Naturally Lower Your Blood Pressure

by: AndreaDow
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Thursday, August 9th

After writing about metabolic syndrome earlier this week, I thought I should follow up with some ways that you can naturally lower your blood pressure. Remember that high blood pressure along with high cholesterol are two of the major risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome and increase your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Thanks to Francesca Conterra, writer for O Magazine, I have some great suggestions to help lower your cholesterol without drugs. Suprisingly, of the 72 million American adults with high blood pressure, only two-thirds are getting treatment and only half of those receiving treatment will successfully decrease blood pressure. Several side effects for taking blood pressure lowering drugs exist like headache, fatigue, chest discomfort, cough, dizziness and sexual disfunction. Dr. Daniel Jones of the American Heart Association recommends that the best alternative to medication is to exercise 30 minutes or more most days of the week and follow the DASH diet (Dieatary Approach to Stop Hypertension) which is a diet low in salt, high in potassium, fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich low fat dairy foods. For a free copy of the diet click here: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/. Also follow the steps listed below.
(Blood pressure should be below 120 (systolic)/80 (diastolic) mm Hg)

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines twice a week along with walnuts, flaxseed and canola oil can help increase elasticity in blood vessel walls and decrease the stickiness of blood platelets. 1-3 systolic points may lower along with 2 diastolic.
2. Meditation: helps to manage stress and may also release nitric oxide which helps relax blood vessels. Meditation can lower systolic by 9 and diastolic by 1.5 mm Hg.
3. Fiber: Eat more fruits, veggies, and whole grains to help regulate insulin (high levels can lead to high blood pressure) and weight loss. Adding fiber could lower systolic by 3 and diastolic by 2.6 mm Hg.
4. Massage: helps reduce the response to stress and may improve blood pressure by 2 systolic and 1.5 diastolic mm Hg. A basic ten-minute back massages three times a week can do the trick!

I know that applying the above steps is not as easy as 1-2-3, but try to choose one of the above listed recommendations and stick with it for at least three weeks before adding something new. We want to promote lifestyle changes and it does take our bodies and minds about twenty-one days of repitition in order to stick with our new habit for the long haul. With that said, if these steps along with diet and exercise do not lower your cholesterol, talk with your doctor about the right medication for you.

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