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Nutrition Packs a Punch for Lowering High Blood Pressure
ACTIVITY BYTES
Fitting in a short walk everyday can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
If you have high blood pressure, nutrition is one of the most important weapons in your arsenal to combat it. Below are the top ways nutrition packs a punch to lower your blood pressure:
Slash Salt
Canadians eat much more salt than required for health. Most of our salt comes from our intake of ready-to-eat processed/packed foods, eating out, canned foods, and condiments. Limiting dietary sodium intake to 1500-2300 mg per day is recommended if you have high blood pressure.1 Remove the salt shaker from your table and be sure to read labels and choose lower sodium foods. For more information check out our article “Less Salt More Heart.”
Dive into the DASH Diet
The DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet which has been shown in research to lower blood pressure consistently, emphasizes plenty of fruits, veggies, low-fat dairy foods, and reduced saturated fat.3 This plan also includes whole grains, fish, poultry, and nuts.3 It is low in red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages typical in North American diets.3 The DASH diet is also rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium, as well as protein and fibre.3
Below is a sample of the DASH diet for someone that needs about 2000 calories per day. If your calorie level is higher or lower the daily servings would need to be adjusted to suit your needs. For a detailed guide on the DASH diet visit:
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
2000 Calorie DASH Diet4
|
DASH Food Group |
DailyServings |
Serving Sizes |
| Grains |
6-8 |
1 slice bread |
| Vegetables |
4-5 |
1 cup raw leafy vegetable |
| Fruits |
4-5 |
1 medium fruit |
| Low-fat or fat-free dairy foods |
2-3 |
1 cup milk |
| Lean meats, poultry, and fish |
6 or less |
1 ounce cooked meat, poultry, fish |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes |
4-5 per week |
1/3 cup or 1 ½ ounces nuts |
| Fats & oils |
2-3 |
1 teaspoon soft margarine |
| Sweets and added sugars |
5 or less per week |
1 tablespoon sugar |
Limit Alcohol
Reducing your alcohol consumption to less than two drinks per day can reduce your blood pressure. The Canadian Hypertension Education Program recommends men have no more than 14 drinks per week and women have no more than 9 drinks per week.1
Manage a Healthy Weight
Managing a healthy weight is one of the most important ways you can keep your blood pressure healthy. Even losing a few pounds if you are overweight often lowers your blood pressure. For more information on the most effective ways to lose weight visit our article “Weight Loss Wisdom.”
Looking for More Information?
Heart and Stroke Foundation www.heartandstroke.ca
The Canadian Hypertension Society www.hypertension.ca
References:
1 2007 Canadian Hypertension Education Program Recommendations www.hypertension.ca .
2 Heart and Stroke Foundation
3 Clinical Cardiology. The DASH Diet: A Clinical Success Story in Hypertension Control. Vol 22, No 7, July 1999, Supplement III.
4 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH. NIH Publication No. 06-4082. Revised 2006.
