Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(11):online
See related article on hypertension
There are many things you can do to lower your blood pressure if you do not want to take medicines.
Eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. One way to do this is to follow the DASH diet. More information is available at:
| DASH Diet | |
|---|---|
| High consumption of: | Examples of a serving: |
| Fruits (four or five servings per day) | 1 medium fruit |
| ¼ cup dried fruit | |
| Vegetables (four or five servings per day) | 1 cup raw leafy green vegetables |
| ½ cup cooked vegetables | |
| 6 oz vegetable juice | |
| Whole grains (seven or eight servings per day) | 1 slice whole wheat bread |
| 1 cup whole-grain cereal | |
| ½ cup cooked rice or pasta | |
| Moderate consumption of: | |
| Low-fat dairy products (two or three servings per day) | 8 oz low-fat milk |
| 1 cup low-fat yogurt | |
| 1½ oz low-fat cheese | |
| Lean meat (two servings per day) | 3 oz cooked lean meat (e.g., 90% lean ground beef, trimmed pork chops), skinless poultry, or fish |
| Nuts, seeds, and dry beans (four or five servings per week) | ⅓ cup or 1½ oz nuts |
| 1 tablespoon or ½ oz seeds | |
| ½ cup cooked beans | |
| Fats and oils (two or three servings per day) | 1 teaspoon low-fat margarine |
| 1 teaspoon low-fat mayonnaise | |
| 2 tablespoons light salad dressing | |
| 1 teaspoon vegetable oil | |
| Low consumption of: | |
| Cholesterol and saturated fat | 2 egg whites in place of 1 whole egg |
| Red meat | 3 oz serving up to 3 times per week |
| Salt | |
| Saturated fat | |
| Sweets or sweetened drinks (five servings per week) | 1 tablespoon sugar |
| 1 tablespoon jelly or jam | |
| ½ oz jelly beans | |
| 8 oz lemonade | |
Reduce salt intake. Consume no more than 2,400 mg of sodium per day.
Check nutrition labels. Look for lower-sodium items, and track your sodium intake each day
Avoid processed, prepared, and prepackaged foods
Choose unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas, and lentils
Select unsalted or low-sodium, fat-free broths, bouillons, or soups
Avoid canned vegetables with added salt
Don't use salt when cooking
Use spices and herbs to enhance the natural flavors of food
Don't salt food before you taste it
Take the salt shaker off the table
Eat less salted potato and corn chips, lunch meat, hot dogs, salt pork, ham hocks, dill pickles, and canned foods
More information is available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Sodium-and-Salt_UCM_303290_Article.jsp
Exercise. Engage in moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise three or four times per week for an average of 40 minutes per session. Some examples of aerobic exercise are:
Bicycling
Walking
Dancing
Gardening or yard work, such as raking or pushing a lawn mower
Golfing without using a cart
Jogging
Swimming
Tennis
Lose weight. Talk to your doctor about resources for weight loss information. Your doctor can also refer you to a nutritionist.
Quit smoking. Your doctor can help. More information is available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/QuitSmoking/QuittingResources/Resources-for-Quitting-Smoking_UCM_307934_Article.jsp
Limit your alcohol intake. Men should have no more than two drinks per day. Women should have no more than one drink per day. One drink equals about 1 oz or 30 mL.
Meditate. Meditation comes in many forms, including prayer and yoga. Relaxing your body and mind helps bring your blood pressure down.
Check your blood pressure at home. Make sure your doctor talks with you about your numbers.
Regular CPAP use. If you have sleep apnea, use your CPAP machine every night.
