Posts Tagged ‘Fitness’

PostHeaderIcon To Prevent High Blood Pressure

If you are battling high blood pressure there are many ways to lower it and prevent yourself from developing it again. The best way to start is without medication if you can help it by making some lifestyle changes. Do you smoke? If so, this can raise your blood pressure. Try to cut back if not quit altogether. There are many aids that can help you quit smoking. Do you drink quite a bit of alcohol? This will also raise your blood pressure so try to cut back to a drink or two a day. Do you consider yourself physically active on a daily basis? Getting at least thirty minutes of exercise a day has been proven to lower and maintain a healthy blood pressure level. Do ten minute intervals if you cannot set aside thirty minutes all at one time. Start a healthier diet. Did you know salt increases your blood pressure dramatically? Limit your intake of salt or substitute it for other seasonings. There are so many different seasonings available you should have no trouble finding one you really like. Add plenty of vegetables and fresh fruits into your diet. This will also help lower and control your blood pressure. Try to stay away from fatty foods as well. If you are over weight this could have a major impact on your blood pressure. Losing as little as ten pounds can significantly reduce your blood pressure. Once you lose ten pounds you will see how easily you can lose more and you will notice how much better and healthier you feel. Not to mention your blood pressure levels will decrease. Do you have a stressful job or life? Try to do away with as much stress as you possibly can. If you cannot avoid all the causes of stress in your life find something that helps you relax and de-stress. Meditation might work wonders for you. There are certain things you cannot avoid that have an effect on high blood pressure. Your race: African Americans are at a higher risk. If you are older than fifty-five you are at risk as well and unfortunately you cannot make yourself younger. If you have a family history with high blood pressure, you want to start early prevention. Knowing about your family history will help in cases like this. Even if you do not have high blood pressure now you have the risk of eventually developing it, but that doesn’t have to happen. Early prevention can keep your blood pressure down. Stay away from drugs and painkillers if possible as they can cause high blood pressure. Some prescription medications can cause high blood pressure such as: nasal decongestants, anorexia drugs, steroids, antidepressants, oral contraceptives and cold medicines. If you are taking any of these and are having problems with your blood pressure levels, be sure your doctor is aware you are taking them. Having high blood pressure can put you at a higher risk of stroke and heart and kidney disease so preventing this can benefit your health immensely. Talk with your doctor of any questions you might have or concerns. No question is silly and it is never too early to start taking better care of your health starting with your blood pressure.

PostHeaderIcon Introduction to High Blood Pressure

Knowing about your body can be very beneficial to your health as you age. Knowing about your blood pressure can help prevent strokes, heart disease and kidney disease. In this article you will find everything you should know about your blood pressure. Anyone can have high blood pressure. It doesn’t matter your age, race, ethnicity or gender. Many people suffer from high blood pressure and have a higher risk of strokes and heart diseases than those with regular blood pressure. What is high blood pressure? High blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your arteries. Your blood pressure is always rising and falling throughout the day and if it rises and stays that way over time, you have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is usually referred to as hypertension. When you have high blood pressure it puts more pressure on the heart, making it work harder than usual. This is why you end up at risk for strokes or heart disease. What is the normal blood pressure level? The normal blood pressure level is less than 120 over 80 or less. The first number is your systolic pressure and the second number is your diastolic pressure. Your numbers are read 120 over 80, etc. If your pressure is 140 over 90 or higher you have high blood pressure. What is systolic blood pressure? This is the force of blood in your arteries when your heart is beating. What is diastolic blood pressure? This is the force of blood in your arteries when your heart is relaxing. What are the risk factors of high blood pressure? The most common risks of high blood pressure are stroke and heart disease. There are a few other risk factors that can be modified and some that cannot be. The following are some risks: Tobacco Physical Inactivity Diabete Abnormal Cholesterol Being overweight Who can get high blood pressure? Unfortunately anyone can get high blood pressure but it is more common among African Americans. Nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure. African Americans also have a much higher death rate from kidney disease and stroke than white Americans. Even so, with treatment you can help lower your blood pressure. How can I lower my blood pressure? Fortunately there are many different ways of helping to lower your blood pressure. Exercise is a great way to lower it. Doing physical activity will make your heart stronger over time. If you have a stronger heart it can pump blood easier lessening your risks of stroke and kidney diseases. It is never too late to start exercising! If you are concerned about your blood pressure consult your physician. Ask any and all questions you might have and find the best way for you to lower it. If all regular ways fail, consider medication. Talk with your doctor about your health and lifestyle so he can choose the best medicine for you. If you want to live a healthy life, taking control of your blood pressure is very important.

PostHeaderIcon High Blood Pressure for Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness)) (Paperback)

High Blood Pressure for Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness))

New info on high blood pressure in women, children, and the elderly The fun and easy way to take charge of hypertension and add years to your life! Are you battling high blood pressure? This updated guide explains all the latest breakthroughs in the detection, treatment, and prevention of high blood pressure, helping you determine whether you’re at risk and develop a diet and exercise program to keep your blood pressure at healthy levels. You’ll also find new information on protecting your heart, kidneys, and brain and dealing with secondary high blood pressure. Measure your blood pressure properly Develop a successful treatment plan Improve your lifestyle habits Evaluat (more…)

PostHeaderIcon How To Deal With High Blood Pressures

If you are battling high blood pressure do not be discouraged. Did you know that as many as seventy two million people in the U.S. 20 and older have high blood pressure? Twenty eight percent of these do not even know they have it. Some people do not worry about their blood pressure until they get older. While this might make sense to an extent, it is never too early to monitor your blood pressure. If you have a family history of high blood pressure, you want to start right away. How many people wait until they are diagnosed with something before attempting to prevent it or cure it? Too many. By taking control of your blood pressure today you can prevent a stroke or developing heart or kidney disease later in life. When you are young you might be more active than when you get older. Try to stay active and if you aren’t, get active. All it takes is thirty minutes a day of physical activity or exercise to control your blood pressure and better your health. Eat healthy foods. Try to stay away from salty and fatty foods. Salt increases your blood pressure and fatty foods might cause weight gain, which causes high blood pressure as well. Try to eat more vegetables and fresh fruits. You might find you like more than you thought you would. Stress can cause high blood pressure but there are so many ways to de-stress. Do you have a favorite hobby that has no stress? If so, try to do this every time you feel yourself overwhelmed or stressed out. You will be surprised at the wonders it can do. If you take medications talk with your doctor to make sure they aren’t affecting your blood pressure. Certain medications can raise your blood pressure. Antidepressants, cold medicines, oral contraceptives, steroids, even nasal decongestants might be affecting your blood pressure without your knowledge. If you are unsure of your family history, check it out. If you have a family history of high blood pressure chances are you will end up with high blood pressure as well. If you are aware of this early on, you can start monitoring and controlling your blood pressure before it gets a chance to become high. There are many different kinds of blood pressure medications if you are unable to see results with regular lifestyle changes. Sometimes these medications are needed along with a regular healthy diet and exercise to be more effective. The best thing you can do is talk with your doctor. They can suggest something that will help you control your blood pressure and even prescribe you some medication. If you start medication be sure you tell them of any other medicine you are taking as well. You want to be in charge of your health and not wait until something happens to take that control. When it comes to your health you can never be too late so start as early as you can. You are never alone when it comes to dealing with your blood pressure and other health issues.

PostHeaderIcon Learn the Truth About High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, which also is called hypertension, plagues millions of people in the United States. But, and this is problematic, many aren’t that educated on this issue. What causes high blood pressure? What are hypertension symptoms? How is it diagnosed? Should I be concerned about it? The goal of this piece is to provide you with answers for the sake of your health.

What is High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure sounds more complicated that it is. It’s just the pressure the blood gives off while it moves through the arteries. Blood pressure numbers appear as a ratio. For example, take 120/80. If you’re at all familiar with blood pressure, you probably recognize the word systolic, which is represented here by 120. Despite its ominous sound, systolic is just the pressure given off as the heart pumps. The second number, 80, is diastolic. Diastolic is the opposite of systolic. It chronicles the pressure exerted between beats. High blood pressure occurs when these numbers are elevated and there’s excess pressure. 140/90 and up is considered high blood pressure.

How Can I Tell if I Have High Blood Pressure?

A major problem with diagnosing blood pressure is that there are usually few hypertension symptoms. Consequently, around 30% of people who have hypertension don’t know it. This why you must get your blood pressure measured, using validated blood pressure equipment, frequently. Fortunately, doing so is fast and doesn’t hurt. The doctor places an inflatable band over your arm. He or she pumps it up and reads the pressure from a blood pressure meter. It’s entirely possible that you’ve seen blood pressure equipment at your local pharmacist.

Is High Blood Pressure an Issue That I Should Concern Myself With?

High blood pressure can damage blood vessels. Think about water going through a fire hose. If the water pressure is too great, it can harm the hose. This can result in damaging health issues. They include strokes, heart attacks, and harm to the kidneys. High blood pressure can actually result in the end of life! That’s why you need to be not only aware of high blood pressure, but also the causes of it so you can keep your pressure in check.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

Stress is one of several high blood pressure causes. Further, as you know, stress is an uninvited guest in the lives of many. In addition, sodium can contribute to hypertension. So can alcohol, and tobacco. Also, excessive weight gain can as well. Unfortunately, many of these high blood pressure causes come together. In other words, the same people who are overweight often also, for example, consume foods high in sodium.

As you can see, high blood pressure causes are legion. In addition, as a result of the harm hypertension can affect in your body, it should be top of mind. So get your blood pressure measured and read further for actions you can take to help lower it.

PostHeaderIcon What if you Could Extend your Life With a High Blood Pressure Diet?

High blood pressure is a health issue that causes innumerable fatalities in the United States each year. Further, if it doesn’t kill you, it can still lead to major problems, including heart attack and stroke. And sodium is an ingredient of a high blood pressure diet as it is one of the major high blood pressure causes. Consequently, this article will help you learn about the role of sodium in the development of high blood pressure.

Read the Ingredients

Unfortunately, given its prevalence, a good amount of the sodium you digest comes from processed foods. A good habit to develop, before buying such food, is to read the ingredients label. Unfortunately, those labels, with their multisyllabic words, seem like they aren’t written in English. You feel as if you need a chemistry degree to understand them. Well, to help, remember that foods that contain ingredients with the word “sodium” in them can be bad news. For example, take disodium phosphate and monosodium glutamate (MSG). The word “sodium” is visible. Miminize your use of such ingredients and foods.

Also, the US FDA , to aid people’s dietary choices, developed sodium guidelines. For example, “low sodium” equates to 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving. Or, as another example, 5 milligrams or less of sodium per serving is “salt free” food. Google FDA sodium for the entire guide. If necessary, bring it with you to the grocery store to allow for quick and easy interpretation when you shop.

Further, highly processed foods often contain high levels of sodium, making them contributory to a high blood pressure diet. I can only imagine the thoughts going through your head now. You’re busy and have no time to cook. You rely on frozen dinners and canned goods to quickly whip something up for you and your family. Unfortunately, a good amount of these foods are laced with sodium.

The Infamous Salt Shaker – One of the More Prominent High Blood Pressure Causes

Finally, like most people, you probably grab for the salt shaker at the center of your dining room table to add some quick flavor to your sometimes bland food. And, to compound the matter, you may be adding salt to processed food that already contains high levels of sodium. So resist the “salt shaker” temptation. Perhaps you might even empty your salt shaker. Further, use natural herbs to add flavor to your food. Consider onions or thyme, for example. This may be hard to do, but it’s in your body’s best interest.

As you can see, sodium not only presents a high blood pressure health issue, but also is hard to avoid given our busy lives. If you look at your food labels, especially those of processed foods, you’ll start to see sodium everywhere. So remember to avoid ingredients with the word “sodium” in them as sodium can play a huge role in a high blood pressure diet. Also, use the Food and Drug Administration guidelines to monitor your sodium use. And put down that salt shaker!

Take these small, proactive steps and you are on your way to eliminating some high blood pressure causes and earning better health.

Related Products