The greatest wealth in life is not money, nor reputation, but health. What we eat, drink, excrete, and urinate all relate to health. Only by maintaining good health can we enjoy happiness and well-being.
Currently, ninety percent of middle-aged and elderly people are suffering from symptoms of “three highs” (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids). Among them, hypertension is the most severe. Many people think that consuming salt is the main culprit for causing hypertension, but in reality, the real culprit is “sodium.”
Apart from salt, which contains sodium, other foods such as pickles, meat products, snacks, tofu products also contain a certain amount of “sodium.” This leads to an excessive intake of sodium, resulting in the high prevalence of hypertension.
Tips to lower blood pressure
For most hypertensive patients, besides taking medication on time, are there any other ways to lower blood pressure?
Yes, because the combined treatment of medication and non-medication plays a significant role in improving hypertension.
Recently, Harvard University in the United States published a new research result in the “Journal of the American College of Cardiology,” suggesting that:
A “low-salt diet” combined with “eating more fruits and vegetables” can lower blood pressure after the first 4 weeks.
A low-salt diet = daily salt intake per person ≤ 6g. The key is to watch the sodium content and reduce intake of sodium-rich foods (foods with high sodium content include: dried tomatoes, snacks, cheese, crabs, fermented flour, soup mixes, sausages, smoked meats, salted meats, salad dressings, soy sauce).
Eating more vegetables and fruits = daily intake of vegetables 300g-500g. In this, dark-colored vegetables should make up half.
Daily fruit intake 200-400g.
Lack of exercise may lead to obesity, thickening of subcutaneous fat, expansion of capillaries, and relatively increased blood circulation. Under normal heart rate conditions, an increase in cardiac output leads to left ventricular hypertrophy and high blood pressure due to prolonged excessive burden.
Engaging in exercise for more than half an hour every day can lower blood pressure by 10 mmHg. For obese hypertensive patients, weight loss is also an effective way to reduce blood pressure.
Lastly, it is important to cultivate habits that are beneficial to heart health.
Regularly monitor blood pressure: Regularly monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, and other values to timely detect cardiovascular or other health issues.
Maintain a joyful mood: Emotional fluctuations directly affect blood pressure. Tension and repression can directly lead to high blood pressure. Therefore, people with hypertension should keep an open mind, maintain a joyful mood, stay calm, control their emotions, avoid excitement and delusions, as this is crucial for blood pressure control.
Maintain a regular daily routine: Developing healthy habits of sleeping, waking up, and eating on time is essential for hypertensive patients to stabilize blood pressure and restore health.
Therefore, hypertensive patients should ensure an adequate amount of sleep, and avoid excessive mental activity or watching movies or TV shows an hour before bedtime.
