
As blood pressure tends to vary somewhat from day to day, it’s recommended to only diagnose someone with high blood pressure if they have given a repeatedly high reading. If the average of either of the readings (either the systolic or diastolic) is higher than the norm, it will be considered an elevated blood pressure. That is, an average of 150/85 or 135/100 over readings on several occassions will be considered too high.
Garlic consists of great properties that help manage blood pressure. Eat garlic, raw or cooked form of garlic helps you in lowering the cholesterol level. Whenever, you have high blood pressure try eating 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic each day. Crushed garlic cloves produce hydrogen sulfide, which helps promote good flow of blood, lowers the pressure on the heart and also helps to get rid of gas. You can also take 5-6 drops of garlic juice combined with 4 tsp of water 2-3 times a day for better results.
Salt is everywhere, and high blood pressure (the result of too much salt in our diets) is an American epidemic. New CDC guidelines (and decades-old Pritikin guidelines) advise that most of us should eat no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day. We average 3,500 to 5,000 mg daily. Why are we so blasé about the massive doses of salt we’re consuming? How can we change?.
Sprinkling ground flaxseed over your meals can make a big impact on your blood pressure readings. In a 2013 study published in the journal Hypertension, participants with high blood pressure and peripheral artery disease ate 30 grams (about an ounce) of milled flaxseed daily. After six months, their systolic blood pressure (the top number) went down by 15 mm Hg, on average, and their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) dropped by 7 mm Hg.
How low should you go? Aim to keep your sodium intake below 1,500 mg for healthy blood pressure, recommends the American Heart Association. That’s about half of what most Americans consume per day. Going easy on the saltshaker can help, but you’ll make a bigger impact by watching the sodium count in packaged or processed foods, Obarzanek says. (Pay extra attention to bread and rolls, pizza, soup, cold cuts, poultry, and sandwiches, which tend to pack the most salt.) Then try these other simple ways to slash your salt intake.
Exercise can also lead to lower blood pressure. Although performing moderate to vigorous exercise leads to higher blood pressure during activity, it is lowered afterwards. A wealth of studies indicate that getting 150 minutes per week of exercise—whether walking, cycling, gardening, dancing, or weights—can lead to significant drops in blood pressure over time. Try to exercise every day, but even three or four times per week can bring on big improvements.