Today I am going to talk about healthy eating habits for people with high blood pressure. As you know I always try to eat healthy these days, after my bypass surgery. I stay away or at reduce my intake of processed and packed foodstuff.
Let me share with you what I consume regularly. Foods which are said to be good for the heart. Besides eating healthy, I still go for my regular 20-minute brisk walks every day and sip a bit of red wine every now and then.
I am told that red wine has this antioxidants called resveratrol and polyphenols. It is said that both of these antioxidants can reduce LDL as well as total blood cholesterol and reduce blood clots respectively.
1. Oats
I have been eating oats for my breakfast a long time now. From my own personal experience with eating oats, it has definitely helped to reduce my weight and my bad cholesterol level or they called it low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
For my breakfast I have a bowl of oats, a glass of fruit juice and a banana. That can lasts me till lunch time. The I will put on my walking shoes and head off to the nearby newsstand to get my morning papers and go for my morning walking around my neighborhood before the sun gets too harsh. Usually I will stop over for a breather and read the papers in the park, and then take advantage of the benefits of nature to de-stress myself before I head home.
Eat unprocessed oats, instead of the refined grains, which lacked much of the good ingredients like B vitamins, vitamin E, fiber, and antioxidants.
I am sure you have read about some studies that says oat bran can decrease the total cholesterol by as much as 18 percent and also a drop of 9 percent in LDL cholesterol. Furthermore, whole grains have a low glycemic index. Hlycemic index is a measurement of how high a food raises your blood sugar level.
In other words, foods with a low glycemic index can help to prevent diabetes. And diabetes is one of those major contibuting risk factor for coronary heart disease. So enjoy your bowl of oatmeal in the morning.
2.Spinach And Lettuce
Besides eating other vegetables, these green leafy vegetables are my favorites. They contains folate, or vitamin B9, which helps to reduce the circulating levels of homocysteine in the blood.
Homocysteine is an amino acid produced by the body and it is found in blood plasma. It is usually as a byproduct of eating meat. According to studies, high levels of homocysteine in the blood has found to linked with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries") and venous thromboembolism (blood clots in the veins).
So start eating more lefty green vegetables together with fresh fruits can significantly reduce your blood pressure, which is a big risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
3. Almonds And Other Nuts
Do you know that almonds and other nuts not only reduce the total cholesterol but also raise your so-called "good" cholesterol high-density lipoprotein (HDL)?
It is because almonds and other nuts have mono and polyunsaturated fats together with phytosterols that help to block the intestinal tract from absorbing all kinds of fats. So with low in saturated fat and cholesterol, nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Then again, bear in mind that almonds and other nuts can reduce the risk of a heart attack, but they are rich in calories. So, you are advised to just eat a handful of nuts is suffice for a day.
4. Salmon
I have hearing people saying about eating salmon and other fish for heart protection. It is the omega-3 fatty acids in the fish which is the key factor in reducing risk of coronary heart disease.
This omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce blood pressure, blocking platelet function and clot formation, and also preventing the formation of plaque in artery walls.
For those of you who have high blood pressure or hypertension, then it is time to eat healthy and do your regular walking. If you can't afford to sign up for a gym membership, just start walking whenever and wherever you can. I totally agree Joan Rivers said in her book on aging "Don't Count The Candles: Just Keep The Fire Lit!", climb every staircase. Find reasons to walk. You can lose weight and you feel rejuvenated and raring to go after a long sweaty walk.
For those of you who want to know more about diets to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol without medication, then you get this friendly-user guide book "The DASH Diet Action Plan: Based on the National Institutes of Health Research: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." DASH stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension".The DASH diet is recommended by the U.S. treatment guidelines for hypertension.
The dietary guidelines in this useful book is basically about eating healthy food like fruits, vegetables and low-fat or non-fat diary. Plus food which is low in sodium, for example fish, lean meat, grains, nuts and beans. Other than eating healthy food, this book also talks about healthy weight loss, exercise that can lower your blood pressure. If you can, get this valuable book.
Let me share with you what I consume regularly. Foods which are said to be good for the heart. Besides eating healthy, I still go for my regular 20-minute brisk walks every day and sip a bit of red wine every now and then.
I am told that red wine has this antioxidants called resveratrol and polyphenols. It is said that both of these antioxidants can reduce LDL as well as total blood cholesterol and reduce blood clots respectively.
1. Oats
I have been eating oats for my breakfast a long time now. From my own personal experience with eating oats, it has definitely helped to reduce my weight and my bad cholesterol level or they called it low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
For my breakfast I have a bowl of oats, a glass of fruit juice and a banana. That can lasts me till lunch time. The I will put on my walking shoes and head off to the nearby newsstand to get my morning papers and go for my morning walking around my neighborhood before the sun gets too harsh. Usually I will stop over for a breather and read the papers in the park, and then take advantage of the benefits of nature to de-stress myself before I head home.
Eat unprocessed oats, instead of the refined grains, which lacked much of the good ingredients like B vitamins, vitamin E, fiber, and antioxidants.
I am sure you have read about some studies that says oat bran can decrease the total cholesterol by as much as 18 percent and also a drop of 9 percent in LDL cholesterol. Furthermore, whole grains have a low glycemic index. Hlycemic index is a measurement of how high a food raises your blood sugar level.
In other words, foods with a low glycemic index can help to prevent diabetes. And diabetes is one of those major contibuting risk factor for coronary heart disease. So enjoy your bowl of oatmeal in the morning.
2.Spinach And Lettuce
Besides eating other vegetables, these green leafy vegetables are my favorites. They contains folate, or vitamin B9, which helps to reduce the circulating levels of homocysteine in the blood.
Homocysteine is an amino acid produced by the body and it is found in blood plasma. It is usually as a byproduct of eating meat. According to studies, high levels of homocysteine in the blood has found to linked with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries") and venous thromboembolism (blood clots in the veins).
So start eating more lefty green vegetables together with fresh fruits can significantly reduce your blood pressure, which is a big risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
3. Almonds And Other Nuts
Do you know that almonds and other nuts not only reduce the total cholesterol but also raise your so-called "good" cholesterol high-density lipoprotein (HDL)?
It is because almonds and other nuts have mono and polyunsaturated fats together with phytosterols that help to block the intestinal tract from absorbing all kinds of fats. So with low in saturated fat and cholesterol, nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Then again, bear in mind that almonds and other nuts can reduce the risk of a heart attack, but they are rich in calories. So, you are advised to just eat a handful of nuts is suffice for a day.
4. Salmon
I have hearing people saying about eating salmon and other fish for heart protection. It is the omega-3 fatty acids in the fish which is the key factor in reducing risk of coronary heart disease.
This omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce blood pressure, blocking platelet function and clot formation, and also preventing the formation of plaque in artery walls.
For those of you who have high blood pressure or hypertension, then it is time to eat healthy and do your regular walking. If you can't afford to sign up for a gym membership, just start walking whenever and wherever you can. I totally agree Joan Rivers said in her book on aging "Don't Count The Candles: Just Keep The Fire Lit!", climb every staircase. Find reasons to walk. You can lose weight and you feel rejuvenated and raring to go after a long sweaty walk.
For those of you who want to know more about diets to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol without medication, then you get this friendly-user guide book "The DASH Diet Action Plan: Based on the National Institutes of Health Research: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." DASH stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension".The DASH diet is recommended by the U.S. treatment guidelines for hypertension.
The dietary guidelines in this useful book is basically about eating healthy food like fruits, vegetables and low-fat or non-fat diary. Plus food which is low in sodium, for example fish, lean meat, grains, nuts and beans. Other than eating healthy food, this book also talks about healthy weight loss, exercise that can lower your blood pressure. If you can, get this valuable book.