Have you been searching for healthy foods to eat that lower blood pressure? You’re not alone! This is usually one of the first things people do after they’ve been diagnosed. And if you’re looking to avoid taking medication, it’s a good place to start!
One thing to keep in mind is that there are situations where starting blood pressure medication is absolutely necessary before you even have a chance to establish some healthy habits. If your doctor believes it’s important to be on medication now, start the discussion now about your goals to be off medication. Starting medication before you change your eating habits, doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to be on them the rest of your life. I’ve had several of my patients come off their blood pressure medication after going through the MEDication Freedom Method program. It’s possible – but coordinate with your doctor first!
My hope is that this blog post will give you all the information you need to help you start lowering your blood pressure for your heart health so that you can reduce your need for medication.
Table of Contents
Measuring your blood pressure
First things first. In order to know how your numbers are trending, you need to measure your blood pressure at least once a day to start. Measure it in the morning after you wake up and shower (but before you eat breakfast) or in the evening after work, before dinner. You can even alternate with can give you more insight into what’s causing the higher readings.
Purchase a blood pressure monitor anywhere there is a pharmacy. I typically like the Omron brand like this one. Choose a monitor that uses an upper arm cuff rather than measuring on the wrist if possible for more accurate results. If you do decide to purchase a wrist cuff, be sure to raise your arm above heart level.
Now that you’re ready to measure your blood pressure, keep these tips in mind for the most accurate results:
- Don’t talk while the measurement is in progress
- Keep your feet flat on the ground, don’t cross your ankles
- Don’t put the cuff over your clothing, put it on your bare arm
- Replace batteries in the monitor every few months
And lastly, if you do get a higher blood pressure reading than normal, make sure you measure again to be sure it’s correct. Keep a log of your blood pressure readings so that you can bring them into your follow-up visit with your doctor. If your numbers are trending up or down, be sure to talk to your doctor sooner rather than later.
What is a high blood pressure reading?
You may not always be told what your blood pressure reading was at the doctor’s office unless you ask. Although you can usually find out if they gave you an after visit summary.
There are two numbers that make up a blood pressure reading – systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom).
A high blood pressure is considered anything over 130 systolic or 80 diastolic. There are different stages of high blood pressure based on your readings (refer to the chart below) which indicates the severity. In the event of a high blood pressure known as a hypertensive crisis, call 911 or proceed safely to your nearest emergency room.
Blood pressure chart from the American Heart Association.
Why is it important to keep blood pressure in a healthy range?
High blood pressure can cause damage to the blood vessels leading to heart problems over time if not treated. Heart conditions such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, heart disease, and atherosclerosis are the most common. When there is too much pressure on the blood vessel walls, it can cause tiny tears that the body repairs over time. As a result, substances such as cholesterol and fats in the blood can also get caught causing plaque build up. This is what often leads to clogged arteries that cause heart attacks and strokes.
It can also damage other organs of the body leading to kidney disease, loss of vision, and sexual dysfunction.
So how what are some foods to eat to lower blood pressure? Let’s break it down based on three key nutrients for a heart healthy diet.
Sodium
When we often hear about high blood pressure, our first thought might be to cut out sodium completely. However, despite what you may have heard, sodium actually plays an important part in our bodies. Our bodies still need some sodium to survive (at least 500mg per day to be exact).
The problem is when we get too much of it. When we get too much, it can throw off the fluid balance in our bodies. As we eat foods high in sodium, it draws water into our blood vessels causing a high blood volume and pressure on the vessel walls. That pressure on the vessel walls causes damage over time as I mentioned above.
So how much sodium is too much? For the general population, the recommendation is no more than 2300mg per day. If you have very high blood pressure or are “salt sensitive”, bringing that number down to 1500mg could be helpful. Being considered salt sensitive means blood pressure increases quickly after consuming too much sodium.
Foods that tend to be high in sodium include:
- Fast food
- Deli meats, salami, bologna
- Frozen dinner meals
- Breakfast meats such as bacon, sausage, and chorizo
- Any kind of salt
- Condiments – Soy sauce, hot sauce
- Canned soups and Ramen noodles
- Cheese, cottage cheese
Potassium
Sodium and potassium are like best friends when it comes to maintaining fluid balance in the body – they look out for each other. The problem is, we often get too much sodium and not enough potassium in our diets. In fact, potassium has been deemed a “nutrient for public health concern”. What that means is that most Americans do not get enough of it, so it’s required to be put on the nutrition label in order to draw attention to it.
The American Heart Association recommends at least 3500mg of potassium per day for healthy blood pressure.
A word of caution about potassium
It is not recommended to start a potassium supplement over the counter without first talking to your doctor. If you are taking a diuretic (water pill), these medications can deplete potassium levels. In this case, you should only supplement if you have a medical reason to do so such has having low blood levels from a blood draw.
If you are wanting to increase your potassium levels for treating high blood pressure, it’s best to get it through the diet as much as possible. Always make sure your potassium level has been checked before you start increasing your potassium intake as some blood pressure medications and having kidney disease and make it too high already.
Foods that are a great source of potassium include:
- Bananas
- Potatoes
- Beans
- Kiwi
- Cantaloupe
- Apricots
- Plantains
- Acorn squash
- Spinach
- Low fat dairy
- Salt substitutes
Magnesium
This nutrient is not talked about enough honestly. There are a lot of benefits with magnesium than just improving blood pressure such as improving sleep quality and lowering stress and anxiety. Both of which can also improve blood pressure as well.
Magnesium works to improve blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessel walls which allows blood to flow more freely. It’s recommended that women aim for 320mg per day and men get 420mg per day of magnesium rich foods. This number is not always listed on the nutrition facts label. But if it is, it’s usually next to the potassium amount.
Foods that are a good source of magnesium include:
- Beans
- Nuts – almonds are the highest
- Seeds – pumpkin seeds are the highest
- Edamame
- Soy milk
- Dark chocolate (60% and up)
- Avocado
- Whole grains – brown rice, whole wheat bread, oats
- Yogurt
The DASH Diet
So what’s the best way of getting more potassium and magnesium while reducing sodium? Yep – The DASH diet! DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It was literally developed for the purpose of lowering blood pressure into a healthy range through nutrition while also being low in saturated fat and high in fiber.
To learn more about the DASH diet, check out one of my other blog posts – What You Need to Know About the DASH Diet as well as my program, the MEDication Freedom Method. In my program, I help you implement these key nutrients as well as other factors that can lower blood pressure such as exercise.