Hypertension: 6 Effective Home Remedies For Hypertension
Hypertension is, for many of us, the result of our lifestyle choices. Although there is no magic pill or cure for our condition, that does not mean we cannot take effective action to lower our high blood pressure by managing our condition. Here are six safe home remedies that are very effective if used in combination.
6 Effective home remedies
# 1. Healthy diet
Adopting a healthy balanced diet is the foundation of managing our hypertension. A major contributor to our condition is our poor dietary choices and habits. We may have had these bad habits for decades, but we need to break them. A simple way of doing that is to change our diet from poor food choices to healthy eating over a period of 30 days during which period we can use up the food we have in stock and replace it with fresh fruit and vegetables of all colours, lean white meat, oily and white fish.
# 2. Lose weight
The link between high blood pressure and obesity is well established. Shedding the extra pounds will have a direct positive effect not only on our BP readings, but also on our general health. The aim is to achieve our ideal body weight over a period of time by a combination of healthy eating and exercise.
# 3. Become more active
Exercise has multiple benefits for our health. Through the release of endorphins we feel happier. Physical activity also has an almost immediate beneficial effect on our hypertension. Within half an hour of completing some moderate exercise, our BP readings are lowered and they stay down for almost 24 hours.
The benefits of exercise are cumulative – every bit helps. No special equipment is needed. Walking, cycling, jogging, swimming, house work, gardening and cleaning the car are all forms of exercise that can help reduce our blood pressure. Coupled with a healthy diet, exercise can help us lose weight – a virtuous circle.
# 4. Quit smoking
There are serious health risks associated with smoking tobacco products that indirectly cause hypertension, which in turn makes those conditions more serious. It is a vicious circle.
# 5. Cut down on alcohol consumption
Consuming alcohol is a double-edged sword. Drink in moderation and there are undoubted health benefits, which can lead to reduced hypertension because we are relaxed. The level of consumption at which the benefits cease is very low. It is just one unit a day for women and two units a day for men. Consuming greater amounts than this can lead to weight gain and other health problems that adversely affect our BP readings.
Drinking six to eight glasses of water each day has been shown to help improve our condition.
# 6. Relax
Relaxing for as little as 20 minutes each day has an immediate beneficial effect on our condition. The benefits of relaxation might be short-lived, but by reducing our stress and anxiety levels it is a valuable contribution towards managing our condition.
No special equipment or training is necessary for these simple and safe home remedies. Used in combination they can be very effective in reducing hypertension.
