Foods that Lower Blood Pressure

You may have heard that high blood pressure is the silent killer. As eighty percent of us either have or will develop high blood pressure, this silent killer is stalking a lot of us. You might think that you will simply handle it when it arises. Unfortunately, that is too late.

The silent killer begins as a slight rise in blood pressure. If you took your blood pressure often at this point, you might find the pressure going up then down, up then down, as if it couldn't make up its mind which way to go. Inevitably though, it will go up to stay.

Fortunately, you can do something right now to turn the tide - Eat the right food! Choosing the right food is your first line of attack to lowering blood pressure naturally. So, let's not waste a beat before we get to know some of the foods that lower blood pressure.

First though, let's take a quick look at some of the culprits. Greasy French fries are obvious, but some other food is harder to detect. Meat dripping with fat is another food most would recognize as deadly. Most processed food is suspect. These we call harmful foods.

Harmful foods are those that can cause higher than normal range blood pressure. Think fatty, salty, sugary and overly processed foods. Shun fatty meats and heavy cream dairy products. Don't gorge on salty or sugary stuff. Stuff your canned meats, soups, sauces and condiments in the donation bag and put it on the door step.

Does this sound like gloom and doom? Come on now. Buck up. I'll give you a tip that I follow myself. Eat the bad food you like, but limit it to one day a week. After I had been doing that for a few months, the most amazing thing happened - I started liking the good stuff. When my free-to-eat-bad-food day comes around, I often forget and eat good food because I like it.

Some foods are neutral. What do I mean by that? Well, neutral foods are not foods to lower blood pressure, although they won't raise it either.

So, munch on your casseroles, mashed potatoes and gravy, popcorn, small amounts of certain desserts, moderate amounts of alcohol without much care. Just don't eat too much. Gaining weight is not a good idea because it can increase blood pressure.

The foods you should put in your normal blood pressure diet contain factors that your body needs, like minerals, phytonutrients, unsaturated oils and biochemicals, which clean and tone the blood vessels and heart.

Here are some of the foods that you should work into your diet. Small amounts of dairy products, including eggs, are good. They don't have to be low fat if you don't gorge on them. Use milk, cottage cheese, other cheeses, butter, and yogurt. Dairy substitutes like soy milk and almond milk are great, too.

Lean red meat and poultry products are fine. Fish is very good, especially cold water fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Meat substitutes containing soy and other vegetable protein are good choices. They don't need to replace the animal protein. You can just add them in.

Nuts and seeds are excellent. I keep a jar of them around for munching. Most beans and grains are fine. Dishes made from them are nourishing and filling.

Seems like everybody knows eating vegetables and fruit is good for you, but our fast food culture works against our good intentions. Although I do like them, I would often pass them by until I began buying them and keeping them handy.

Oils healthy blood pressure like no other. Use olive oil on salads, sauces, and as a cooking replacement for butter. Canola oil is also a great choice.

I am a testament to eating the foods that lower blood pressure naturally. My blood pressure has dropped from an average of 170/85 to 135/74 from diet change, with no blood pressure medication. And, it's still dropping. So, I know that you can do it, too.

Alright, maintain a normal blood pressure diet by eating the right foods and limiting the bad ones, then you'll see your blood pressure drop in a few weeks.