There is a natural food pharmacy embraced by Nutritionists and that the answer to a lot of our health problems lies in what we eat.
1. Oriental Medicine practitioners have long used Celery for lowering high blood pressure. There are some experimental evidence that shows that celery is useful for this. In one study, eating as few as four celery stalks was found to be beneficial in lowering blood pressure in human beings.
2. Garlic is a wonder drug for heart. It has beneficial effects in all cardiovascular system including blood pressure. In a study, when people with high blood pressure were given one clove of garlic a day for 12 weeks, their diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced. Eating quantities as small as one clove of garlic a day was found to have beneficial effects on managing hypertension. Use garlic in your cooking, salad, soup, pickles, etc. It is very versatile.
3. Onions are useful in hypertension. What is best is the onion essential oil. Two to three tablespoons of onion essential oil a day was found to lower the systolic levels by an average of 25 points and the diastolic levels by 15 points in hypertension subjects. This should not be surprising because onion is a cousin of garlic.
4. Tomatoes are high in gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), a compound that can help bring down blood pressure.
5. This vegetable contains several active ingredients that reduce blood pressure.
6. Carrots also contain several compounds that lower blood pressure.
7. Saffron contains a chemical called crocetin that lowers the blood pressure. You can use saffron in your cooking. (It is a very popular spice in Arabic cooking.) You can also make a tea with it. Many Indians add a pinch of saffron in the brewed tea to give a heavenly flavor. Unfortunately, it is very expensive.
8. Spices such as fennel, oregano, black pepper, basil and tarragon have active ingredients that is beneficial in hypertension. Use them in your cooking.
9. Soya beans are believed to reduce levels of harmful blood fats involved in heart diseases, regulate the bowls, stabilise blood sugar levels and combat breast cancer. *Studies have shown that participants drinking soy milk had a significantly greater fall in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared with those drinking cow’s milk.
10. Oats are an excellent source of helping to lower blood pressure and sugar levels. The soluble fibre in oats also helps to remove bile acids involved in the formation of cholesterol.
11. Green and Black Teas. Scientists have discovered that tea has an abundance of phytonutrients, also found in fruit and vegetables, which are antioxidants that defend against cell damage that leads to ageing and diseases such as diabetes, cataracts, heart disease and cancer. The antioxidant activity of tea is more powerful than that found in most fruit and vegetables.
12. Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and grains. (almonds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.) Fresh Atlantic Salmon and other fresh fish are good choices as well.
Increased Blood Pressure: a diet high in fat causes thickened blood and blocked arteries increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and other degenerative diseases. According to the American Heart Association: Eating too much saturated fat (meat) can raise your blood cholesterol level, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease (clogged arteries) and heart attack. Plant foods contain no cholesterol. Even lean meats like shrimp and white chicken meat are high in cholesterol.
Tips for reducing your blood pressure:
If your blood pressure is high, reducing your sodium intake is a small lifestyle change that can have a big impact. Other critical measures you take include:
* Losing weight (if you’re overweight or obese)
* Limiting alcohol intake
* Limiting saturated fat in your diet
* Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet
* Increasing your intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium
* Getting regular exercise
* Reduce Stress (meditate, do yoga, listen to peaceful music)
* Reduce Salt intake (most cheese contains large amounts of sodium)
Best wishes ~ Brenda
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