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. If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down. Well, here are the top foods that work effectively in lowering your blood pressure:
BANANAS
These portable, easy-peel fruits aren’t just a sweet and low in sodium; they’re also rich in potassium, which can help to lower blood pressure. To incorporate more bananas into your diet for high blood pressure, add slices to cereal or your favourite fruit salad mix. Or try grilling or sautéing banana halves, then top with a scoop of frozen yogurt.
DARK CHOCOLATE
Eating about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate- just one tiny square can help lower blood pressure! Choose dark chocolate consisting of at least 70 percent cocoa powder. Because chocolate is also high in calories, you’ll want to be very careful not to overdo it.
YOGHURT
One cup of fat-free plain yogurt provides 49% of the calcium, 12% of the magnesium, and 18% of the potassium you need every day. Calcium deficiency can be a contributor to high blood pressure and yoghurt can certainly be a lifesaver! Yogurt is a low-sodium food that’s great straight out of the container, but you can also use it as a creamy addition to a smoothie- just mix a cup with diced portions of your favourite fruit in the blender.
CINNAMON
Studies have shown that cinnamon may help to lower blood pressure. Here are many great ways to use cinnamon that don’t involve desserts. You can sprinkle it on oatmeal, stir it into stews and chilli, and in stick form, use it to flavour coffee and hot cocoa.
GARLIC
The active ingredient in garlic is allicin, a sulphur compound formed when a garlic clove is crushed, chopped or chewed. Several human studies have shown that supplementing with garlic significantly lowers elevated blood pressure. Considering that garlic also reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 10-15 percent, adding more to your diet is an absolute necessity, in my opinion.
POTATOES
Potatoes, when prepared properly can be a good source of potassium, which can help lower high blood pressure. Potatoes are a low-sodium food and a good source of fibre, plus they’re fat- and cholesterol-free. Split a baked potato and sprinkle it with one of your herb blends, or top with a dollop of low-fat or fat-free sour cream and chopped chives for a delicious, guilt-free meal or side dish.
KIWI
One kiwifruit provides 2% of the calcium, 7% of the magnesium, and 9% of the potassium you need per day. Ripe kiwis can be stored in the fridge or on your counter. They contain more vitamin C than a same-size serving of orange slices.
FISH
Fish is a great source of lean protein, and some varieties such as trout are rich in vitamin D, which has been shown to help lower blood pressure. People usually don’t get enough vitamin D from food, so this is one way to boost your intake. A fresh fish fillet needs only minimal preparation. Keep it a low-sodium food by brushing on a little olive oil, sprinkling it with cracked black pepper, and baking or grilling it for a few minutes.