If you've recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you want to do all you can to bring it back into a healthy range. If left untreated, the condition has the potential to become quite serious. Complications of high blood pressure can include heart failure, cardiac arrest, stroke, cognitive impairment, and aneurysm, among others. One of the recommendations your doctor may have provided you to help lower your blood pressure is to eat healthier. Eliminating things like salt, red meat, sugar, and alcohol can be a wise supplemental approach to medication or other lifestyle changes. To help you start on the right foot, here's a list of five food alternatives for those with high blood pressure.
1. Salt Alternatives
One of the most problematic foods for those with high blood pressure is salt. Excessive sodium increases your blood fluid, which results in a rise in blood pressure. Therefore, you should most certainly limit adding salt to your dishes, as well as moderate your consumption of foods that are high in sodium. Reducing or eliminating salt from your diet doesn't mean your food has to be bland and tasteless. You can use other seasonings to add flavor to your meals. In addition, there are some great-tasting and healthy salt alternatives on the market. They taste very similar to salt, without the negative effect on your blood pressure.
2. Sugar Substitute
It's also been found that excessive sugar intake can also increase blood pressure. Items like soft drinks and canned fruit in syrup are particularly should be avoided. If you like your beverages sweetened, try a sugar substitute. You can find several alternatives to sugar at your local supermarket or online. It's even possible to bake with substitutions. There are artificial sweeteners and natural sweeteners that taste nearly as good as your regular sugar.
3. Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Alcohol can be another substance that should be avoided by those with high blood pressure. This is the recommendation of the American Heart Association who says that individuals with hypertension should avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Strive to drink two or fewer glasses daily, if that. Also, you'll want to check with your doctor to be sure alcohol doesn't interfere with your blood pressure or other medications. If you simply like the flavor of alcohol, there are some non-alcoholic versions such as "near beer" that might satisfy your taste buds. If you simply wish to indulge on social occasions, these substitutes might work as a decoy.
4. Decaffeinated Beverages
You may not have realized that caffeine is not recommended for those with elevated blood pressure. That's because caffeine can cause blood vessel constriction, in turn, contributing to high blood pressure. Therefore, you'll want to skip your favorite caffeinated beverages. This includes coffee, tea, energy drinks, and soft drinks. The last two are also high in sugar, so they should definitely be eliminated from your daily intake. In fact, check the labels of any drinks that aren't pure water. Sometimes caffeine is found in things you wouldn't suspect, such as caffeine-free sodas. If you depend on your hot caffeinated beverage in the morning, you may find it tricky to switch to decaffeinated coffee or tea, but the results to your health will be worth it. Try adding regular exercise to your schedule to increase your overall energy. Physical activity is also quite beneficial for lowering blood pressure. Be sure to talk to your doctor for the go-ahead.
5. Plant-Based Foods
Your physician may have spoken to you about the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Along with sodium and sugar, the eating plan recommends you also cut down on the consumption of red meat. High-fat foods like red meat can increase your risk for diabetes and high cholesterol, both of which are associated with heart problems. Plant-based foods can be a good meat substitute. Beyond burgers is one example that is seeing a big gain in popularity. Others to consider are seitan, tempeh, tofu black beans, chickpeas, and lentils.
These five food alternatives can help you to see a significant decrease in your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a manageable condition. With a few substitutions in your lifestyle, you'll find yourself on the road to recovery.
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