“Health is Wealth”, a proverb most of us grew up listening to, is true in many ways. A healthy mind can only lie in a healthy body. The advancement of science and technology has brought in a significant change in our lifestyle, and it is this change that, in many ways, determines our health and general well-being to a large extent. Health issues have multiplied over the last few decades, and high blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most common chronic conditions.
How to prevent high blood pressure? This is one question that can be answered by monitoring the symptoms of high blood pressure, including headaches, occasional nose bleeds, shortness of breath, profuse sweating etc. Uncontrolled elevation of blood pressure harms the heart in many ways while increasing the chances of a stroke. At times like these, you must know what causes high blood pressure? What foods to avoid with high blood pressure? And what foods to consume to maintain healthy normal blood pressure.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
If your blood pressure is extremely high or if you might be suffering from Chronic Hypertension, the following could be the symptoms.
- Serious headache
- Fatigue and confusion
- Vision impairment
- Pain in the chest
- Difficulty in breathing
- Intermittent heartbeat
- Blood in urine
- A feeling of the pounding of eyes, ears, neck and chest
Causes of High Blood Pressure
The exact causes of Hypertension are unknown, but a few conditions have been identified to play a significant role in developing Hypertension.
- Frequent smoking
- Obesity or overweight issues
- Lack of Physical Activity
- Too much consumption of salt
- High consumption of Alcohol
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Age factors
- Genetic influence
- Family History
- Chronic Kidney Diseases
- Disorders related to adrenal and thyroid glands
- Insomnia
Foods To Avoid with High Blood Pressure / BP or Hypertension
High blood pressure will lead to severe health conditions when not monitored regularly. Certain foods, when avoided, can help to maintain blood pressure. Here is a list of foods that raise blood pressure.
Dairy Products
Dairy products are a great source of calcium and calcium but are a great source of fat and are rich in sodium content, both of which are not good if you are suffering from Hypertension. Just one cup of whole milk has about 8 grams of fat. When you have Hypertension, it is best to avoid consuming foods that have a high-fat content. The saturated fats and sodium content in milk are not suitable for your heart health, especially when suffering from High Blood Pressure. If you cannot avoid milk and other dairy products, try consuming ones that are toned and low in fat.
Salt
For those living with high blood pressure, salt is a curse! The increased sodium content in salt makes it absolutely a bad idea if you have Hypertension. Though this does not mean one should entirely cut down the salt intake. This may lead to further complications. Doctors generally advise that if you have been diagnosed with Hypertension, you need to significantly lower the amount of salt consumption but not give up on it.
Pickles
Salt is one of the essentialial ingredients of the many things used in preserving food items. Pickles have a very high salt content since they are soaked in a high amount of salt for quite a duration. The longer the pickles sit in a can, the more the amount of sodium they pick up and the more are they harmful to your heart and hypertension-related issues. Therefore for patients suffering from High Blood pressure, the Consumption of Pickles is a big NO!
You must be wondering how sugar is related to High Blood Pressure. Most of us know that sugar is terrible for Diabetics and increases your chance of obesity and other complications. At the same time, research studies have shown that excessive sugar consumption is also linked to Hypertension. Sugar, especially in artificial sweeteners and soft drinks, has a very high content of sugars in them. It is not advised to completely cut off sugar from your diet, but keeping a check on it would make a huge difference.
Alcohol
Research has shown that consuming small amounts of Alcohol can help lower your blood pressure. Still, if you happen to be addicted to drinking too much Alcohol, you are at a greater risk of developing Hypertension. Moreover, if you already are suffering from Hypertension, you must keep a keen check over your alcohol consumption. Although it is best to completely get rid of the habit of consuming Alcohol, for practical purposes, it is advised that you tweak the intake at a minimum so that the damage is also minimum. In addition, it has been found that Alcohol also prevents any of the Hypertension related medications from working optimally. Therefore if you are on severe medication, Alcohol is not the way for you!
3 Amazing Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure
Garlic
Garlic is a wonder herb and plays a vital role in Indian Cuisine and the traditional system of medicine- Ayurveda. Both raw and cooked garlic helps in controlling your blood pressure. Garlic also has properties that help reduce cholesterol levels.
Consume 1-2 freshly crushed garlic every day. But make sure you don’t have it on an empty stomach condition. It may cause gastric irritation. Always consume raw garlic after food. You can also add a teaspoon of garlic juice to a glass of warm water and consume it 30 minutes after a meal.
Honey
Studies have shown that honey is almost identical to human blood in its composition. Scientists say that if you make a few subtle changes in the blood’s composition, it may transform into human blood. Keeping that aside, honey helps reduce blood pressure significantly and helps maintain a normal range. It retains your blood pressure and purifies it, keeping your blood bright and healthy.
You can consume raw honey directly. Consume two teaspoons of raw honey every day on an empty stomach to get the most out of it.
Alternatively, you can also have a mixture of equal quantities of honey and ginger juice and 1/4th of a teaspoon of cumin powder.
Another effective remedy is to mix basil leaf juice with an equal proportion of honey and consume it on an empty stomach early in the morning.
Fenugreek Seeds
Traditionally Fenugreek has been used as one of the most crucial elements in treating Hypertension. This effectively lowers blood pressure due to its high potassium and fibre content.
You can slowly chew a teaspoon full of fenugreek seeds for as long as it takes. However, doing this after a meal can have a massive impact on how your blood pressure is regulated.
Alternatively, boil two teaspoons of fenugreek seeds in water for about 5 minutes and strain it. Blend th0e seeds to a fine paste. Consume this paste twice every day, once in the morning and again in the evening. You can keep drinking this Fenugreek boiled water throughout the day.
