High blood pressure – also known as hypertension – is the overall pressure of blood against your artery walls. High blood pressure can be dangerous over time, causing blood vessel damage that can lead to stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, and a litany of other problems.
It is known as “the silent killer” because it does not have symptoms and it can go largely unnoticed and untreated for years before the damage is recognized. Managing your blood pressure is extremely important to your long-term health and your diet is a huge part of that (as well as exercise).
Eat Your Greens
Potassium is a huge help for your kidneys, allowing you to get rid of more sodium – which has negative effects on your blood pressure – out of your system through urine. When you get rid of sodium stored in your body, your blood pressure benefits, helping to prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
There are a number of leafy greens that are very high in potassium. These include arugula, romaine lettuce, kale, turnip greens, spinach, collard greens, beet greens, and swiss chard. It is important to note that you should not eat canned versions of these as they have sodium added. Frozen or fresh veggies are totally fine and will give you the potassium boost that your body needs.
Berry Good for You
Berries have a few natural health preventatives like antioxidants that help you to insulate and protect your body from certain disorders or diseases. For berries, they are rich in flavonoids, which are natural compounds that help prevent hypertension and even lower your blood pressure.
Best of all, they are easy to add to your diet. Add them to your cereal or granola. Keep a batch of frozen berries in your freezer for a quick dessert or to make a shake. They really are excellent options for a healthier diet that will benefit your blood pressure.
Oatmeal for Breakfast
Eating oatmeal as your breakfast is not only a great way to fuel you for the day ahead, but it acts as a low-fat, high-fiber, low-sodium way to lower your blood pressure. There are a variety of ways to prepare and consume your oatmeal and you can even add the aforementioned berries to the mix to give it additional flavor.
Oatmeal has a litany of benefits for your diet and blood pressure and is versatile in what you can add to it to keep your diet healthier.