These small changes will bring big impact to your health and wellbeing
There are recent changes in definition of high blood pressure. The new guidelines lowered the definition for high blood pressure to 130/80 from 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), meaning more people now meet the criteria for stage one hypertension. In this section below we will understand what it means for us and what action we should take.
While you shouldn’t completely ignore the changes, there’s also no need to worry. The change, however, should make you more cautious about blood pressure. These guidelines have been expected from a long time. And, in fact welcome by most hypertension experts. They may seem hard to follow, but in putting the knowledge we’ve gained from large trials into clinical practice, they will help large population globally.
Why does hypertension matter?
Any of us in the range 130/80, reducing your blood pressure can help protect you from heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, and even cognitive decline. The goal of the new guidelines is to encourage you to treat your high blood pressure seriously and to take action to bring it down, primarily using lifestyle interventions. It is well documented that lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure as much as medicine can, and sometimes even more.
Making those changes can be challenging. More than one woman has woken up in the morning committed to healthy eating only to be derailed by our typical Indian breakfast every morning typically consisting “parathas” on a table in the morning a dinner out with friends, that would consist even more fried, packed and who knows? recooked stuff on your table.
How lower your blood pressure with small changes?
You don’t have to embark on a major life overhaul to make a difference in your blood pressure. Here are six simple tips for actions you can take to help get your blood pressure back into the normal range.
- Lose weight
By far the most effective means of reducing elevated blood pressure is to lose weight. And it doesn’t require major weight loss to make a difference. Even losing as little as 4.5 kgs. can lower your blood pressure.
- Read labels
We Indians, with our changing food habits wherein we have now started eating lot of packed food and snacks hardly read sodium labels on the packet. The recommended total amount is 1,500 milligrams (mg) daily for individuals with high blood pressure. It doesn’t take much sodium to reach that 1,500-mg daily cap — just 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt. There’s half of that amount of sodium in one breakfast sandwich. Weed out high-sodium foods by reading labels carefully. It is very difficult to lower dietary sodium without reading labels, unless you prepare all of your own food. the American Heart Association has called the “salty six,” common foods where high amounts of sodium may be lurking:
- breads and rolls
- cold cuts and cured meats
- pizza
- poultry
- soup
- Get moving
It doesn’t take much exercise make a difference in your health. Aim for a half-hour at least five days a week. Make sure you’re doing something you love, or it won’t stick, for some that means dancing; for others, biking or taking brisk walks with a friend. Even everyday activities such as gardening can help.
- Pump some iron
Add some weightlifting to your exercise regimen to help lose weight and stay fit. Women lose muscle mass steadily as they age, and weightlifting is an often-overlooked part of an exercise plan for most women. Therefore, if you’re a gym goer female don’t hesitate to be weightlifting.
- Limit alcohol to one drink per day
Drinking too much, too often, can increase your blood pressure, so practice moderation.
- Relieve stress with daily meditation or deep breathing sessions
Stress hormones constrict your blood vessels and can lead to temporary spikes in blood pressure. In addition, over time, stress can trigger unhealthy habits that put your cardiovascular health at risk. These might include overeating, poor sleep, and misusing drugs and alcohol. For all these reasons, reducing stress should be a priority if you’re looking to lower your blood pressure.
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