High blood pressure is one of the most common diseases in the world. Most people diagnosed with high blood pressure have to take medication. On the other hand, there are several ways that you can use to lower your blood pressure without medication. These techniques are also helpful if you have prehypertension and don't need medication yet. Changing your diet and lifestyle along with the use of medications will help you control your blood pressure while maintaining your general health.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Reducing Salt Intake
Step 1. Don't add too much salt to your food
Avoid adding more than a pinch of salt to food while cooking, and don't add more salt to cooked food. The body does need a little salt from food, but the amount you get from processed foods and salt added to food is more than enough.
- Adding salt in excess will only make the body retain fluids, causing high blood pressure.
- Salt makes the blood more volume. When the volume of blood increases, the heart must pump harder to circulate it throughout the body. This is what causes blood pressure to rise.
Step 2. Avoid processed foods
Processed foods usually contain a lot of salt and other additives such as the preservative sodium benzoate. Remember to pay attention not only to the amount of salt you put into your cooking, but also the amount of sodium in the processed foods you buy.
- Sodium is the main chemical in salt that causes blood pressure to rise. Usually, this ingredient is listed in the nutritional information list on processed food packaging.
- Always pay attention to food labels and buy low-salt, low-sodium, or no-salt options.
- Foods that usually contain a lot of salt are processed foods, canned foods, and bottled foods. These foods include meat products, pickles, canned olives, bacon, sausages, breads and cakes, and meats with added water usually have a higher salt content. Also, avoid processed sauces such as mustard, salsa, chili sauce, soy sauce, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, and other sauces.
Step 3. Monitor body sodium intake
For information, the average American diet contains about 5,000 mg of sodium per day, which is very unhealthy in the opinion of almost all health practitioners. While you usually can't, and won't, stop consuming sodium altogether, try to reduce it to less than 2,000 mg daily. To do this, monitor your total daily salt/sodium intake, and make sure to avoid sodium as much as possible.
- To monitor your sodium intake, try recording the foods you eat in a book or app. There are a variety of health and wellness apps that can help you monitor your sodium intake throughout the day.
- A low-sodium diet typically contains between 0 mg and 1,400 mg of salt a day. A moderate sodium diet usually contains between 1,400-4,000 mg of salt a day. Meanwhile, a high-sodium diet contains more than 4,000 mg of salt a day.
- For information, the recommended nutritional consumption for sodium is about 2,500 mg.
Method 2 of 4: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Live a healthy and balanced diet
While trying to lower blood pressure, try to control your diet and have a balanced diet. Try to eat a plant-based diet consisting of lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as less meat, dairy products, and eggs.
- Try to eliminate meat from any portion of the meal, and add fruit and vegetables. For example, a salad consisting of a few cups of green leafy vegetables with a variety of vegetables and whole grains such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, and sunflower seeds for lunch.
- When you eat meat, make sure to choose lean meats, such as skinless chicken. Similarly, when consuming dairy products, choose products that are low in fat.
Step 2. Avoid foods rich in sugar and fat
This means that you should avoid caffeine, sweets, refined carbohydrates, and red meat. These foods may be delicious, but they are low in nutrients. Plus, you can get similar nutrients from healthier sources.
- Instead of eating red meat, eat healthier meats such as chicken or fish.
- If you are tempted to eat sweet foods, try replacing candy with fruit.
Step 3. Increase fiber intake
Fiber can cleanse the system in the body while helping control blood pressure by regulating digestion. Most vegetables are high in fiber, especially green leafy vegetables. Fruits, nuts, and legumes are also high in fiber, as are whole-grain products.
- Some of the best food choices to increase fiber intake include pears, strawberries, avocados, apples, carrots, beets, broccoli, lentils, and kidney beans.
- It is recommended that you eat 4-5 servings of vegetables, 4-5 servings of fruit, and 4-5 servings of nuts and seeds each day. So, eat a variety of foods to increase your fiber intake.
Step 4. Eat foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids
Try increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) to lower blood pressure naturally. Eat fish twice a week or more because it can provide the body with omega 3 acids, lower triglyceride fats, and improve overall heart health.
- Fish is rich in protein content. In addition, there are many types of fish such as salmon, mackerel, and herring which are also rich in omega 3 acids.
- You are recommended to consume about 85 grams of low-fat meat, such as fish every day.
- You can also take fish oil supplements regularly to increase your intake of omega 3 fatty acids. However, be careful about the fish oil products you buy because certain processed fish products may contain high levels of mercury.
Step 5. Increase your potassium intake
You need potassium to balance the effects of salt in the body. In fact, potassium can even help remove excess salt from the body through urine. Aim to consume between 3,500-4,700 mg of potassium daily. Some foods that are rich in natural potassium content, include:
- Banana
- Tomato/tomato juice
- Potato
- Beans
- Onion
- Orange
- Fresh fruit and dried fruit.
Step 6. Consult the use of supplements with a doctor
Make sure the safety of natural remedies that you will use to the doctor. Many natural ingredients have been shown to lower blood pressure.
- Supplements known to lower blood pressure include coenzyme Q10, omega 3, fish oil, garlic, curcumin (from turmeric), ginger, chili peppers, olive oil, nuts, black cohosh, hawthorn, magnesium, and chromium. Ask your doctor if this supplement is safe for you.
- Vitamins such as vitamins B12, B6, and B9 can help lower homocysteine levels in the blood. High homocysteine levels can trigger heart problems.
Method 3 of 4: Reducing Stimulation
Step 1. Quit smoking
Stimulants in cigarette smoke such as nicotine can increase blood pressure. Quitting smoking will not only help lower blood pressure, it will also be healthy for your heart, and lower your risk of other diseases, such as lung cancer.
If you are having trouble quitting smoking, talk to your doctor for help. Your doctor may prescribe medication that will help you quit smoking as well as direct you to a program that helps
Step 2. Cut down on caffeine
Quitting coffee, soda, and other caffeinated drinks will lower blood pressure. Just one or two cups of coffee can raise blood pressure to an unhealthy level. So, you should stop drinking coffee altogether.
- Because it is a nervous system stimulant, caffeine can exacerbate the problem of high blood pressure in sufferers. Tense nerves will cause an increase in heart rate and increase blood pressure.
- If your caffeine intake is quite high (more than 4 caffeinated drinks a day), you may need to reduce your caffeine intake slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as headaches.
Step 3. Lose weight
Excess weight will force the heart to work hard all the time, and consequently increase blood pressure. Losing weight by adjusting your diet and exercising more will reduce the workload on your heart and lower your blood pressure.
Step 4. Avoid using psychoactive drugs and alcohol
The use of psychoactive drugs and alcohol can cause damage to many organs in the body, such as the liver and kidneys. When these two organs are damaged, fluid will accumulate in the body. This excess fluid will cause the heart to work harder and eventually increase blood pressure.
Many psychoactive drugs are stimulants. As a result, your heart will work harder and your blood pressure will rise. By avoiding the use of psychoactive drugs and alcohol, your blood pressure will drop
Step 5. Check your blood pressure
You can monitor your blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope. Know your blood pressure measurement range. These ranges can help you monitor the progress of your blood pressure:
- Normal blood pressure: 120/80 and less
- Prehypertension blood pressure: 120-139/80-89
- Stage 1 hypertension: 140-159/90-99
- Stage 2 hypertension: 160/100 and above
Method 4 of 4: Using Relaxation Techniques
Step 1. Reduce chronic stress
If possible, minimize stresses in day-to-day activities, such as being involved in high-risk business decisions. If you are chronically stressed and produce stress hormones every day, your cardiovascular system will naturally go into an overworked state.
- This condition occurs due to an increase in pulse rate, respiration rate, and heart rate. Your body thinks you should fight or run, and prepares itself naturally to deal with either one.
- Blood pressure in many people increases temporarily when under stress. If your blood pressure is high due to being overweight or having a family history of hypertension, stress can make it worse. This is caused by the release of stress hormones by the adrenal glands which causes the cardiovascular system to overwork.
Step 2. Take a shower or bath to lower blood pressure
Soaking or bathing in hot water for 15 minutes can lower blood pressure for several hours. Meanwhile, taking a hot bath right before bed can help control blood pressure for a few hours or even overnight.
Step 3. Meditate to calm yourself and lower your blood pressure
Take a few moments each day to cool down as this can lower your general stress level. Just observing and slowing down your breathing can significantly lower your blood pressure.
As you meditate, try to focus on taking long, slow breaths. Continue until you fall asleep or feel calm
Step 4. Walk or do other exercise every day
Walk for at least 20-30 minutes at a moderate pace or about 5 km/hour. Many studies have shown that by walking alone, you can reduce hypertension.
- If you can't walk outdoors, try using a treadmill. With a treadmill, you can even walk when the weather is rainy or hot. You can even walk in your pajamas without the neighbors noticing!
- Taking a long walk will reduce the stress you feel throughout the day before bed. Take time to release stress every day.
Warning
- See a doctor if your blood pressure is constant or over 140 mmHg/90 mmHg (140/90) after you've checked and tried the steps above.
- Blood pressure that is too low (hypotension) is very dangerous. If your blood pressure is less than 60/40, you should seek medical attention immediately.
- If left untreated, hypertension can increase the risk of thickening and hardening of the heart muscle, diabetes, nerve damage, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke.
