MyFoodMyHealth Helps You Create a Delicious, Heart-healthy Diet to Lower High Blood Pressure
Get nutritional support for high blood pressure by following MyFoodMyHealth's diet for high blood pressure. Sign up for MyFoodMyHealth and for as little as $7.50 per month, you'll get:
Unlimited access to 100's of delicious, chef-created recipes - most you can prepare in less than 30 minutes
Personalized weekly meal planner tailored for high blood pressure, plus other health conditions, allergies, and food dislikes
PLUS...
Time-saving weekly shopping lists, pantry basics, and online shopping resources
Expert information on food and nutrition for high blood pressure, as well as other health conditions and allergies
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Help Lower High Blood Pressure with the Delicious MyFoodMyHealth High Blood Pressure Diet
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Diet for High Blood Pressure
Your diet can directly affect your blood pressure level. Following a heart-healthy diet to help maintain a normal blood pressure level should be a key component of your high blood pressure treatment plan. A healthy diet to lower high blood pressure should reduce sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol. It should increase the amount of potassium, folate, vitamin C, flavanoids, and possibly L-arginine (an amino acid involved in production of nitric oxide and an important vasodilator).
DASH Diet to Lower High Blood Pressure
The DASH diet is highly recommended if you have high blood pressure. This eating plan has been proven to lower blood pressure in studies sponsored by the National Institute of Health. It stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" and is mostly based on consuming fruits and vegetables and low-fat or non-fat dairy. This diet for lowering high blood pressure is based on decreasing your sodium/salt intake and increasing your servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Food groups and suggested serving amounts for the DASH diet: Grains: 7-8 daily servings Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings Fruits: 4-5 daily servings Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings Meat, poultry and fish: 2 or less daily servings Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week Fats and oils: 2-3 daily servings Sweets: try to limit to less than 5 servings per week
Vegetarian and vegan diets also reduce blood pressure.
Foods to Avoid if You Have High Blood Pressure
Animal fat is linked to high blood pressure. As a result you should avoid or limit the following foods if you are following a diet for high blood pressure:
Beef
Lamb
Veal
Poultry
Great Herbs to Eat if You Have High Blood Pressure
Dill
Fenugreek
Garlic
Nutmeg
Parsley
Rosemary
Great Foods to Eat if You Have High Blood Pressure
You don't have to cut back on flavor just because you're cutting back on saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. It's quite the opposite. Seasonal fruits and vegetables, hearty whole grains, ocean-fresh fish - even decadent chocolate - can all help you maintain a normal blood pressure.
Calcium (Possesses a greater blood pressure-lowering effect)
Amaranth
Beans, dried
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cheese, fresh
Kale
Milk
Salmon
Soybeans
Tofu
Yogurt
Flaxseed oil (Acts as an anti-inflammatory)
Garlic (Raw) One small clove daily will help. It contains the chemical allicin which stops cells from taking up cholesterol; additionally the sulphur in garlic acts as an antioxidant with a long chain fatty acid molecule which protects against atherosclerosis (the progressive narrowing and hardening of the arteries).
Magnesium (Reduces elevated blood pressure by relaxing the muscles that control blood vessels)
Almonds
Amaranth
Avocados
Barley
Brazil nuts
Chocolate
Oysters
Pumpkin seeds
Quinoa
Spinach
Sunflower seeds
Omega-3 fatty acids (Fosters good circulation)
Avocados
Flax sees
Salmon
Trout
Tuna
Walnuts
Potassium (Helps maintain blood pressure levels)
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas
Beans, dried
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cantaloupe
Chocolate
Clams
Figs
Oranges
Pomegranates
Potatoes
Quinoa
Tomatoes
Water chestnuts
Yogurt
Vitamin C (Widens blood vessels to help lower blood pressure)
Cabbage, red
Kiwi fruit
Oranges
Peppers, bell, red
Pineapple
Potatoes
Strawberries
Tangerines and other mandarins
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the heart has to work harder to get blood to the body. High blood pressure is a risk factor for a variety of serious diseases including coronary disease, stroke, hardening of the arteries, and atherosclerosis. It is thought to be one of the most important and preventable cause of premature death in developed countries.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
Headache/severe headache
Fatigue
Confusion
Vision changes
Nausea
Chest pain
Vomiting
Difficulty breathing
Irregular heartbeat
Blood in the urine
Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure
Age (65+ more likely)
Genetics
Obesity
Lack of exercise
Reno vascular disease/chronic kidney disease
Adrenal gland abnormalities
Hyperthyroidism
Smoking
Excessive alcohol
Excessive salt
Stress
Health Problems Associated With High Blood Pressure
How MyFoodMyHealth Can Help You Lower High Blood Pressure
Our customized online meal planner helps you control or lower high blood pressure by eating delicious, whole, natural foods. It takes into consideration the health conditions of everyone in your household, allowing you to serve wonderful meals that meet everyone's nutritional needs.
MyFoodMyHealth automatically generates a shopping list for you based on your conditions, making shopping easy.
Videos, cooking tips, recipes and an extensive glossary provide “the basics” you need to cook flavorful and nutritious meals.
