High blood pressure (hypertension) is very dangerous and has many adverse effects on the body. People who get it may suffer a stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, and heart attack. The way you live affects your blood pressure.
Also, the activities you take part in determine the pressure of your blood. Taking medication is not the only method to get better. Here are 10 smart steps to Lower High Blood Pressure fast naturally, which you’re going to learn today.
Step 1: Regular Exercise
Exercising is one of the best ways to lower blood pressure fast naturally. Daily participation in physical activities for thirty minutes helps your blood pressure.Â
Be consistent in exercising because High BP can rise again if you stop. Walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, or cycling are activities you can engage in as well. Strength training can also help when you do it in moderation.
Step 2: Eat A Balanced Diet
What we eat plays a big role in our health. Foods that we consume can either increase or lower your blood pressure. It is important to eat a balanced diet as it helps to lower hypertension. Try consuming diets rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and low grains (1).Â
Cut your intake of foods high in cholesterol, salt, and saturated fat. These foods may clog your blood vessels and make it difficult for blood to flow.
Step 3: Reduce Intake Of Alcohol
Alcohol can be good as well as bad for your health. Consuming alcohol in moderation, like a drink a couple of days or a week for women and men, may even do you some good. Consuming alcohol in large quantities can increase hypertension.
If you’re on medication, excessive alcohol intake can hinder the drug’s effectiveness. Alcohol also causes you to gain weight, which can lead to an increase in blood pressure.
Step 4: Quit Smoking
Smoking is bad for your health in general. Smoking causes a temporary increase in your blood pressure and heart rate. The chemicals in tobacco lead to inflammation that narrows your arteries. You also end up damaging your blood vessel wall, causing an increase in your blood pressure.Â
Second-hand smoking is also a big issue because it can also increase hypertension. You shouldn’t stay around smokers. When you stop smoking, it reduces the chances of having heart disease.
People who quit smoking also report better health and sleep. Non-smokers are likely to live a longer and better life than people who smoke.
Step 5: Reduce Stress
Having too much work causes stress and other problems. Stress affects the heart and increases one’s blood pressure. Finding ways to reduce your stress is important in lowering High BP.Â
There are many ways to reduce stress. You have to find the one that works for you. It may be reading books, listening to music, watching comedy, or taking a walk. Listening to music daily can lower systolic blood pressure.
Step 6: Eat Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is good for people who want to lower blood pressure fast naturally. But the dark chocolate should contain sixty to seventy percent cocoa.
Eating dark chocolate reduces the risk of heart diseases by lowering blood pressure. It also helps to reduce inflammation.Â
The flavonoids of dark chocolate help widen or dilate your blood vessels. For people who love chocolate, you can add dark chocolate to your collection.
Step 7: Sleep Well
Your blood pressure is lowered when you sleep. If you don’t get enough rest, you are at great risk of increasing the pressure.
People who experience sleep deprivation have a higher chance of getting high blood pressure. There are various ways and steps to take to get a good night’s sleep.Â
You can take sleeping tablets recommended by a doctor or avoid daytime naps. You should sleep for at least eight hours every night.
Having adequate sleep also helps you get ready for the next day’s activities. Sleeping for less than five hours every day may result in a high risk of High BP.
Step 8: Lose Weight
If you are fat and you have high blood pressure, it is necessary to lose some weight. As your weight increases, your blood pressure rises.
There are various ways you can reduce your weight, such as exercising. You can also try reducing the intake of fatty foods and junk food consumption.Â
Being overweight can disrupt breathing while you sleep; hence, increasing hypertension. You lower it with each kilogram of weight lost (2).
Also, make sure that there is no excess fat in your waistline. It can cause an increase in blood pressure that can ruin your health.Â
Step 9: Eat Berries
Berries have various health benefits, which include lowering blood pressure. People who take it also benefit from minimal risk of heart diseases.
Berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are high in polyphenols. The micro-nutrient contains antioxidants, which your body needs to fight against body defects.Â
More antioxidants in your body can help. You also get to reduce the possibility of suffering from hypertension. If you don’t like eating them raw, you can make a smoothie with the berries.
There are also several other recipes you will find online for making berries. Consumption of berries leads to an improvement in your blood vessels. Berries are also full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are good for the heart.
Step 10: Reduce Your Intake Of Sodium
Everybody eats salt since it’s a vital ingredient in cooking. Yet, too much salt intake may cause High BP. People who take too much salt are at risk of getting a stroke. When you consume too much salt, the body needs more water, holding extra water to wash out the salt.Â
The extra water puts stress on your heart and causes hypertension. It is important to reduce salt consumption to get reduced hypertension.
Most people take more salt when eating out. When ordering at a restaurant, don’t forget to inform the waiter to be careful of salt in your food.
Summary
It’s important to watch your diet because excess fat can contribute to hypertension. If you’re more than 30 percent above your ideal body weight, you’re are liable to have high blood pressure. Studies suggest that taking more potassium and calcium may also help to lower your High BP.
Smoking and high blood pressure are a terrible combination. Although the evidence is contradictory, drinks like coffee, tea, and cola may worsen high blood pressure because of their caffeine content. Emotional and physical stress also may aggravate hypertension.
Lastly, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and lack of physical activity can contribute to High BP.
Photo by CDC on Unsplash
