The Best Diet for high blood pressure
Hypertension is characterized by abnormally high blood pressure on the walls of the arteries. The diagnosis is usually followed by a drug treatment that is good to add a specific diet. The diet against high blood pressure, or dash diet, will mainly consist of reducing salt intake and maintaining an adequate diet to avoid weight gain and cardiovascular events.
The essential points of the dash diet to treat hypertension( Diet for high blood pressure )
Hypertension is characterized by abnormally high blood pressure on the walls of the arteries. The diagnosis is usually followed by a drug treatment that is good to add a specific diet. The diet against high blood pressure, or dash diet, will mainly consist of reducing salt intake and maintaining an adequate diet to avoid weight gain and cardiovascular events.
The essential points of the dash diet to treat hypertension:
- Reduce salt intake
- Choosing the right fats to protect the cardiovascular system
- Limit alcohol consumption and smoking
- Find a healthy weight
- Encourage regular physical activity
Benefits of the salt-free diet for high blood pressure
The dash diet has many benefits in case of high blood pressure, it allows to:
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- Lowering blood pressure naturally
- Reduce salt intake
- Maintain optimal nutrient intake
- Preserving cardiovascular health
- Complete the action of drug treatment
Beyond the medical treatment prescribed by the doctor that it is essential to follow, diet can contribute to lowering blood pressure. In the first place, it is necessary to reduce salt consumption during meals.
Since high blood pressure is a cardiovascular risk factor, it will also be of great interest to promote fibre and to favor fats of good nutritional quality (mainly omega-3). Weight loss will also help reduce blood pressure, as well as stopping smoking and alcohol, which will keep arteries as low as possible.
Dash diet: dietary recommendations
The dash diet is a set of recommendations that aim to establish a healthy diet to treat high blood pressure and prevent the risk of a cardiovascular event. It is also important to follow this diet well to achieve a healthy weight. As a whole, the dash diet aims to avoid salt and foods that can harm the health of the heart and to incorporate more protective foods.
Diet to adopt for high blood pressure
To treat high blood pressure, the diet should be as varied as possible to provide the body with all the nutrients it needs: fibre, Omega-3, quality protein, etc. Dietary measures should be combined with regular physical activity to strengthen their action.
Fibres
Fibres are preferred under the dash diet, they reduce cholesterol levels and have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system. At each meal, care should be taken to provide one of the following fibre sources:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- legumes
Omega 3
Omega-3s have positive effects on cardiovascular health. They help to thin the blood and regulate the blood pressure and also have an anti-inflammatory effect of the most interesting. At least once a day, one of the following sources of Omega-3 should be included:
- Nut oil
- Linseed oil
- Colza oil
- Mackerel
- sardines
- Herring
- Salmon
- Nuts
- Flax and chia seeds
Lean and vegetable proteins
Some sources of animal protein are also sources of saturated fat. Care must be taken to choose foods that combine a high level of protein and good quality fatty acids. As part of the dash diet, the following foods should be included as often as possible for optimal protein intake:
- legumes
- Pisces
- Seafood
- Poultry without skin
- Lean cuts of meat
- Tofu
- Vegetable milks and soy yogurt
- Milk and skim milk
- oleaginous
Physical activity
Physical activity helps to fight against overweight while promoting the health of the cardiovascular system. It would have very positive effects on the regulation of blood pressure. It is recommended to practice 30 minutes of physical activity a day and to promote cardio activities of good intensity. Example of a recommended activity in case of arterial hypertension:
- Fast walk
- Running
- Nordic’s walk
- Hiking
- Bike
- Dance
Other recommended foods:
- antioxidants
- Low energy density foods
- Good hydration
- Homemade
Food not recommended for high blood pressure
It is recommended to adopt a salt-free diet more or less strict in case of hypertension. This diet tends to put the cardiovascular system at rest and to avoid all the foods that could harm it such as alcohol, saturated fats, etc. In addition, it will be necessary to avoid risky behaviour: tobacco, sedentary or anarchic diet.
Salt
The dash diet is a low salt diet. It is important, as a first step, to stop adding salt to dishes or cooking.
Here is a list of salt-rich foods to avoid as part of the diet for high blood pressure:
- Cubic broths
- Spice mixes
- Mustard
- Cheese (limit to 1 serving per day)
- Classic bread
- Meats
- Smoked food
- Canned vegetables and fish
- Industrial sauces
- Industrial salted biscuits (chips for example)
Alcohol
Alcohol has a harmful effect on the arterial walls. It weakens the walls and, combined with the increase in blood pressure, increases the risk of a cardiovascular event. It is therefore recommended, as part of the diet for high blood pressure, to limit alcohol consumption to one serving per day for both men and women. Red wine seems to be the least harmful alcohol for the heart.
A serving of alcohol equals:
- 250ml of beer
- 12.5cl of wine
- 2.5cl of strong alcohol
Saturated and Trans fats
Trans and saturated fats can prevent the beneficial action of Omega-3. They are, moreover, involved in the process of the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Combined with high blood pressure, they, therefore, promote the risk of a cardiovascular event. In the context of the dash diet, we, therefore, tend to limit the following foods:
- Palm oil
- Hydrogenated margarines
- Industrial products
- Ready meals
- Butter, whole cream
- Cheese
- Meats
- Fatty meat
- Fried and breaded products
- Industrial sauces: mayonnaise, béchamel, etc.
- Pastries, pastries and sweet or savoury biscuits
- Fast food, pizza, etc.
Tobacco
Like alcohol, tobacco weakens the arterial walls. Stopping smoking should, therefore, be one of the first things to do in case of high blood pressure. Do not hesitate to consult a professional to help you during smoking cessation.
Sedentary lifestyle
The sedentary lifestyle, in addition to promoting overweight, has a negative impact on the heart. Regular and moderate physical activity would help regulate blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. We recommend 30 minutes of physical activity a day to be healthy, to achieve this you can:
- Take a brisk walk after lunch
- Cycling to work
- Get off a stop before your usual stop
- Take the stairs as often as possible
- Organize hikes or regular walks with your friends
Other foods not recommended:
- Refined foods
- Sweet products
Daily practical tips to follow the diet without special salt hypertension
- Split the diet and make 1 to 2 snacks in the day, if necessary
- Read labels well and prefer low salt products
- Start meals with a crudity or vegetable soup to be sated faster
- Consume fatty fish at least twice a week
- Sprinkle dishes, soups and yogurt with linseed or chia seeds
- Choose starchy foods and breads in their classic version
- Instead of salt, add herbs and spices to enhance the taste of the dishes
- Eat slowly and listen to the food sensations
- To replace an alcohol-based appetizer, think of tomato juice
- Cooking home to the maximum and avoid industrial products or already prepared
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