart function

•One drink is equal to:?̶12 fluid ounces (fl oz) of beer?̶12 fl oz of wine cooler?̶5 fl oz of wine?̶1.5 fl oz of 80-proof liquor

Maintain a Healthy Weight

•Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight can decrease your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein:

?̶Example: Losing 10 to 20 pounds for a 200-pound person

Maintain a Healthy Weight (cont’d)

•Lose weight by creating a calorie deficit:?̶Reduce portions?̶Try to use calorie-free beverages?̶Focus on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, and whole grains?̶Opt for the fat-free, sugar-free versions of foods?̶Read food labels?̶Eat three meals/day?̶Stay well hydrated

Maintain a Healthy Weight (cont’d)

•Aerobic activities burn the most calories:?̶Running?̶Swimming?̶Bicycling

•Strengthening activities also help build muscle

Questions?