Hypertension, which is also known as high blood pressure, is a disease that puts unnecessary pressure on the heart, blood vessels, and organs. Over time, hypertension can lead to a variety of serious health issues, including heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, heart failure, aneurysm, or blindness. As with other diseases, you must begin early to prevent hypertension.
Diet
Prevention can be done by making several lifestyle changes. First, you should be careful about what you put into your body. Large amounts of fatty foods can cause plaque to line the walls of your arteries, making your heart work harder and raising blood pressure. Therefore, it is vital to maintain a healthy weight. Even the smallest drop in body weight can decrease your chance of developing hypertension. In addition, you should decrease your salt consumption by foregoing canned foods and not adding salt to foods while cooking.
On the other hand, some nutrients should be consumed to prevent hypertension. Research has shown that potassium, calcium, and magnesium are all vital for normal blood pressure. In addition, you may have heard about fish oil, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Although this nutrient is often taken in pill form, it can easily be gained by regularly eating grilled or broiled fish.
Exercise
Regular exercise is another key to prevention. Whether you run marathons or can only do light stretches and walking, you must exercise often. You should exercise for at least 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week. In turn, exercise will help you decrease your weight and can provide up to a 50% reduction in your risk of developing hypertension.
Stress Management
Another way to prevent hypertension, which may be more difficult for you to accomplish, is to decrease your stress. Some simple ways to do this are to stop smoking, get enough sleep each night, drink alcohol in moderation, find time to relax each day, set healthy goals, and manage your time well. If you feel that stress is too much of a problem for you, you may wish to find professional help.
Yoga combines the benefits of exercise and stress-reduction. Whether you attend a yoga class, work out using an instruction DVD, or practice moves from an exercise manual, yoga is a great way for you to center yourself, take your mind off your worries, and focus on deep breathing. If you have never done yoga, you may want to find a local beginner’s class where you will not feel overwhelmed.
Conclusion
Practicing these simple techniques will not only reduce your risk of hypertension, but also help you feel healthier and more energized. If you are a healthy-living beginner, you could start by choosing one or two of these recommendations and gradually adding the rest. You will find that your blood pressure will go down, you will feel relaxed, and you will decrease your risk of a multitude of other diseases as well.
