7 Common Foods That Might Devastate Your Blood Pressure
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Alcohol
Let’s face it: alcohol is one of the most common vices people have. Although relaxing with a glass of wine in the evening is perfectly fine, excessive alcohol consumption can severely damage your blood pressure.
If you’ve already been diagnosed with hypertension, your doctor might recommend you to avoid alcohol altogether. However, this highly depends on your condition and the medication you might take.
Let’s also consider how many alcoholic drinks are very high in sugar and unhealthy calories – not to mention mixing alcohol with energy drinks, which are extremely harmful for your heart health.
The official recommendations issued by the American Heart Association are two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
If you find it difficult to reduce your daily alcohol intake or think you need help in managing such situations, it’s best to talk to a specialist about your problem.
Keeping blood pressure normal
Now that we reached the end of the post, I’ll keep my promise of offering three pieces of advice to maintain a healthy blood pressure. As a rule of thumb, the same recommendations that keep your heart healthy also have a positive impact in regulating blood pressure over time.
- Look for nitrate rich foods. Nitrate is a powerful nutrient that can reduce blood pressure naturally; it’s also a great source of antioxidants which helps to fight off toxic free radicals in your body. Some of the best sources of nitrates are pomegranates and beets.
Not a huge fan of beets? You can still enjoy their benefits with our beet smoothie recipe that’s surprisingly tasty and nutritious! - Consider the DASH diet. If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it might be beneficial to adopt the DASH diet. The term ‘DASH’ stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and it is known for improving your blood pressure as well. Generally, this diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.
- Create a balanced meal plan. Meal prepping can prevent cravings and unhealthy eating for people of all ages and that’s a huge benefit if you have high blood pressure. Our guide to organizing your fridge promotes healthy eating at home while also satisfying your cravings; you can check it out right here.
What are you doing to maintain normal blood sugar levels? Share your tips in the comment section and let’s stay healthy together!
