WAYS TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure , you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down.
Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure . If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle , you might avoid , delay or reduce the need for medication .
Here are lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down .
Watch your waistline
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases . Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep ( sleep apnea ) , which further raises your blood pressure .
Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure . Losing just 10 pounds ( 4. 5 kilogrammes) can help reduce your blood pressure .
Besides shedding pounds, you generally should also keep an eye on your waistline . Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure
Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches ( 102 centimetres while women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches ( 89 centimetres) .
These numbers vary among ethnic groups. Ask your doctor about a healthy waist measurement for you .
Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity — at least 30 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure by four to nine millimeters of mercury ( mm Hg ) . It ’ s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again .
If you have slightly high blood pressure ( prehypertension ) , exercise can help you avoid developing full- blown hypertension . If you already have hypertension , regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels .
The best types of exercise for lowering blood pressure include walking , jogging, cycling , swimming or dancing.
Strength training also can help reduce blood pressure . Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise programme .
Eat a healthy diet
Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains , fruits , vegetables and low - fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg .
This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet. It isn’ t easy to change your eating habits , but with these tips , you can adopt a healthy diet:
Keep a food diary
Writing down what you eat , even for just a week , can shed surprising light on your true eating habits . Monitor what you eat , how much , when and why .
Consider boosting potassium . Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium on blood pressure . The best source of
potassium is food, such as fruits and vegetables , rather than supplements. Talk to your doctor about the potassium level that’ s best for you .
Be a smart shopper . Read food labels when you shop and stick to your healthy- eating plan when you ’ re dining out , too .
Reduce salt in your diet
Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg .
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies among groups of people . In general , limit sodium to less than 2, 300 milligrammes ( mg) a day or less .
However, a lower sodium intake — 1, 500 mg a day or less — is appropriate for people with greater salt sensitivity , including : African - Americans, anyone age 51 or older , anyone diagnosed with high blood pressure , diabetes or chronic kidney disease .
Limit alcohol intake
Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts , it can potentially lower your blood pressure by two to four mm Hg .
But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol — generally more than one drink a day for women
and for men older than age 65, or more than two a day for men age 65 and younger . One drink equals 12 ounces of beer , five ounces of wine or 1. 5 ounces of 80- proof liquor .
Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points . It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.