Eating Healthy to Lower Your Blood Pressure {吃健康降低您的血压}

High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart and kidney failure, stroke and other health problems. There are usually no signs or symptoms associated with high blood pressure, which is why it is so important to “know your numbers” and have your blood pressure checked regularly (see box below).

Fortunately, high blood pressure can be treated with lifestyle changes and medication. One of the easiest ways to maintain normal blood pressure is to eat a healthy diet. Dietician Cynthia Finley, RD, recommends a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins. “You also should decrease or eliminate foods that are high in sodium, fat and sugar, which are known to increase blood pressure,” she says.  [My personal experience – During my dialysis day, I met a guy with end stage kidney failure where his systolic number is about 200.  He admitted he has high sodium diet most of the times.]

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a flexible and balanced eating plan that studies have shown helps lower blood pressure. It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat, focusing instead on fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds and nuts. The DASH diet contains fewer sweets, sugars and sugary beverages, sodium and red meats than the typical American diet.

“Different diets work for different people and should be customized to ensure compliance,” says Finley. “If you want to lower your blood pressure by changing your diet, you should schedule an appointment with a dietician. He or she will be able to customize a plan that best suits your needs and will meet your individual goals.”

Know Your Numbers

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps. It is measured as systolic (blood pressure when the heart beats) and diastolic (blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats).You most often will see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number before the diastolic number, such as 120/80.

Below is a table that illustrates normal blood pressure numbers and ranges that put you at greater risk for health problems. What are your numbers?

Category	Systolic	Diastolic
	(top number)	(bottom number)
Normal	Less than 120	Less than 80
Pre-hypertension	120-139	80-89
High blood pressure, Stage 1	140-159	90-99
High blood pressure, Stage 2	160 or higher	100 or higher

Controlling Your Blood Pressure

·             Maintain a healthy weight.

·             Be moderately physically active on most days.

·             Follow a healthy eating plan, which includes foods lower in sodium.

·             If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

·             If you are prescribed “medication for high blood pressure”, always take it as directed.

For further details, here is the “Original Article”, courtesy of Johns Hopkins Medicine.