You may be at risk for developing hypertension if your blood pressure is consistently between 120-139 mmHg/ 80-89 mmHg. The good news is at this point you are able to prevent yourself from relying on medication to manage your blood pressure. Your doctor may request you to make some lifestyle changes to see if that will help you achieve healthier blood pressure. See the recommendations below to help you manage your blood pressure!
Nutrition:
• Eat a minimally processed plant-based diet.
• Add a serving of fresh vegetables to each meal.
• Skip the meat and go vegetarian once a week!
• Snack on less processed foods throughout the day including fruits, nuts, and seeds.
• Avoid these high-sodium foods: corn or potato chips, cheese, frozen microwave meals, processed deli meats, sodas (including diet varieties), and canned or fried foods.
• Rinse canned foods 3 times before cooking/eating to reduce the amount of sodium.
• Cook more meals at home
• Stay hydrated with water
Medication Adherence
It is essential for you to maintain adherence to your medication schedule and to take your medication as prescribed by your physician. In addition to staying consistent with your medication schedule, developing healthy habits can help prevent further complications such as heart failure, organ damage, stroke, and kidney disease. Do not change your medication routine without consulting your physician
Physical Activity
Aim to get 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Create a regular physical activity routine that you can stick to on a weekly basis. If you can’t fit in 30 minutes of exercise each day try to work more activity into your day by taking the stairs, parking further away in the parking lot, or doing a set of bodyweight exercises during your work breaks. You don’t have to get all 30 minutes of exercise done at once. Try and fit several shorter periods of exercise into your day to add up to the total daily activity you are aiming for. The most important thing is to get started!
Lifestyle:
A lifestyle goal can be anything that will help you feel your best including getting adequate sleep, stress management, smoking and alcohol cessation, spring cleaning, etc. The following lifestyle goals can help you achieve healthier blood pressure and reduce your risk for chronic disease.
• Smoking cessation: Smoking increases your blood pressure and contributes to heart disease and other conditions. Decreasing the number of cigarettes or the amount of tobacco products you use each day can help you achieve healthier blood pressure and overall health.
• Stress management: We all know stress is not good for our health. Figure out what triggers your stress levels and try to avoid it as best as you can. Some things are unavoidable but do not let stressful situations fester. Learn some relaxation techniques such as meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and yoga to help manage stressful moments.
• Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol in excess can increase your blood pressure. If you choose to consume alcohol, do so in moderation (Maximum 1 drink /day for women and 2 drinks/day for men).
Author: Allied Wellness Coaches, Edited by Cassandra V. RDN
According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults in America has pre-hypertension or hypertension. High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because most people don’t experience any symptoms. Left untreated, hypertension can potentially lead to a fatal myocardial infarction (heart attack), cerebrovascular accident (stroke), and/or kidney failure. We would like to highlight your power to decrease your risk of developing high blood pressure and/or managing it with your diet, physical activity, and lifestyle habits.
You may be at risk for developing hypertension if your blood pressure is consistently between 120-139 mmHg/ 80-89 mmHg. The good news is at this point you are able to prevent yourself from relying on medication to manage your blood pressure. Your doctor may request you to make some lifestyle changes to see if that will help you achieve healthier blood pressure. See the recommendations below to help you manage your blood pressure!
Nutrition:
• Eat a minimally processed plant-based diet.
• Add a serving of fresh vegetables to each meal.
• Skip the meat and go vegetarian once a week!
• Snack on less processed foods throughout the day including fruits, nuts, and seeds.
• Avoid these high-sodium foods: corn or potato chips, cheese, frozen microwave meals, processed deli meats, sodas (including diet varieties), and canned or fried foods.
• Rinse canned foods 3 times before cooking/eating to reduce the amount of sodium.
• Cook more meals at home
• Stay hydrated with water
Medication Adherence
It is essential for you to maintain adherence to your medication schedule and to take your medication as prescribed by your physician. In addition to staying consistent with your medication schedule, developing healthy habits can help prevent further complications such as heart failure, organ damage, stroke, and kidney disease. Do not change your medication routine without consulting your physician
Physical Activity
Aim to get 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Create a regular physical activity routine that you can stick to on a weekly basis. If you can’t fit in 30 minutes of exercise each day try to work more activity into your day by taking the stairs, parking further away in the parking lot, or doing a set of bodyweight exercises during your work breaks. You don’t have to get all 30 minutes of exercise done at once. Try and fit several shorter periods of exercise into your day to add up to the total daily activity you are aiming for. The most important thing is to get started!
Lifestyle:
A lifestyle goal can be anything that will help you feel your best including getting adequate sleep, stress management, smoking and alcohol cessation, spring cleaning, etc. The following lifestyle goals can help you achieve healthier blood pressure and reduce your risk for chronic disease.
• Smoking cessation: Smoking increases your blood pressure and contributes to heart disease and other conditions. Decreasing the number of cigarettes or the amount of tobacco products you use each day can help you achieve healthier blood pressure and overall health.
• Stress management: We all know stress is not good for our health. Figure out what triggers your stress levels and try to avoid it as best as you can. Some things are unavoidable but do not let stressful situations fester. Learn some relaxation techniques such as meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and yoga to help manage stressful moments.
• Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol in excess can increase your blood pressure. If you choose to consume alcohol, do so in moderation (Maximum 1 drink /day for women and 2 drinks/day for men).
