Volume 1 October 2016
Welcome to “Here’s to Your Health & Wellness“. We hope you will find these articles both interesting and helpful.
Here are some topics that we will be covering. Your comments and feedback are welcome! :
• Healthy weight • Eating well + Delicious Healthy Recipes • Staying active
• Relationships • Parenting and caregiving • Stress and emotional health
• Physical health • Safety •And much more…
6 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure With no Meds
About 1 out of 3 American adults has high blood pressure or hypertension. It is vital to learn the which lifestyle changes and strategies can make a real impact on lowering your numbers.
While prescription medication can help lower your blood pressure, they are not the only solution. There are many lifestyle changes have demonstrated a direct impact. For example, a weight loss regimen combined with an exercise regimen and a healthy eating plan may reduce or eliminate the need for medication altogether.
Talk with your doctor before making any changes–she can help you decide which approach is best.
1. Healthy strategies
Increase exercise. Aerobic exercise can lower blood press
ure and can also help with weight loss. Aerobic activities such as walking, biking, swimming and water aerobics often produce the best results with as few as 30 minutes 3-4 times a week.
Before you start an exercise program, ask your doctor what type and amount of exercise is right for you.
2. Salt intake
The maxim
um RDA of salt is 1tsp (2,400 mg). Even if you reduce this to 2/3 tsp (1,500 mg) can make a big difference. Learn to read labels on foods and OTC medictaions for their sodium content. Substitute herbs and spices when flavoring foods. Avoid processed foods and choose low-sodium frozen foods, cheeses and luncheon meats .
3. Eat healthier
By following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) guidelines, you will be able to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
The DASH diet restricts intake of saturated fats, red meat and sugar and is rich in whole grains and low-fat dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. The increased fiber,magnesium and calcium are thought to play a role in reducing blood pressure.
4. Weight Loss
You can lower your systolic pressure by one point and your diastolic pressure by 1.4 points for every two pounds of weight loss. Gradual weight loss of 1-2 lbs.weekly is most effective.
- Food journals are very effective in monitoring your food intake.
- Use portion control
- Choose foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats and refined sugar
- Do not skip meals. Eating t3 meals + 2 snacks daily is essential in weight management
- Your goal should be 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily–this will fill you up and curb your appetite
5. Limit alcohol
Drinking a lot of alcohol can raise blood pressure. This means no more than 1 drink a day for women, 2 drinks for men. One drink is the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or two ounces of hard liquor.
By teaching yourself to relax, you will cope better with stress
6. Unplug & De-Stress
- Take a deep breath. Join a yoga or tai chi class-nby learning to deepen and slow down your breathing you will learn to relax.
- Simplify. Which activities delivre little value – eliminate them
- This is important! Learn to say “no.”
- No better time than the present for your fall or spring cleaning – you will be killing 2 birds with one stone! Clean out your garage, your house, your car and get rid of things you haven’t used in ovr 2 years
- Relationships can complicate your life – cut out those that stress you
- Exercise. Physical activity is a natural stress-buster
- Get plenty of sleep. Sleep-deprivation make problems seem bigger and you lose clarity
The key is to learn what works best for you. You can lower your blood pressure and help prevent other chronic diseasesby choosing your strategies, and taking action. Sit back and enjoy the benefits.
by Margaret Wood – Author/Editor/Publisher
Leadership Flagship 