5 foods to cut out or eat in moderation if you have High Blood Pressure

KEY STORY

• If you have high blood pressure, the your doctor may have warned you to watch what you eat.

• You must see a certified dietician to learn exactly what will benefit your health and help you keep your BP at recommended levels.

• The American Heart Association recommends eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. At the same time, they recommend avoiding red meat, salt (sodium), and foods and drinks that contain added sugars. These foods can keep your blood pressure elevated.

  There is a diet plan called DASH diet that is an abbreviation for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”. The DASH diet recommendations are simple:

  1. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods

  2. Cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats

  3. Eat more whole-grain foods, fish, poultry, and nuts

  4. Limit sodium, sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats

  According to WebMD, research studies have shown that people who were on the DASH diet lowered their blood pressure within 2 weeks.

  But today we will give you 5 simple tips, or rather – a list of 5 foods you must keep away from, to maintain healthy blood pressure.

  1. Banish the salt shaker: Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can improve your heart health and reduce blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure. Go easy on how much salt you add to sabzi, soups, roti aata, rice, dal etc. Do not add more while at the dining table. Read food labels. Eat fewer processed foods. Cut back gradually and you will notice that your palate adjusts over time.

  2. Lower your coffee intake: Especially, if you are not a regular coffee person. Caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure, even if you don’t have high blood pressure. The jury’s still out on what exactly causes this spike in blood pressure. But a Harvard study says that “Coffee does raise blood pressure in people who are not used to it but not in regular coffee drinkers; youngsters appear more sensitive to coffee.”

  3. Cut out Fast foods, especially Frozen Pizzas: The combination of ingredients in frozen pizzas means they’re high in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. Cheese and tomato sauce are high in sodium too. Try making a healthful pizza at home, using homemade dough, low-sodium cheese, and your favorite vegetables as toppings.

  4. Cut out Processed foods with trans or saturated fat: Basically, cut out the bakery products like doughnuts, cookies, cakes, pie crusts, crackers, microwave popcorn etc, so as to keep the heart healthy and protected from trans fats. Trans fats are artificial fats that increase packaged foods’ shelf life and stability; but they also end up increasing the bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels in your blood, which can increase the risk of hypertension.

  5. Say No to Alcohol: Alcohol contains sugars and calories. It may also interact in a bad way with any blood pressure medications that you may be taking. Alcohol also increases your chances of becoming overweight and obese, which can increase the risk of hypertension.

  Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a professional healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about any medical matter.