With February in full swing, I think it’s only appropriate to talk about matters of the heart. Hypertension to be more specific. Also known as high blood pressure, this condition currently affects as many as 1 in 3 adult Americans. In this article I will outline some natural approaches that you can take to decrease your blood pressure or decrease your chances of developing hypertension if you are at risk.
The biggest favor you can do for yourself is to shed unwanted pounds. A light to moderate exercise program consisting of 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic activity only three or four times a week is a great place to start. To see if you are getting the most out of your exercise follow this link to a handy target heart rate calculator.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/healthtool-target-heart-rate-calculator
Along with exercise, it is essential to change your diet. The most commonly recommended program is known as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. While this diet does limit sodium intake, it also focuses on increasing vital nutrients from other food sources to effectively manage your blood pressure. The DASH diet encourages you to Increase your intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and other foods high in things like calcium, magnesium and potassium. For a more detailed outline of the DASH diet visit this website:
Other things that you can do to decrease your blood pressure are smoking cessation and limiting intake of alcoholic beverages (no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 for women). There are also a host of nutritional supplements like CoQ10 that have been shown to help some patients manage their high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a serious medical condition. Left unmanaged, high blood pressure increases your risk of developing heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. If you are at risk for, or currently suffer from high blood pressure and are looking for a more natural way to manage it you should discuss treatment options with a chiropractor like me if you live in Denver or your primary care physician.