High Blood Pressure (HBP) or Hypertension affects around 50 million people in the US. It can cause heart disease, heart failure, strokes and kidney disease. HBP can be controlled with weight loss and eating right, however, sometimes medicines are also prescribed.
If you want to pass on the pills, and keep your blood pressure in check, go heavy on the fruits, veggies, whole grains and fiber. Go light on the salt, red meat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
Adding these foods to your diet can keep your blood pressure in check.
Barley – try eating it plain or added to soups and casseroles. Barley flour has more than 3x the fiber of wheat flour
Celery – reduces cholesterol and relaxes muscles that line blood vessels to ease blood pressure. Contains more sodium than most veggies so don’t go overboard
Broccoli – contains calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C all important fighters against high blood pressure
Dried Apricots – great snack filled will iron, potassium, magnesium, beta carotene and cooper which help to control blood pressure and prevent heart disease
Whole Beets – contains more potassium than bananas which is important for your blood pressure especially if you take diuretics to keep it low
Spinach – guards against so many health conditions including heart disease, lowers cholesterol, fights cancer and much more
Garlic and Onions – flavoring that helps when cutting back on salt consumption but they do more than just add flavor. Onion and garlic keeps blood platelets from clumping together and making the blood sticky
Guava Juice – This tropical fruit is packed with potassium and more than twice the vitamin C of an orange
Sunflower Seeds – loaded with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that stops LDL, the bad cholesterol, stopping it before it can clog arteries
Banana – fabulous fruit for a healthy heart
Peanut Butter – contains monounsaturated fat which is better for you than cream cheese, butter or fatty lunch meat, it also fills you up making it less likely that you’ll overeat.
Oatmeal – whole grain and dietary fiber lowers your blood pressure and risk for heart disease
Fish – lowers blood pressure not only the sport of fishing, which is relaxing, but also Omega-3 fatty oil helps to relax blood vessels to make the blood less sticky so it flows easier
Flaxseed – are loaded with soluble fiber, bake with flax flour or stir flaxseeds into the mix when making cookies, breads, or muffins
Tofu – soy protein helps to bring down blood pressure and can easily be added to your diet
Potatoes – contain kukoamines which is a chemical that lowers blood pressure. Eat boiled, baked or mashed and stay away from fried as in french fries.
Chili Peppers – cayenne and other chilis can slow blood clotting and even dissolve existing clots. Capsaicin can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Changing your diet and eating habits can be hard, but stay Heart Smart and do everything in moderation!
Loving these lists! Thanks so much.
Glad you are, I have been under the weather since Sunday, finally getting back to the blog. Hope all is well.
Enjoying the wonderful weather today I am 🙂 Hope you are feeling 100% again soon and that hubby is on the mend.
Yes, food poisoning is no joke – I will never eat swine again. Hubby will be home tomorrow – thank God!
Maybe it was something else you ate because I love a good bacon and hurray for him coming home.
No, we don’t eat pork…so it had to be that. I only bought it because it was on sale and I had a taste for it.