What foods, etc, help reduce High Blood Pressure
By Sojournstar
@cempires (171)
United States
August 29, 2007 3:44pm CST
I had an appointment yesterday to have dental work done, but the dentist would not touch me. He said my pressure was too high, and made me a new appointment for next week.
I have just this one week to get my pressure down, so he can start working.
Please, I am asking you all, what foods, beverages, herbs, or other natural resources any of you might know about that will take my pressure down and maybe stabilize it.
Also what foods cause it to go higher, please, if you know.
I know I smoke, so that has to be curtailed quick, and I am REALLY stressed, but I also know I eat like s**t and need to know what I should be buying this week to help.
Thanks in advance.
2 people like this
13 responses
@cempires (171)
• United States
5 Sep 07
well I went back today, and blood pressure was still a little high, but nothing like last week. Got the work started, and thankful to at least have those loose teeth gone, now I just have to wait till the shots wear off so I can feel my mouth again LOL. Then I go back for my partial. Thats the easy part.
Thanks everyone.
@vinzen (1020)
• India
29 Aug 07
Hi, firstly please do not panick and dont be too stressed and i would suggest you try some dep breathing exercises adn meditate for sometime daily, this would remove stress totally.
Regarding the food, what is normally told to BP patients - Firstly, is to reduce and cut down on your salt intake, to nearly half of what youre eating, and incase youre eating anything with preservatives or tinned things, stop that and shift to fresh ones instead. Secondly, start a little bit of walks and small exercise to keep the heart rate right etc . Thirdly, take lots of fresh fruits and vegetables , raw would be ideal or then lightly cooked in little oil. Fourthly reduce your intake of fats, oils, butter cheese, anything fried or made or flour etc to be cut down. Any sweets etc, sugar to be reduced . Fifthly, eat small portions of frequent meals in less quantities, anything eaten in excess is bad. Sixthly, go in for only white meat, and fish no red meats, incase you are a non- veg though a veg diets always better.
Incase you do manage to follow the above, am sure your BP will come down within 3-4 days time.
@cempires (171)
• United States
29 Aug 07
Thanks for your comments, that is all very good advice, and I will try some of what you suggested.
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
30 Aug 07
I think the wisest thing to do is see your doctor, I was having heart flutters and I went to see my doctor and she nearly fainted when she saw my reading, she told me I was one notch away from a stroke, blood pressure is a very worrying thing you should have it checked...good luck
@cempires (171)
• United States
30 Aug 07
I cant get there before this next appointment, but hopefully if its still high when I go next week, he will postpone it again, and then I am sure my mother in law will nag me for a while before my hubby really statts nagging me about seeing the doctor, so yea, I think thats what I will be doing next. Wow, that was a really long sentence.
@archiee (322)
• India
30 Aug 07
rather than food i think you should try yogasana...lemme tell you something which wll help you for sure
sit straight ....wid your thum and lady finger, hold your nose in such a manner that you close both of them jus as you pinch nose,,... then leave one of your finger[say first a thumb] inhale air in close agin then exhale air frome other side by opening the other end....
repeat it by inhaling air from the same side frome wer you exhaled...and then exhale from other side again...this will help you for sure
just do this for 10 mins everyday it works for sure
and eat rock salt rather than normal one
@cempires (171)
• United States
30 Aug 07
You know, I remember this exercise, a long time ago. Someone else had shown it to me also, to help clear my throat and nasal passages before singing. It works, but is very hard to get the knack of LOL, expecially if you have smoked your lungs into barbeque EEWW!
Anyhow, yesterday I tried taking a walk up and down the steep 2 block area we live on without inviting a ciggarette along, and it really does make a difference. I felt exhilerated by the time I got back home, altho a bit dizzy LOL.
Thanks for the yoga suggestion, I will be trying to do more deep breathing in general, and hopefully much less smoking, gosh I would love to quit.....
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
7 Sep 07
For one lowering your salt intake will help tremendously. Also, eating more fiber, eating more veggies and fruits and limiting your fat intake helps a lot! Meats like fish and chicken are good choices when trying to avoid a lot of fat, but want the protein.
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
7 Sep 07
By the way, I used to eat like crap too. I slowly incorporated the veggies and fruits that I liked into my diet more regularly and now I still eat things that I like that are not so good for me, but I limit it and intake more things that are better for me. Maybe you can try that a little at a time. You won't even realize how much you are doing for yourself.
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
24 Oct 10
I use to manage hypertension, listening musiq, playing violen and i like chocolates, and i feel i get refreshed after having my chocolates. And best remedy is Meditation, try breathing exercise, it will help you balance and handle hypertension.
@catbvq (364)
• Philippines
9 Oct 07
I got high blood pressure back then, but if you really are serious in keeping it down you have to do these little sacrifices that I did:
1. I have lowered it by cutting my salt intake to almost none.
2. I replaced my carbohydrates consumption to just plain oatmeal or wheat bread. As a Filipino, rice is our staple meal, so I replace it with oatmeal or a wheat toast.
3. I replaced my cooking oil to olive or just steam/boil my food.
4. I drink lots of hot tea especially after meals. It cleanses your system and get rid of cholesterol you have just ingested.
5. I eat lots of tufu, bananas and tomatoes, they're rich in potassium which is good for leveling the blood pressure.
6. I cut down sugar to a teaspoon a day.
7. I eat only chicken and fish for a period of time.
Now that my blood pressure is normal, I can eat everything again but with moderation. But I have retained the cutting down of carbohydrates and sugar. So far, even if I eat everything now my blood pressure remains normal.
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
27 Oct 07
Oranges can help you out as can most leafy vegetables. Don't fry them, but steam them or use them in salads. Having tea, green tea is a good beverage. Lowfat milk and high calcium items are good. Water is even better since it helps regulate your system. Bananas, tomatoes and other high potassium foods are good for blood pressure and cellular health. Avoid salts and sodium. Try to avoid stressful situations. Vitamin C and B complex are also effective.
@Michelle662 (52)
• China
30 Aug 07
My Mom said there is a kind of pea will be help to reduce high blood pressure.And it is esp. good for older people. When my grandma is suffered from high blood pressure, someone kindly offer the information to my family and my grandma tried it. Later it seems to take effect.
The pea looks black outside but it is green inside.
Would you mind having a try?
@nobbsy123 (851)
• Australia
26 Sep 07
try eating things with omega 3 in it like fish and
other sea foods. also you could try some omega 3 tablets/capsules that you can buy over the counter at the chemist. best of luck chris.
@moneygod1 (15)
• Singapore
22 Oct 07
Hi people,I think the best way to reduce high blood pressure is to have more s8x with your spouse.Seriously, bec s*x increases the release of endophins which help to relax and increase blood circulation. I have s$x with my wife daily and really it's much better than running on the treadmill. Keeps the marriage alive too!!
@gerald_lian (2188)
• Australia
20 Nov 07
Based on what I know, the foods you should eat include fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products with reduced content of total and saturated fat. The foods you should avoid include foods with high salt content such as pickled and canned foods, and also food with high oil and cholesterol content. Quitting smoking shouldn't be seen as a bane but rather for your own health as well as the health of others. By quitting smoking, you're not only going to help yourself reduce your blood pressure by about 10-20mm/Hg, you'll also be helping those people around you from passive smoking. If you really try but can't quit, you can try other options such as nicotine replacement patches or chewing gum, or medications such as bupropion to help you to slowly quit. Good luck!