Losing weight to maintain a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2, along with lifestyle changes, can help lower high blood pressure. These changes include following the DASH diet (which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy while limiting saturated and total fats), reducing sodium intake (to 2.4 grams of sodium or 6 grams of sodium chloride), increasing physical activity (to 30 minutes per day), and drinking alcohol in moderation.
Dietary Recommendations for Hypertension
| Diet Approach | Low Salt ,Low Fat, High Potassium, High Antioxidant and High Fiber Diet |
| Allowed Liberally | To promote cardiovascular health and support healthy blood pressure, follow these dietary recommendations. Consume foods abundant in potassium and nitrates. Limit sodium intake. * **Fruits:** Prioritize berries, pears, oranges, figs, kiwi, guava, papaya, watermelon, apples, and sweet lime.* **Vegetables:** Focus on celery, beetroot, peas, spinach, squash, lettuce, and broccoli. Note: Leaching of green leafy vegetables may be considered.* **Beverages:** Opt for coconut water, sweet lime juice, and herbal teas such as oregano, hibiscus, and rosemary.* **Whole Grains:** Include oats, brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, ragi, jowar, and bajra.* **Legumes:** Integrate lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and kidney beans, prepared as whole grains or sprouted and lightly steamed (one whistle).* **Herbs and Spices:** Utilize cinnamon, garlic, ground flax seeds, curry leaves, onion, turmeric, amla, and cumin.* Keep adequate hydration by consuming at least 2-3 liters of water or non-caffeinated, low-calorie fluids daily to facilitate toxin elimination and maintain optimal hydration. |
| Allowed in Limited Amount | • Limit salt used in cooking to 1 tsp/day. Do not add salt to food at the table. • Add herbs as a taste enhancer in low salt meals. Use herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary. • Low fat dairy products – cottage cheese, yoghurt, butter milk. • Include nuts in moderation- almond, walnuts, raisins and other nuts. • Reduce caffeine containing products such as coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolates and sodas. • Healthy oils -like olive, rice bran and canola. |
| To be Avoided | • Salt at table and high sodium sources- • Salt Preserved foods such as pickles, canned foods, frozen foods. • Monosodium Glutamate (Ajinomoto), Baking powder, sodium bicarbonate and sodium benzoate containing processed food items like Chips, soya sauce, canned vegetables and soups, ready-to-eat cereals restaurant foods, and bakery items. • Highly salted foods such as potato chips, ketchups, sauces, peanut butter, salted butter, nankeens, pappad, chutneys. • Trans fat in baked products such as biscuits, cakes, breads, pastries, muffins, pies, and doughnuts.*for details refer general dietary guidelines. • Fried and oily items like pakoras,French fries,poories,kachories,samosas. • Saturated fat as in whole milk and its products, meat, ghee and butter. • Limit foods high in added sugar. Examples include pies, flavored yogurts, candy bars, ice cream, sherbet, regular soft drinks, and fruit drinks. • Eat fruits canned in their own juice. • Avoid smoking and alcohol intake. Easy on the Alcohol -Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure. If you drink alcoholic beverages, drink moderately. Women should have one drink per day. Men may have up to two drinks each day. |
Cut down on salt
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure.
Tips to cut down on salt
- The amount of salt varies between brands. It’s important to use food labels. They help you choose the healthier options.
- Stop adding salt to your food at the table.
- Choose alternatives to salt when you’re cooking or preparing food. Add fresh or dried herbs & spices like oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder ,dill seeds ,onion powder.
- Watch out for cooking sauces (especially soy sauce) and ready mixed ‘seasonings’ which can be very high in salt. If you’re not sure how salty they are, check the label.
Exercise prescription:
Be physically active
Mild to moderate intensity exercises are advised Exercise prescription:
• Aerobic Exercise: 60 minutes of low- moderate intensity Aerobic Exercise on most days of the week. You can accumulate these 60 minutes in three 20-minute periods over the day. Alternatively, opt for two 30-minute periods for the same health benefits as one session. (eg. Brisk Walking, Swimming, Slow Jog, Cycling. Treadmill, Cross-trainer, Bike, Dancing etc)
- Always start with a warm-up exercise before doing aerobic activity. Allow a few minutes to cool down afterwards as well.
- Listen to your body. When you feel your heart racing or you find yourself getting tired too quickly, stop right away and rest.
- Be active throughout the day. You start by taking the lift to the floor below. Walk one flight of stairs. Then increase it to two flights, and so on. Eventually, you’ll be walking up the whole way without thinking.
- Resistance/ Strengthening Exercises :No overhead movements. Avoid using a lat pull down machine or free weight exercises with overhead movements. Ensure a slow transition from one position to another, i.e., from standing to lying position.
- Ensuring regular breathing i.e. no holding the breath with proper form and technique of the exercise. (Eg. Squats, Lounges, Crunches, Core Muscle strengthening etc)
De- Stressing Exercises: Jacobson’s Progressive muscle relaxation (or PMR) /Anti-stress relaxation
You can lie on a bed and spread a little your arms and legs. Or you can also sit on a comfortable couch, preferably with arms. Now close your eyes.
Take 5 deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and slowly letting your breath out through your mouth. Repeat this procedure five times.
Every time you breathe in, repeat the phrase “hold it” and every time you breathe out, repeat the word “easy”.
Now tense forcefully all the muscles in your body and relax them in the next sequence:
- Legs: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Thighs: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Glutes: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Pelvis: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Abdominal: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Back: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Chest: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Neck: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Jaw: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Forehead: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
- Shoulders: tense energetically…suddenly let go. Breathe
Let go of all the tension and relax completely. Feel the immediate well-being sensation.
Yoga asanas
Yoga asanas or poses and pranayama or the different breathing exercises help to control the blood pressure. They help to keep it normal. The following yoga asanas or poses can be practiced for maintaining normal blood pressure:
Yoga asans like Shav asana, Uttan tadasana (palm tree pose),Makarasana (crocodile pose),Lotus Pose (Padmasana),rdha Padmasana The Half Lotus Posture ,Cat Pose (Bidalasana),Ardhakati chakrasana,Vajrasana
Precautions while exercising:
Signs that a person should get emergency attention include:
- Pain lasting more than 30 minutes,
- Sweating,
- Nausea,
- Shortness of breath,
- Severe anxiety,
- Fatigue.