Blood Pressure & Nutrition

Blood Pressure and Nutrition

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 3 American adults have high blood pressure. It is likely, that you are one of these people. It is important that you regularly monitor and manage your blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure can put you at risk for serious conditions like stroke, heart disease, and kidney problems.

While blood pressure can be caused by multiple things like stress, weight, and physical activity, nutrition is one of the more important concerns. A diet high in salt (sodium) is not ideal for high blood pressure. If you are suffering from high blood pressure and want to lower it, take a look at how much sodium is in your daily intake. The daily limit is 2300 mg of sodium per day for average, healthy adults. If you are at risk for developing heart disease or already have it, the recommended amount is less than 1500 mg per day.

Let me put this into perspective for you. One teaspoon of table salt, yes one teaspoon, is equal to about 2300 mg of sodium. There’s your daily intake for the day. So step one in cutting back on salt intake is to get rid of the salt shaker. 

Step two is to take a look at how many processed foods you are consuming. Anything that comes in a box, can, or bag that can stay fresh for longer than a week is most likely high in sodium. Start reading your labels so you can identify the foods highest in sodium. Here are some of the worse:

• Canned foods of any kind that are not labeled “reduced sodium” or “no salt added”
• Frozen meals
• Pre-made sauces and marinades
• Processed meats (ie. Bacon, sausage, deli meats)
• Cheese
• Snack foods (ie. Chips, pretzels, crackers, salted nuts, etc.)
• Soup
• Pickled foods
• Bread
• Tomato sauce
• Condiments and dressings
• …and many more

 The more fresh, whole foods you consume, the less salt you are likely to be consuming. Cut back on those processed convenience foods and you are likely to cut back on salt intake as well.

Lastly, step three is to cut back on how often you eat outside the home. Restaurant food, healthy or not, is guaranteed to be high in sodium. It doesn’t matter if it’s a salad or fast food. Both are likely high in sodium. Try cooking more at home and eating out less. Use fresh herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of salt.

Blood pressure is a complicated issue but one thing you can do to manage it is cut back on sodium. Dine out less, cook more at home, and start reading labels. Those three things will help improve your blood pressure and probably help you lose weight as well.