Eat Your Way To Normal Blood Pressure

High blood pressure has reached epidemic proportions in the United States today with more than 65 million people having high blood pressure and another 45 million having a condition known as pre-hypertension. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could quite easily be suffering from it without any knowledge of it until it is too late.

Of course there are medicines on the market which can help in lowering blood pressure, but several of these have side effects and, even though some people may have to take medicine at least in the short term to lower their blood pressure, a far better solution is to seek out some natural remedies for high blood pressure if you can.

For most of us high blood pressure is linked to weight and diet and this is a big problem today when nearly seventy percent of Americans are overweight or obese. In addition, the majority of Americans get far too much salt in their diet and not enough of the large number of other beneficial things which can actually reduce blood pressure. In short, it is possible to eat your way to a normal blood pressure, if you know what you are doing.

If truth be told, it may be possible to reduce your blood pressure fairly fast if you change your diet and start taking exercise. Having said this, if you've not been exercising for a long time you shouldn't suddenly begin a vigorous exercise program and it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

First of all though let's talk about some things which you should avoid and top of the list comes salt. Salt is one of the main culprits in today's epidemic of high blood pressure. Excessive dietary fat is also a culprit because it encourages arteriosclerosis, weight gain, and other problems that lead to high blood pressure. So, two things to avoid in your diet are salt and excess fat, particularly saturated or trans fats.

So, what sorts of food should you have in your diet to help you to reduce your blood pressure? Potassium is one of the main substances which is missing in today's American diet and that is extremely beneficial to blood pressure. Potassium help to reduce blood pressure just as sodium assists in raising your blood pressure and thus including sufficient potassium in your diet can help to even out blood pressure.

It's easy to get enough potassium into your diet by merely adding plenty of frozen or fresh vegetable and fruits, providing of course that they have no added salt or sugar. Even though this may seem tasteless to many people, it is one of the best ways to ensure that you normalize your blood pressure. Naturally of course, at the same time you also want to cut down on the salt to no more than the daily sodium intake recommended of roughly 2400 mg each day. A great way to do this is not to add any salt to your diet at all because natural and unprocessed foods contain enough salt and, if you wish to flavor your food then simply try using spices and herbs.

Magnesium and calcium are two further minerals that can help lower blood pressure. Both calcium and magnesium are considered to be calming minerals and the majority of Americans do not get enough of them in their diets. Low-fat dairy products are an excellent source of calcium as are legumes, nuts, and dark leafy green vegetables. You should try to get a balance of approximately two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods like sesame seeds, soybeans and white beans not only have a lot of magnesium and calcium but they are also excellent sources of potassium.

Finally, make sure that you drink enough water and get enough fiber in your diet. Fiber helps to clear toxins and unhealthy substances from your body and it also helps you feel full so that you are not tempted to eat too much.