According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure remedies should first involve a healthy diet, correct exercise and an effective stress management plan.
In fact the association says that drugs are useful only when diet and exercise regimens can't significantly lower pressure.
So what does that mean to you? Are you on blood pressure medication now? Is it working for you? My guess is, if it was you wouldn't be reading this article.
My guess is that you, like thousands of Americans with hypertension, find something about the medication, be it side effects or cost that you would like to do without.
The good news is you can probably replace your medication with a change in lifestyle.
The bad news is you really have to want it.
I'm not talking about extreme diets or becoming a fitness freak, but managing a healthy lifestyle takes much more conscious effort than simply popping a pill.
If you make the decision to manage your condition naturally then you need to do the following:
What is comes with is a healthier body, weight loss, and a very powerful feeling of well being.
It's your body, take responsibility for your health.
In fact the association says that drugs are useful only when diet and exercise regimens can't significantly lower pressure.
So what does that mean to you? Are you on blood pressure medication now? Is it working for you? My guess is, if it was you wouldn't be reading this article.
My guess is that you, like thousands of Americans with hypertension, find something about the medication, be it side effects or cost that you would like to do without.
The good news is you can probably replace your medication with a change in lifestyle.
The bad news is you really have to want it.
I'm not talking about extreme diets or becoming a fitness freak, but managing a healthy lifestyle takes much more conscious effort than simply popping a pill.
If you make the decision to manage your condition naturally then you need to do the following:
- Educate yourself on the disease.
Understand the role free radicals play.
Know why too much sodium creates stiffening in blood vessels.
Understand the relationship between sodium and potassium.
Know what systolic and diastolic pressure really is and what the numbers mean in terms of predicting high blood pressure events.
The more you know about the disease, the easier it will be to make the changes necessary to control it. - Learn what the DASH diet is all about and how you can incorporate it into your daily living.
- Set aside thirty minutes every day, or at least three times a week, for mild aerobic exercise like cycling or brisk walking.
This is not only the fastest way to lower pressure, it also helps with stress and weight control. - Stress obviously contributes to high blood pressure but because it attacks our immune system, it opens us up to any number of other ailments as well.
Learn relaxation methods.
Avoid stress where you can.
Exercise more to lower stress levels. - Draw out a plan.
Put it on paper (or on Word) on how and what you are going to change and when you are going to do it.
You don't have to jump in with both feet but you need to take action in each of the three areas, diet, exercise and stress, to have an impact on your pressure. - Finally draw up a chart or journal and track your activity.
It's just human nature that the more we pay attention to something, the more important it becomes in our life.
By recording the progress, or lack of it, we affirm our commitment to meet our goals.
What is comes with is a healthier body, weight loss, and a very powerful feeling of well being.
It's your body, take responsibility for your health.
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