Change Your Lifestyle and Lower Your Blood Pressure
August 26th, 2008 -- Posted in aging wellness, baby boomer diet, baby boomer fitness, baby boomer health, boomer diet, boomer fitness, boomer health, boomer wellness, elderly exercise, food wellness, senior diet, senior exercise, senior health | No Comments »If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension or high blood pressure, then you’ve probably been told to reduce your sodium intake. But with 75% - 80% of our sodium coming from processed and restaurant food, reducing sodium to the recommended 1500 mg./day or less can be very difficult to do. But take heart, according to Environmental Nutrition, new studies show that even moderate sodium reductions combined with healthy eating can have a significant effect on blood pressure.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is the most often suggested approach to lower blood pressure through lifestyle changes. The DASH plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fat free or low fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, and nuts and limits red meat, sweets, and added sugar. The fruits and vegetables are seen as being particularly effective, in part due to their high potassium content. To implement the diet, many nutritionists suggest dividing your plate into fourths. Use two of the fourths for vegetables; one fourth for a protein such as meat, fish, legumes, or eggs; and the last fourth for a whole grain or starchy vegetable such as a potato. Supplement your plate with a serving of fruit and one cup of milk, and you have a complete meal.
It’s still a good idea to lower your sodium intake as much as possible, and it is getting easier to do so. Food manufacturers have been adding lower-sodium options to their product lines, and this trend should continue as pressure from the American Medical Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest mounts. In the meantime, opt for fresh vegetables, meats and fish rather than canned; read the nutrition labels on foods carefully as the differences between similar products can be vast; choose lower-sodium or no-salt options of canned soup and vegetables; and use salt-free seasonings in your home cooking. 
Finally, don’t forget to make other healthy lifestyle choices that impact blood pressure: limiting alcohol consumption and exercising. Women should have no more than one drink per day and men two, and everyone should be striving for a minimum of 30 minutes of vigorous exercise at least five days/week.
This post is written by Joanne Deck, CWC of Nurture You.