High blood pressure consists of two numbers. The top reading is the systolic number and the bottom number is the diastolic reading. The systolic pressure indicates the pressure as your heart beats and the diastolic pressure indicate the number between contractions. You can tell you have high blood pressure when your systolic number is over 130 and your diastolic number is over 85. But you dont necessarily need medication to lower your high blood pressure. You can lower blood pressure naturally.
The first thing you want to do is to lose some of the excess weight you are carrying around. Most of us carry around some excess weight. It is not certain as to the connection between being overweight and having high blood pressure but it does have something to do with abnormalities in glucose. It is recommended that you exercise at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. It doesnt have to be anything strenuous either. Something as simple as walking for 30 minutes a day makes all the difference. Exercise will help lower blood pressure naturally in a number of different ways. It obviously helps you lose the weight and it also helps manage your stress level. Studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise also strengthens your heart so it can pump blood more efficiently which in turn helps lower blood pressure naturally.
Diet is another step to lower blood pressure naturally. It is an important component for lowering high blood pressure. One must strive for a diet high in vegetables, dairy and whole grain products. Red meats and sweets are ok in moderation. A diet full of fruits and vegetables will lower blood pressure in as little as 2 weeks. It’s also important to include supplements proven to lower blood pressure naturally. Your diet should also include supplements which can also help to lower blood pressure naturally. Less intake of Sodium can also lower the blood pressure levels in a natural way. Hence, how much sodium intake you can reduce? It’s advised to lower it down to around 1,500 milligrams a day which is half the National average. One teaspoon of salt has 1,200 milligrams of sodium in it.
An important way to lower blood pressure naturally is to cut down on the amount of drinks you consume. The less you drink, the lower your blood pressure will be. Now that is not to say you cannot drink at all. It is recommended one drink a day is fine but not more than that. Always drink in moderation whether you have high blood pressure or not.
Caffeine is a huge way to increase your blood pressure. So to lower blood pressure naturally, slow down on the caffeine. If you drink three cups of coffee each day, it will increase your blood pressure by 4 mm. The reason caffeine raises blood pressure is because it tightens the blood vessels and causes more stress. When your body is under stress, your heart starts pumping more and therefore you get a huge boost in your blood pressure. If you really need that cup of coffee in the morning, switch to decaf.
Natural dietary supplements are another great way to lower blood pressure naturally and maintain a healthy pressure. Supplements like L-arginine, grape seed extract, lycopene and pycnogenol have been clinically proven to help lower blood pressure. These safe natural supplements will not cause any harmful after effects with the positive benefits of better cardiovascular health. Taking these supplements on a daily basis will be your first step to a healthier lifestyle.