Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : October 23, 2015 2:25 PM IST
It is good for bone health: We kept the obvious fact for the last. Yes, vitamin D from the sun helps to develop stronger bones and prevents conditions like osteoporosis, fractures and bone density loss.
High blood pressure is a silent killer as it shows no symptoms and kills one bit-by-bit from within. Most people who suffer from high blood pressure don t even come to know about it unless it is too late. If you are tired of taking pills and trying all the tips and tricks to keep it under control,try making these lifestyle changes. Here are 10 other ways to keep your heart healthy.
Take dance lessons: Excess weight often triggers high blood pressure. Remember, for every 4.5 kg increase from your recommended body weight, (which you can calculate by knowing your BMI) there is a 4 mm Hg increase in your blood pressure. If your morning walks, jogging and gym sessions are failing to help you lose weight, try something radical, like Zumba or aqua aerobics. These sessions will give you a burst of energy, burn more calories and help your heart to pump more blood. But don t overdo it. Dancing can help you complement your efforts in weight loss to get your blood pressure under control. Studies show that aerobic activities combined with weight management programs help you lose weight faster [1]. Here are 11 healthy drinks that will keep your heart healthy.
Eat more salads: Your diet plays an important role in controlling high blood pressure. If you are unable to cut back on salt from your curries and dals, here are few things you can do: Include more salads in your diet and make sure that they are bland, without any dressings or salt. Else, you will end up setting salt mines in your tummy that will spike your blood pressure. Salads will keep you full and help you eat less of those dishes that are high in salt. Avoid adding salt to the dough of your rotis, rice and curd. To be safe, opt for iodised salts especially formulated for high blood pressure patients. Salt can get into your system through various foods, not just your main meals. Don t forget the chips, roasted peanuts and chaats you have during the break. It is estimated that on an average an individual consumes around 12 to 14 g/day, and the recommended intake is 5 to 6 g/day. So, eat more raw and baked foods (without salt) to cut on the intake and save your heart [2]. Here are five ways in which high BP can damage your health.
Sleep extra on weekends: Lack of sleep can affect your health in many ways, and one of them is elevating your blood pressure. Now it is understandable if you run your life with just four hours of sleep every day, and there is little you can do to improve this situation. We are not telling you that it is ok not to have eight hours of shut-eye every day. But if you have to do with less sleep during the week catch up with the deficit during weekends. Wake up an hour or two late and go to bed an hour early. Late night parties definitely don t help your heart stay young for long. Here is how pink bed sheets and white walls in your room help you sleep better.
Join a meetup group: Do this to relieve yourself of the impending stress that is killing your heart, emotions and changing you as a person altogether. If medication, yoga aren t your cup of tea, try something different. Join a meetup group like a book reading club or amateur cooking meet or honey collecting group to get involved with something different. These groups exist in social network sites and can give you a different perspective about life, take you to a different tangent. This gives your brain enough space to relieve stress. Remember chronic stress have a bigger impact on high blood pressure. Studies state that psychological and emotional stress can increase your blood pressure by 3.5 mm Hg [3]. If you are too pressed for time to do something new, go for talk therapy. Psychiatric counselling isn t just for the mentally ailing. Here are 12 signs that say your heart is in trouble.
Take breaks just to breathe: Some people have elevated blood pressure in the morning than evening because of less oxygen intake or oxygen saturation at night [4]. This explains that adequate oxygen in your body is necessary to keep your blood pressure in check. Sometimes, when stressed or tensed, we tend to shallow breathe that is breathe from the chest and not the stomach. Lack of oxygen leads to more stress and increases blood pressure. So take a break and breathe from your stomach for 10 to 15 times deliberately. Here are 13 health benefits of deep breathing.
Order the least unhealthy meal at a restaurant: Yes, we all know high fat diets elevate high blood pressure and are dangerous for the heart too. But if you have to eat out and do that regularly opt for the foods that are less harming. Avoid extra cheese in your pizza and add more veggies to it. Opt for grilled fish and chicken instead of the fried stuff. For instance, if you have to choose between a chicken lasagne and chicken tandoori, tandoori would be a smarter option [5].
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Reference:
1. 1: Blumenthal JA, Sherwood A, Gullette EC, Babyak M, Waugh R, Georgiades A, Craighead LW, Tweedy D, Feinglos M, Appelbaum M, Hayano J, Hinderliter A. Exercise and weight loss reduce blood pressure in men and women with mild hypertension: effects on cardiovascular, metabolic, and hemodynamic functioning. Arch Intern Med. 2000 Jul 10;160(13):1947-58. PubMed PMID: 10888969.
2. 1: He FJ, MacGregor GA. Salt, blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2007 Jul;22(4):298-305. Review. PubMed PMID: 17556881.
3. 1: Gasperin D, Netuveli G, Dias-da-Costa JS, Pattussi MP. Effect of psychological stress on blood pressure increase: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Cad Saude Publica. 2009 Apr;25(4):715-26. Review. PubMed PMID: 19347197.
4. 1: Kishimoto A, Tochikubo O, Ohshige K. Relation between nocturnal arterial oxygen desaturation and morning blood pressure. Clin Exp Hypertens. 2007 Jan;29(1):51-60. PubMed PMID: 17190731.
5. 1: Langley-Evans SC, Clamp AG, Grimble RF, Jackson AA. Influence of dietary fats upon systolic blood pressure in the rat. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 1996 Sep;47(5):417-25. PubMed PMID: 8889627.
