Reducing Blood Pressure
by Christopher Guerriero
Recent research underscores the importance of a healthful
lifestyle including a fitness regimen for both the prevention
and treatment of hypertension. Often, changes in diet and
exercise habits are enough to control blood pressure without
medication, especially for people with mild to moderate blood
pressure levations. Sometimes diet and exercise can even
reduce the need for medication, and thereby reduce side
effects and lower costs.
If you are already taking medication for hypertension, it's
important to discuss your lifestyle changes with your doctor,
and continue taking your medication as prescribed. If lifestyle
changes result in improved blood pressure, your doctor will want
to work closely with you to reduce your dosage in a safe and
effective manner. Following are some of the most important things
you can do to prevent and control hypertension.
Reducing your sodium intake is a major factor. Many people with
hypertension find that reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure
as well. Learn which foods are high in sodium, and avoid them as
much as possible.
Regular exercise is the most important hypertension-prevention
habit for three reasons:
First, it helps prevent and control hypertension. Formerly
sedentary people who begin exercising regularly experience, on
average, a drop of six or seven points in both systolic and
diastolic blood pressure.
Second, active people have lower death rates than their
sedentary friends, even when they have the same blood pressure.
Research has shown that exercise reduces risk for cardiovascular
and other disease. Exercise also helps prevent obesity, another
hypertension risk factor.
Third, regular exercise provides the foundation for successful
behavior change programs. Exercise makes you feel good and feel
positive about yourself. Stress reduction is one of the greatest
benefits of exercise. Stress not only raises blood pressure, but
it makes you less inclined to stick to your positive eating plan,
your smoking cessation program or your decision to cut down on
your alcohol intake.
Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains increases your intake of
important minerals such as calcium and potassium, not to mention
vitamins and fiber. One study found that volunteers consuming a diet
high in these foods and low in fats (such as the diets created by our
on-staff nutritionist) reduced systolic blood pressure by four points,
and diastolic by three points. This small but significant reduction
was accomplished with diet alone. Add exercise, stress management and
weight loss for people who are overweight, and blood pressure
reductions often improve much more.
Eating well and exercising regularly are the cornerstone.
Deprivation programs are out! Don't focus on weight loss;
focus on a healthy lifestyle. A little weight loss may occur
by cutting down on "junk food," eating more fruits, vegetables
and grains, and increasing physical activity. Even a relatively
small loss, such as 5 to 10 pounds, can reduce blood pressure.
The most important goal is the development of healthful habits
that stay with you for a lifetime, so that the weight stays off.
Weight cycling (repeatedly losing and regaining weight) may raise
your blood pressure and be harmful to your health.
Reducing stress is another lifelong task. Take a stress management
workshop, develop your sense of humor and read some good books. Develop
coping techniques that increase your resistance to stress related
illness. And don't forget the importance of exercise for stress reduction.
Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake will make a profound
difference in your health. You should strive to drink alcohol and
caffeine in moderation, if at all.
Christopher Guerriero, is the founder of the National Metabolic & Longevity
Research Center and a best-selling author, speaker, and coach to
millions. He is the creator of the award-winning 'Maximize Your Metabolism'
system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for FR*EE
how-to articles and F.REE teleseminars, please
visit: http://www.maximizeyourmetabolism.com/?ezine
© 2002-2004 Wisdom Books, LLC & Christopher Guerriero
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/
|