High blood pressure affects millions of Americans, but many of us don’t know we have it. That’s because high blood pressure—also known as hypertension—often has no symptoms. The condition makes your heart work harder than it should and can cause serious problems, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
Making healthy lifestyle choices can help keep your blood pressure under control. If you’re overweight, shedding ten pounds will make a big difference. It’s also important to follow a healthy diet that limits the amount of sodium (or salt) you consume. That doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself to bland meals. In fact, there are all kinds of savory, flavorful foods that help lower blood pressure.
How to reduce the salt in your diet
Limiting your intake of sodium and eating a healthy diet can help you lose weight. Watch your portion sizes and be mindful about the number of calories you consume.
Common foods that contain high amounts of sodium include:
- Breads and rolls
- Cold cuts and cured meats
- Pizza
- Poultry
- Soups
- Sandwiches
If you’re trying to lower your blood pressure, eat a wholesome, low-sodium diet and focus on healthy foods that are part of the DASH eating plan.
Lower blood pressure with the DASH diet
Following the DASH eating plan can lower your blood pressure. DASH—short for dietary approaches to stop hypertension—requires you to eat no special foods and involves four simple steps:
- Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Include fat-free or low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, and vegetable oils.
- Limit foods high in saturated fat.
- Limit sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts.
As the best diet for high blood pressure, the DASH eating plan is a flexible diet focused on heart-healthy foods. If you want to lower your blood pressure while reduced your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels without medication, ask your doctor if the DASH diet is right for you.
What is the DASH eating plan?
DASH is a wholesome, high-fiber diet that focuses on healthy foods you’ll find at the grocery store. The basic idea is to eat more fresh produce, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and nuts. Say yes to poultry, seafood, and fatty fish like salmon, while cutting back on red meat, processed foods, tropical oils, and sweets.
The DASH eating plan also helps you reduce the sodium in your diet, which is important because salt contributes to high blood pressure. Most of us consume far more salt than we should. Packaged foods and restaurant meals tend to be a lot higher in sodium than you may expect.
While daily sodium intake guidelines differ depending on your health, the American Heart Association recommends that adults should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. If you’re trying to lower your blood pressure, aim for no more than 1,500 mg a day.
Be sure to check the sodium content on Nutrition Facts labels. And when you eat out choose foods that are lower in sodium.
Foods that fight high blood pressure
Working more DASH foods into your meals is the key to lowering your blood pressure. Add colorful veggies to soups and salads. Choose whole-grain breads and pastas. Substitute ground turkey for ground beef. And snack on fresh fruits.
Add these 10 wholesome foods to your DASH diet:
- Avocados. You can stuff avocados with almost anything (diced chicken breasts, tomatoes, low-fat cheese) and bake them in the oven. Or pair a tuna and avocado cobb salad with a healthy entrée.
- Tilapia. Sauté this mild white fish on the stove or bake it in the oven. Tilapia tacos are sure to be a family favorite, while baked tilapia with tomatoes is a dish that’s easy to prepare and economical.
- White beans. Toss no-salt-added canned beans into a salad. Or serve Tuscan white bean dip with a rainbow of veggies.
- Kiwifruit. For an easy, healthy snack, slice a kiwi in half and eat it with a spoon straight from the skin. Or serve rainbow fruit salad as a sweet side dish.
- Pork tenderloin. Season it with garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, and sage. Or try sautéed mung beans with pork.
- Quinoa. Add quinoa to side dishes, soups, and salads. For a heart-healthy main dish, try quinoa-stuffed tomatoes.
- Kale. Baby kale is a great base for a garden salad. Or try lentils with brown rice and kale.
- Sweet potatoes. For a healthy twist, try adding a baked sweet potato to your smoothie or whip up a sweet potato custard.
- Peaches. Homemade peach salsa is sure to be a hit at your next dinner party. Or try a 1-2-3 peach cobbler straight from the oven for a heart-healthy treat.
- Red bell peppers. The possibilities are endless: fajitas, stir-frys, soups, salads, and curries. For a zesty roasted red pepper pasta dish, try rotini with spicy red pepper and almond sauce.
Savor the benefits of healthy eating
The DASH eating plan includes a wide variety of nutritious foods. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, DASH can help you eat a balanced diet and live a healthier life.
A blood pressure test is part of your health checkup
As you know, preventive care can help you stay healthy. An annual exam gives your doctor a chance to discover a health issue before it becomes a serious problem.
How often you should have your blood pressure checked depends on your age, overall health, weight, and family history. If you’re age 40 or older, you should have a blood pressure test every year during a regular health checkup.