It is already a known fact that more and more people develop elevated blood pressure or hypertension at any given age already. This is a saddening condition that is faced by so many individuals, families, and institutions every single day.
Hypertension is brought about by so many factors such as stress, unhealthy diet, unhealthy lifestyle, and underlying health conditions that you may have. It is known to be the stealth or traitor disease because most of the time, patients do not manifest symptoms of hypertension until the last minute, which is usually during the medical check-up or until the grave symptoms reveal themselves. When you see your doctor about your hypertension, you may be given a list of conventional medications that you have to take. But why not ask your doctor about the following means of natural treatment for high blood pressure that is far healthier for your condition?
1. Eat healthy
Eating healthy is a natural treatment for high blood pressure. Stuff yourself with vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy, and whole grains. Choose the good fats too to help you lower your blood pressure even further. A food diary is a good way of monitoring what you eat. This way, you and your doctor can see how much and what kind of food you ate, even the reason why you ate at that certain time of day. Increase your potassium intake so that the sodium levels in your blood can be balanced out. Don’t forget to be a responsible shopper and read the labels of foods that you buy. It is okay to eat healthy but do not deprive yourself of the foods that you crave for on occasion.
2. Regular activity
One effective natural treatment for high blood pressure is regular exercise or movement. Your doctor can help you with a workout program that is designed to fit your health condition. Make the activities a daily routine even if it is just for ten minutes, just as long as you keep moving everyday and not only during weekends or holidays.
3. Lose weight
If you have excess weigh carried around everywhere you go, this gives added stress to your heart and blood vessels, thus resulting to elevated blood pressure. So it is a natural treatment for high blood pressure to lose some weight. It may seem too much for some people to lose ten pounds but this small amount of weight can be very significant in lowering your blood pressure already. It could lighten your circulation’s load and help you feel better.
4. Less salt
As you know, salt is sodium. Sodium attracts water. The more sodium you have in your blood, the more water your blood vessels contain. Pressure gets higher this way. Therefore, it is definitely a natural treatment for high blood pressure for you to avoid too much salt in your food. Try to leave the sodium intake at 1,500 milligrams everyday. Less would be better. Don’t add fish sauce or salt to dishes anymore.
5. Don’t smoke
Smoking constricts your blood vessels and lessens the ability of your blood to carry oxygen to your entire body. It is a natural treatment for high blood pressure to stop smoking and to avoid secondary smoke. Do this and you will prevent heart disease and extremely high blood pressure.
6. Less alcohol
Try to avoid alcohol as a natural treatment for high blood pressure. Just limit yourself to just two drinks a day. If you were a prolific drinker, gradually reduce your alcohol intake. Monitor your drinking patterns. Do not ever binge drink alcohol. This could boost your blood pressure and you will definitely regret that.
7. De-stress
Stress leads to anxiety and even panic. And all these makes your blood pressure go through the roof. It is a natural treatment for high blood pressure for you to de-stress or remove your stresses and strains. Coping is also a good way to avoid the effects of stress. Meditation, yoga, massages, or deep breathing could help you relieve yourself of the negative energy. This leads to a more stable or lowered blood pressure. You could even go to a counselor to help you talk things out.
8. Less caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant and definitely makes blood pressure sky rocket. It is present in coffee, soda, chocolate, and tea. Avoid or lessen your intake of caffeine as a natural treatment for high blood pressure.
Aside from the given methods of natural treatment for high blood pressure, you should also have your blood pressure constantly monitored by the nearest healthcare professional that you have in your area. You should also have an immediate support group such as family and friends to help you when you are stressed or anxious. It is important for you to stabilize your blood pressure so that no other diseases will have the chance to develop such as kidney disorders.