Preventing and managing hypertension

High BP or Hypertension can remain without showing any symptoms for years. Hypertension most commonly affects middle aged men and post menopausal women. So if you are a male above the age of 35 and a female above the age of ~ 50, you must monitor your blood pressure from time to time.

Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls when the heart contracts to pump blood to the body and when it rests between the beats.

Though some causes of blood pressure are outside our control like family history, side effects of some medicines, many of the causes are related to our lifestyle  and can be controlled – poor eating habits, lack of exercise, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption to name a few. With age, unhealthy eating and inactive lifestyle the the artery walls clog, thicken and lose flexibility. Pressure exerted by the same volume on blood increases when it has to pass through narrow arteries.

Good news is you can prevent Hypertension by taking early action. Four steps to a tension free life:

1. Eat well – Limit packaged and processed food as that can contain high amounts of Sodium. Limit your intake of salt in meals. Limit alcohol intake. Consume vegetables like Spinach, Peas, Broccoli, Cabbage, Green beans. Fruits like Banana, nuts, seeds, legumes, fish like Salmon and Mackeral and dairy products which are rich in Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium.
2. Exercise at least 4 times a week. Your exercises should include low impact cardio vascular with intensity in the range of 50-75% of the Maximal Heart Rate. Start with 20 – 30 mins and progress to 60 mins. Hypertensive individuals must have a prolonged warm up period of 10 mins and extended cool down period.
3. Maintain your body weight in the BMI range or 18-23. This can be achieved with portion controlled food intake and with food high in fibre – salads, sajbi, legumes and low on simple carbohydrates like sugar, maida and white rice. Exercising daily will improve your metabolic rate and will help you better manage your weight.
4. Avoid smoking

When you detect that you have hypertension, you must first meet with your doctor and a certified fitness consultant for proper guidance on medicines and your lifestyle.

Stay fit, stay healthy and stay happy!