Lowering Blood Pressure

I am very conscious about the amount of sodium in food. I always look at the food label, see how many servings are involved in the product, and the amount of sodium. It's amazing to see how much sodium certain foods carry! I'm more aware of it because Warren has high blood pressure, so I try to cook foods with not too much salt.

A healthy person is only supposed to have 2300 mg of sodium per day. If you look at a soup can and look at the amount of sodium...usually its about 800mg or so (which is wayyy high) And then you look at the serving size and it probably says 2...so if you think about it, 800 mg per serving of salt..if you finish that can of soup, that will be about 1600 mg sodium which is already half your intake of salt for the day!!!!

So, I register on these websites where I can get low sodium recipes...and I just got an email about ways to lower Blood Pressure

1. REDUCE sodium intake
2. remove the salt shaker from the table!
3. Choose low sodium foods - Maintain a diet rich in fruits and vegetables! This can decrease blood pressure 8-15 mmHg
4. Cook without salt and use herbs and garlic to add flavor
5. Learn to recognize menu terms that basically mean salt (teriyaki, soy sauce (what!?), smoked, in broth etc.)
6. Follow the DASH diet

The DASH diet:
Grains and grain products: 7–8 daily servings
Vegetables: 4–5 daily servings
Fruit: 4–5 daily servings
Low-fat or nonfat dairy: 2–3 daily servings
Meat, poultry, and fish: 2 daily servings or less
Nuts, seeds, and legumes: 4–5 servings per week
Fats and oils: 2–3 daily servings
Low-fat sweets: 5 servings per week

7. Check your medicine. Some may be a source of sodium.
8. Consider Aspirin Therapy
9. Reduce Stress
10. Get Plenty of Exercise (30 minutes 3-5 times a week)
11. Consider medication
12. Monitor Blood Pressure at home

Some other facts about Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and heart attack. It is the most influential risk factor for stroke.

High blood pressure taxes the heart and cardiovascular system and over time can cause blood vessels to harden, narrow, and even burst.

Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg.
Prehypertension is above 120/80 mmHg and below 140/90 mmHg.
Hypertension is above 140/90 mmHg.

Just some facts to share....