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Globally, around 7.5 million people die each year as a direct result of hypertension, known as high blood pressure. Thus accounts for 13% of total deaths each year, which is shocking because it is preventable with simple weight loss, easy exercises, and reducing stress.
Supplements and Medication
One of the quickest and easiest steps to your optimal blood pressure journey is to take specific medications and supplements. When blood pressure is high, you will probably be prescribed medication such as enalapril or perindopril. However, these are for severe cases. You can use readily available supplements such as Semaglutide. The Semaglutide cost is around the same as supplements for blood pressure such as compounds, multivitamins and hormone tablets.
Lower Blood Pressure with Weight Loss
They aren’t mutually exclusive, but blood pressure is often higher in overweight people, and it can increase as your weight does. Your waistline is a good indicator of your potential risk and can be higher if you are greater than 40 inches as a man or greater than 35 inches as a woman. Of course, everyone is different, so it helps to see your doctor if you are concerned. Yet simply losing a small amount of weight goes a long way in the fight against high blood pressure.
Exercise Your Cardio System
Further to losing weight, the best way to do this is to exercise. Rather than strength training, cardio exercise is best to balance your blood pressure. Moderate exercises for around 30 minutes per day are a great start if you can handle it. But go slowly if you have trouble, such as sore joints and breathing issues. Any exercise is better than nothing, and it gets easier the more you do it. Good exercise for blood pressure includes cycling, walking or jogging, and swimming.
Make Sure You Eat Well
Hand in hand with losing weight and exercising, your diet plays a key role in blood pressure. Junk food and excess sugars and fats increase the likelihood of higher blood pressure and the issues that come with it. So, to lower your blood pressure through your diet, try these methods:
- Eat more whole grains, fresh fruit, and nuts with your main meals.
- Consume only low-fat dairy products or cut out dairy completely.
- Cut out saturated fats (such as butter) and eat fats that are liquid at room temperature.
- Increase your potassium intake to reduce the effects of high amounts of salt.
- Try a completely new way of eating, such as the Mediterranean diet.
Following a good diet with restrictions on what you eat can help reduce your blood pressure by a significant amount. Together with losing weight and exercising, you can see remarkable results over a shorter period. However, there is still work to do, and these alone aren’t enough.
Reduce Salt in Your Diet
One of the key ingredients you must cut down on is salt. Or, more specifically, the amount of sodium. We say salt because this is the main source of sodium in your diet. But of course, you can buy low-sodium salt. Salt should be consumed at no more than 1,500 mg per day, which is around two-thirds of a teaspoon. To be fair, this is enough salt to flavor your food. But there is also salt in the food itself, so always read labels and try to eat less processed foods.
Quit Bad Habits to Lower Blood Pressure
Blood pressure problems are well documented in cases of people with terrible habits. These include smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs such as cocaine. Alcohol dramatically increases your blood pressure temporarily and over time. While smoking wreaks havoc on your heart and cardio system, blocking your veins and arteries to the point of a heart attack. And one line of cocaine could be your last. So always seek help from medical and healthcare providers.
Reduce Stress Where Possible
Long-term stress is believed to contribute to higher blood pressure than normal. But in most cases, there isn’t much we can do about the stress of work, family, and life. But you can take time to lower stress each day. Don’t take on more than you can handle, and always make time for relaxing a little. It also helps to tackle your issues head-on and plan how to handle them. And, of course, always get the right amount of sleep of between 8 and 10 hours per night.
Summary
You can lower blood pressure for the sake of your overall health. It can be quite a challenge, but with some work, you will get there. Some effective methods include supplements and medication. You can also eat well and exercise. Yet stress reduction also goes a long way.