High blood pressure has often been called the “silent killer.” One in three adults have high blood pressure and don’t know it yet! Scary statistics but they do make sense. With an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and a stressed work ethic becoming the norm, more adults are being diagnosed with high blood pressure in their 30s and 40s!
One very important rule for every one over the age of 30 is to get your BP, cholesterol, and blood sugar, checked every three months. Irrespective of what the doctors say, I believe you should start taking better care of yourself when you turn 30.
Says Irfana Sheikh, housewife and mother of one, “It does make sense to take care of yourself in your 30s. When we were younger we had an energetic lifestyle and nearly all the food we ate was digested with no weight gain. But now I’m 35 and even a single heavy meal makes me feel lethargic. Both my parents have high blood pressure and diabetes and it really scares me! I don’t want to get either and I’ve switched to a much healthier lifestyle of eating low fats and following sensible eating habits. I’m really hoping this makes a difference!”
She’s definitely right! Research has shown that diabetes and high blood pressure usually run together. And if you have one, you are more than likely to get the other. But if you do take care of yourself, then there is a lesser chance of you developing high blood pressure or diabetes. A few simple lifestyle changes to adopt are:
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Exercise is important. Just a 30-minute walk or even a simple jog for about an hour is enough. Exercise stimulates production of a material called Nitric Oxide that can dilate blood vessels keeping them open. This has a great effect of reducing the load on the heart as well as reducing blood pressure.
*
Lose weight after calculating your Body Mass Index. Measure your weight in pounds and multiply with 703; then divide it twice with your height in inches. Your BMI should be in between 18.5 and 24.9 for good health.
*
Cut out salt from your diet. Now this can be really difficult but you can try a simple rule; if you can taste the salt in your food then it’s already too much. Reduce your salt intake by using salt substitutes and herbs like oregano and thyme that add flavor to combat lesser salt levels.
*
Try the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). This diet is recommended by the American Medical Association and is basically a good way to include more fruits and veggies in your diet with less fat.
*
Cut out alcohol and tobacco; they are harmful for you and you already know it!
*
Spend time with your family. Connect with your wife and leave office stress at the office. Nothing can relax you more than a good hour of playing with your children. And it’s good exercise too!
*
Take up hobbies like yoga and meditation. There are quite a few yoga asanas that are really useful to control high blood pressure like Uttanasana and Adhomukha Svanasana. And transcendental meditation is known to reduce blood pressure by causing blood vessels to dilate and easing the flow of blood. Even half an hour of yoga or meditation is enough to get your body under control.
Lifestyle changes are essential to get borderline high blood pressure under control. But it might be difficult to start all these lifestyle changes all at the same time. Even a little effort now is much better than a heart attack later!
Do you think that a few lifestyle changes can control borderline high blood pressure and diabetes? Do you feel that almost everyone is inevitably going to have high blood pressure as an old age disease? How do we prevent it from happening?
(Source-American Medical Association)
One very important rule for every one over the age of 30 is to get your BP, cholesterol, and blood sugar, checked every three months. Irrespective of what the doctors say, I believe you should start taking better care of yourself when you turn 30.
Says Irfana Sheikh, housewife and mother of one, “It does make sense to take care of yourself in your 30s. When we were younger we had an energetic lifestyle and nearly all the food we ate was digested with no weight gain. But now I’m 35 and even a single heavy meal makes me feel lethargic. Both my parents have high blood pressure and diabetes and it really scares me! I don’t want to get either and I’ve switched to a much healthier lifestyle of eating low fats and following sensible eating habits. I’m really hoping this makes a difference!”
She’s definitely right! Research has shown that diabetes and high blood pressure usually run together. And if you have one, you are more than likely to get the other. But if you do take care of yourself, then there is a lesser chance of you developing high blood pressure or diabetes. A few simple lifestyle changes to adopt are:
*
Exercise is important. Just a 30-minute walk or even a simple jog for about an hour is enough. Exercise stimulates production of a material called Nitric Oxide that can dilate blood vessels keeping them open. This has a great effect of reducing the load on the heart as well as reducing blood pressure.
*
Lose weight after calculating your Body Mass Index. Measure your weight in pounds and multiply with 703; then divide it twice with your height in inches. Your BMI should be in between 18.5 and 24.9 for good health.
*
Cut out salt from your diet. Now this can be really difficult but you can try a simple rule; if you can taste the salt in your food then it’s already too much. Reduce your salt intake by using salt substitutes and herbs like oregano and thyme that add flavor to combat lesser salt levels.
*
Try the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). This diet is recommended by the American Medical Association and is basically a good way to include more fruits and veggies in your diet with less fat.
*
Cut out alcohol and tobacco; they are harmful for you and you already know it!
*
Spend time with your family. Connect with your wife and leave office stress at the office. Nothing can relax you more than a good hour of playing with your children. And it’s good exercise too!
*
Take up hobbies like yoga and meditation. There are quite a few yoga asanas that are really useful to control high blood pressure like Uttanasana and Adhomukha Svanasana. And transcendental meditation is known to reduce blood pressure by causing blood vessels to dilate and easing the flow of blood. Even half an hour of yoga or meditation is enough to get your body under control.
Lifestyle changes are essential to get borderline high blood pressure under control. But it might be difficult to start all these lifestyle changes all at the same time. Even a little effort now is much better than a heart attack later!
Do you think that a few lifestyle changes can control borderline high blood pressure and diabetes? Do you feel that almost everyone is inevitably going to have high blood pressure as an old age disease? How do we prevent it from happening?
(Source-American Medical Association)
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