Foods that can help fight hypertension??! Yes... New studies have shown that it might be easier than you thought to reduce high blood pressure...
Plant-based diets and diets high in fruits and vegetables are strongly associated with lower blood pressure, so much so that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), officially recommends adopting healthy eating practices as one of the primary actions to take to prevent or lower high blood pressure and hypertension.
Even if you're not dealing with hypertension, it's important to understand your blood pressure. What do those numbers really mean?? Well, the top number is called the Systolic which is also the higher number of the two numbers. It measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart muscle contracts). The bottom number is called the Diastolic which measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood).
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a Systolic of less than 120 and a Diastolic of less than 80 for a "normal" blood pressure. Use this only as a guide, and know that genetics, age and stress can impact your blood pressure.
Give your heart a break and try to incorporate these healthy foods into your diet to help you stay healthy!
1. Organic Berries
2. Organic Whole Grains, High Fiber Cereals (Oatmeal, Bran)
3. Organic Sweet Potatoes and Yams
4. Organic Beets
5. Dark Chocolate (Yep - but I'm not talking about pounds of it - a few squares of 70-73% cacao)
6.Organic Celery
7.Organic Broccoli
8. Organic Dandelion ( You can find these greens in Ralphs and Vons)
9.Organic Black Beans
10. Garlic
11. Organic Flax Seeds
12.Organic Bananas
13. Organic Apricots (Dried are ok too)
14. Pumpkin Seeds ( Make sure to get the ones that are raw, not roasted in oil and salted)
15. Cashew Nuts and Walnuts ( Make sure they are not roated in oil and salted)
The bottom line here is really about prevention, stress management and healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Using food as your "medicine" is a great way to help support your heart health! I'll be adding recipes that incorporate these foods in future blogs... In the meantime, as we start a new year, remember to reach for foods that are fresh, organic whenever possible, and foods that don't have a laundry list of ingredients.
That's it for now -
Until next time - "Live Now - Live Well!"
Tracy
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