WHAT IS NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE, STAGES OF HYPERTENSION, LIFESTYLE TIPS, DASH DIET AND DIET PLAN TO CONTROL BLOOD PRESSURE.

Blood runs throughout our body to nourish all the organs, remove toxins, regulate body temperature, fight infections and form clots to prevent blood loss etc.

To circulate from head to toe, blood moves at a certain pressure range which is controlled by the heart.

Every time the heart beats by contracting and relaxing, pressure is created.

What Is The Normal Blood Pressure?

Blood Pressure is the pressure exerted by the circulating blood, on the walls of the blood vessels. It is expressed in terms of Systolic Pressure over Diastolic Pressure. Normal blood pressure range:

Systolic: 120 – 129 mmHg

Diastolic: 80 mmHg.

Pre-Hypertension:

Systolic Blood Pressure – 130 to 139 mmHg.

Diastolic Blood Pressure Range- 80 to 89 mmHg.

Hypertension is elevated or high blood pressure. There are 3 stages of Hypertension:

	Stage 1 Hypertension	Stage 2 Hypertension	Stage 3 Hypertension
Systolic Blood Pressure	140 – 159 mmHg	160 – 179 mmHg	180 mmHg and above
Diastolic Blood Pressure	90 – 99 mmHg	100 – 109 mmHg	110 mmHg and above.

What Are The Causes and Symptoms Of Hypertension.

High blood pressure is no longer a lifestyle disease for the aged. Hypertension is now happening even to people in their thirties. Stress, Sedentary lifestyle, junk foods habits and family history of hypertension are major causes of high blood pressure.

Here are 8 symptoms of high blood pressure:

• Headache
• Dizzyness
• Impaired vision
• Failing memory
• Shortness of breath
• Pain over heart
• Gastro – intestinal disturbance and 
• Unexplained Tiredness

If you experience any of the symptoms, check with your doctor and follow the advice they give. 

High blood pressure is a lifestyle disease and should not be taken lightly as it can even cause heart attack and stroke. 

High blood pressure or Hypertension can be controlled with a few diet and lifestyle changes. 

7 Lifestyle Tips To Control High Blood Pressure.

1. Reduce Stress To Control High Blood Pressure.

Chronic stress, whether at work or in personal life, can lead to high blood pressure. The triggers of stress varies from person to person. It is important to identify your trigger, and limit your exposure if you cannot avoid it completely. Also try to plan your life, leave for your office and meetings on time and avoid last minute rush. 

Whenever there is a stressful situation, our body sees it as a danger of it getting harmed. The fight or flight response of our body releases hormones, it temporarily increases our blood pressure, and our heart rate. So if you already have hypertension, avoid or manage situations that cause stress. 

2. Avoid Smoking and Alcohol to control Hypertension.

Smoking and Alcohol narrows and hardens arteries and may cause Hypertension. Reduce your smoking and alcohol consumption and gradually give it up. 

3. Control Diabetes to Control High Blood Pressure.

Diabetes damages arteries and leads to atherosclerosis. Diabetics are at a major risk of becoming hypertensive. So to control high blood pressure, it is very important to control Diabetes. 

4. Lose Weight to control High Blood Pressure.

Obesity is the mother of all lifestyle diseases, and Hypertension is closely linked to it. Have a low calorie diet to lose weight. Eat more of healthy foods, add salads, fruits and vegetables in your diet. They not only help reduce your calorie intake, but also keep you full and nourish you with vitamins. 

5. Exercise to Control Hypertension.

Exercising for as less as 20 to 30 minutes, minimum 3 to 5 days in a week, can help reduce blood pressure. Exercising strengthens your heart, improves blood circulation and delays atherosclerosis. Do a low to moderate intensity exercise as per your health conditions.

6. Monitor your Blood Pressure to Control Hypertension.

Buy a Blood Pressure Monitor. This will help you keep track of your blood pressure readings, and will also help you know how your blood pressure changes when you have a particular food, experienced a stressful situation, or when you’ve changed your lifestyle habit.

7. Follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension) Diet For Blood Pressure Control.

What is the Dash Diet.

Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension, or DASH Diet is designed to reduce or prevent high blood pressure or hypertension.

The DASH Diet specifies or recommends the servings of foods to reduce High Blood Pressure. DASH diet is rich in Potassium and Calcium as these nutrients reduce blood pressure, and it limits the intake of salty foods and sugary foods.

The DASH Diet recommends specific servings of different food groups based on a 2000 kcal diet. It does not specify any particular food or foods.

Whole grains: 6-8 Servings per day.

Include whole wheat, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Oats in your diet to reduce high blood pressure. They nourish you with B Vitamins and also give you Fibre to keep you feeling full and help you lose weight.

Following quantity are examples of 1 serving:

• Half Cup of Cooked Rice, Quinoa or any other Cereal.
• 1 Whole Wheat Roti or 1 Slice of Whole Grain Bread.

Vegetables: 4-5 Servings per day.

Vegetables like Carrots, Cucumber, Broccoli, Tomato, Spinach or any other leafy greens help reduce hypertension as they nourish you with Vitamins and minerals. For example, Spinach, Drumstick leaves, Amaranth, are rich in calcium. And calcium rich foods help lower high blood pressure.

Example of 1 Serving:

• Half cup of any cooked or raw vegetable.
• 1 Cup of Green Leafy Vegetable like Amaranth.

Drumstick, the vegetable as well as its leaves, are excellent to control high blood. Try having 1/3rd glass of Moringa Juice minimum 4-5 days in a week. Also include Spinach or any other leafy greens minimum 3 days in a week.

Fruits: Have 4-5 servings every day.

Banana, Papaya, Melons, Citrus fruits help reduce high blood pressure or hypertension. Have any 1 citrus fruit like an orange, tangerine or a sweet lime daily.

Include 4-5 servings of fruits daily to reduce hypertension. An example of 1 serving:

• 1 small to medium sized fruit like apple, orange, pear etc.
• 1 Katori or half cup of fresh or frozen fruits.

Have fruits as an in-between meal snack.

Low Fat Milk and Milk Products: 2-3 Servings per day.

Milk and Milk products are rich in Calcium and they help reduce high blood pressure. Opt for 1 Cup of Low fat Milk, or 1 cup of Low fat curd, Yogurt or Paneer.

Legumes, Nuts and Seeds: 4-5 Servings per week.

Nuts like Almonds and Walnuts nourish you with Omega 3 and Omega 6 and also help control blood pressure. Following is what counts as one serving of nuts, legumes and seeds:

• Handful or 1/3rd cup of nuts.
• 1/2 Cup of cooked legumes like Chickpea, peas, soyabean, pulses etc.
• 1-2 tablespoons of Seeds like Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc.

Lean Protein: 6 or less Serving per day.

It is best to have non veg in moderation. Lean protein like fish, chicken and eggs are beneficial. 1 serving of lean protein is as follows:

• 1 egg
• 28 grams of cooked cooked fish or chicken.

Fats or Oil: Have not more than 2-3 Servings per day.

Avoid saturated fats and trans fats or hydrogenated fats like Dalda. They increase cholesterol levels. Instead use healthy fats like Sunflower oil or Olive oil in a limited quantity. 1 serving of fats or oils is as follows:

• 1 tsp of oil
• 1-2 tbsp of salad dressing.

Avoid Sugar or Sweets.

Avoid Sweets, chocolates, cakes or anything that has added sugar. Have not more than 1 tablespoon of added sugar or sugary items.

Diet Plan to Lower High Blood Pressure or Hypertension.

To make it easier to plan your diet to lower blood sugar or hypertension, here is 1 day’s diet plan.

• Waking Up – Nimbu Paani or lemon water, no added sugar or salt.
• Breakfast – 1 Lettuce Cucumber Avocado Sandwich or 1-2 Chilla.
• Mid Meal – 1-2 Fruit or Walnuts.
• Lunch – 1-2 Roti or Rice + Daal or Fish curry + 1 vegetable + Yogurt.
• Post Lunch – 1-2 Fruit.
• Evening – Chickpea salad or 1-2 fruit.
• Dinner – 1-2 Phulka + Paalak Paneer.

Summary:

The ideal or Normal Blood Pressure is 120 mmHg / 80 mg. High Blood Pressure is in 3 Stages, and each stage is more and more harmful for your health. To reduce High Blood Pressure, reduce stress, try to be in your normal weight range, exercise daily for minimum 20 to 30 minutes, monitor your blood pressure frequently, follow the DASH Diet principles, include foods like Spinach, Bananas, Walnuts, Whole grains, limit sodium intake and sugar intake, avoid Junk Food. Have Potassium and calcium rich foods in your diet. If you have high blood pressure, show yourself to a doctor, and follow your medical practitioners advice. Always check with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise programme.