Showing posts with label Lower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lower. Show all posts

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Recipes to Lower Your High Blood Pressure

A lot of people in the West suffer from high blood pressure brought on by being obese or/ |and the high levels of stress that contemporary life provokes. Most people are told to lose weight, take up yoga or hiking or take tablets for life. This means that most individuals end up taking tablets for life, because lifestyle alterations are so difficult to achieve.

However, there is one enjoyable manner of decreasing your blood pressure and that is eating tasty food that does not need additional salt, because it is flavoured by other means. Here are three such recipes.

Recipe One: France

Leeks Vinaigrette (Poireaux En Salade)

Serves 4

12 leeks
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tspn vinegar of your choice
black pepper, fresh ground
1 tbls fresh parsley, chopped
mustard to taste

PREPARATION:

Clean the leeks; cut off most of the green bits and wash meticulously, split if required, under cold running water. If they are substantial, cut them lengthways; each bit ought to be about the size of a large stalk of asparagus.

Tie them into bundles in two places, put them in boiling salted water just enough to cover, and cook slowly for 25 minutes, or until they are softish yet not lifeless. Drain them well (and be sure to save the broth to add to a soup).

The leeks may be presented in a serving dish or put on individual plates. Make your vinaigrette in a bowl, adding mustard to taste, and whip the dressing well until it is almost opaque, or emulsified; pour it on top of the leeks.

Recipe Two: Germany

Birnensuppe (Pear Soup)

Serves 2

2 tbspn raisins
1 tbspn dry sherry
2 small pears, cored, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cup water
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 pinch crushed aniseed
2 tspns granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

In small bowl combine raisins and sherry; set aside.

In 1-quart saucepan combine pears, water, cinnamon stick, and aniseed; bring to a boil and cook until pears are very soft, about 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and let cool. Transfer to food processor and process until smooth; pour into bowl or container and mix in raisin mixture, sugar, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Recipe Three: Greece

Fried Swordfish With Mediterranean Spices

Serves 4

1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1/2 tspn paprika
1/2 tspn red pepper flakes, dried
1/2 tspn oregano
1/2 tspn cumin, ground
1/2 tspn thyme
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lb swordfish, cut in 1" articles
olive oil for frying
1/2 cup white flour

PREPARATION:

Mix first 8 ingredients in a medium non-reactive bowl. Add swordfish pieces; toss to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour. (Can be marinated for up to 3 hours.)

TO COOK:

Heat oven to 200F. Heat oil in a frying pan or an electric deep fryer to 365F. Move swordfish from marinade to a colander. Drain swordfish; throw away marinade. Pat swordfish pieces dry with paper towels, then toss in flour.

Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, fry swordfish until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain swordfish pieces on paper towel; transfer to a heatproof dish but keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve. (Can be kept warm in the oven up to 1/2 hour.)


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Easier Than What You Think: Ways To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Hypertension is sometimes called the "silent killer". People who have it are often symptom-free. Because it is considered to be a LIFELONG condition, elevated blood pressure levels should be monitored at regular intervals. According to statistics, between 28% and 31% of the adults in United States have hypertension (Fields, Burt, Cutler, et.al. 2004).

A number of convenient and practical ways are available to reduce high blood pressure. These include the natural ways to reduce high blood pressure that lay on one's own hands. Keep in mind that prevention of hypertension is better and easier than cure. Before even developing with the condition as one grows older, it is best to prevent such from happening.

Start dealing with your weight. Get healthy by ensuring that your current weight is appropriate for your height. When you carry excess weight, employ healthy weight loss programs. Exercise daily to help keep and maintain a fit physique. Living sedentarily only adds more layers of fat to your body as more of the food you consume is converted to stored energy by the body. Go for brisk walks or power walks early in the morning or late in the afternoon, whichever time you are available and well-rested. On most days of the week, have a cardiovascular work-out at the gym for 30 minutes to help maintain a healthy heart. Slow swimming or easy cycling for 30 minutes is also enough. Regular, moderate physical activity has been shown to help strengthen the heart and let it use oxygen more efficiently. This approach is one easy way to lower high blood pressure naturally. It can be easily incorporated in your daily routines.

Don't overwork yourself, and have time to relax. Use slow, deep-breathing exercises and techniques. It allows greater expansion of the lungs and more oxygen to flow through the heart and other parts of the body. Perform for 5 minutes every morning upon awakening and in the evening before sleeping. Do this by inhaling deeply through the nose and at the same time expanding your belly; then, exhale slowly through your mouth with pursed lips to release all the tension. Listen to soft or slow music at the same time, as this also helps relax and calm the mind. Other meditative practices can also be utilized, such as yoga and tai chi. These help by reducing stress hormones in the body, which significantly raise your blood pressure when on constantly high levels in the blood stream. The practice of deep breathing exercises and relaxation techniques is another simple way to reduce high blood pressure naturally.

Proper and adequate nutrition is equally important. Eat a nutritious diet, specifically more on high-fiber foods such as vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains. Maintain a high-potassium and low-sodium intake. Take foods high in potassium such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, orange juice, peas, cantaloupes, honeydew melon, prunes and raisins. Potassium plays a major role in the heart's sustenance and strength of contractions. On the other hand, sodium intake should be lessened. High sodium levels in the body causes water retention, thereby leading to increased blood volume. When blood volume increases, the pressure within the blood vessels also raise leading to the worsening of the condition. Avoid rich sources of sodium that include salt, seasoning blends, spices, herbs and processed foods such as canned goods and fast-food meals. Lastly, take in heart-healthy food supplements. Make sure you get optimum amounts with balanced natural whole food supplements. Fish oil capsules also help lower triglycerides and cholesterol in the body. This DASH diet indicated for hypertension is a practical approach to help lower high blood pressure naturally.

Go decaf and don't smoke. Studies have shown that caffeine in coffee significantly increases blood pressure by tightening and narrowing the blood vessels and magnifying the effects of stress. Also, nicotine from smoking causes blood vessel constriction and faster beating of the heart. As blood is more viscous, its flow through the blood vessels becomes sluggish which worsens the already-increased blood pressure. Instead of having coffee, take a cup of tea. Tea contains hibiscus that releases phytochemicals to help keep the body healthy and the blood flow adequate.


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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Developing Some Habits to Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

As we get older the our chances for having high blood pressure increases by every birthday we have. I read that most experts estimate that after age 55, nearly 90 percent of people will have high blood pressure at some point. It play a big role in most heart attacks, around 75 percent. Our artery lining get stiff and plaque builds up, the plaque breaks off and causes blood clots which leads to heart attacks and strokes.

The good news is there are plenty of good things we can do to prevent it and help lower. These things that we can do to help need to become daily habits and part of our lifestyle to have a lasting impact on our lives.

Reducing your sodium intake is very important. Some experts say we get should never even have to pick up a salt shaker as we get enough in our diet without the use of salt. Cut out the use of processed foods which usually contain a large amount of sodium. Especially watch out for canned products such as beans and vegetables. Make sure you thoroughly rinse with water any canned item you purchase.

Of course smoking causes and increase our risk with about every known health risk there is. It constricts the blood vessels which immediately raises the blood pressure.

Have you heard the good news about fish oil? It has a very positive effect on just about everything that has to do with the heart. You can take a fish oil supplement or you could consume ground flaxseed with your cereal, oatmeal, or a salad. It has omega 3 fatty acids, which is the major beneficial factor in fish oil.

Eat whole grain foods. They are much healthier and contain all the nutrients, vitamins, and fiber to help your body. When foods are processed they remove most of these during the processing. Get some exercise, whether it is 10 minutes at a time or a continuous 30-45 minutes, it helps in ways that will enrich many areas of your health. Quit drinking so much soda and drink skim or milk with less fat and water. The body needs these, where as the soda has no nutritional value but is full of sugar and additives. Use a monitor to check yourself at different times of the day to see how your reading fluctuate during the day.

Last thing that will surely help you is to turn off the cell phone, computer, and television. Sit and relax for a while, maybe take up meditation as it is good for the body, mind, and soul.


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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

How Lower Cholesterol Can Help You

You don't have to be a health-conscious person to know how lower cholesterol can help your body. Knowing how you can lower your cholesterol is very significant in improving your overall health. Controlling the food you eat so your body would always have the right level of cholesterol doesn't only make your lifestyle a lot healthier; it would also help you live a longer life in the end.

Balancing your fats (cholesterol) intake is very crucial in preventing heart problems, stroke, and other cardio vascular diseases. That's why it's important to learn more about cholesterol and how to control it.

First, cholesterol is a liver-by product substance in the body that is wax-like or fat-like. It's produced from dietary cholesterol or naturally occurring cholesterol foods like red meat, eggs, dairy foods, and some sea foods. Basically there are two types of cholesterol: LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) or the "bad cholesterol" and the HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), the "good cholesterol." A healthy level of these cholesterols helps the body to function properly especially in the production of vitamin D, hormones, and acids that help in the digestion of bile. However when you have high cholesterol, or your cholesterol is not in its "optimal" level (you have too many LDL or too little HDL), then you could be at a higher risk for stroke, heart problems, and other cardiovascular diseases as well.

According to the American Heart Association, a person should only consume 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day. And, if you are already diagnosed with high cholesterol, or if you have a heart disease, then you should maintain your intake of dietary cholesterol to only 200 milligrams daily.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol

To lower your cholesterol, you can first lower your intake of both LDL and HDL altogether. On the other hand, you can also just avoid high LDL foods like foods with saturated fats and trans fats. Making it a habit to read the package labels on the food you buy from the grocery store in this case would be really helpful. Avoid red meat, chicken skin, egg (yolks), butter, dairy products, and sea foods like lobster, shrimp, or crabs. You should also stay away from foods with hydrogenated vegetable oil, palm oil, or coconut oil.

Instead, choose foods cooked with unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) like sesame oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and olive oil.

Also eat good cholesterol foods like fish rich in omega3 fatty acids, and other cholesterol lowering foods like lentils, walnuts, and almonds. Also try to eat at least ten grams of soluble fiber (oatmeal or beans) daily to soak up and flush out the extra cholesterol in your body.) Also add antioxidant foods diet like berries to diet as well as fish oil and natural or organic cholesterol reducing supplements or other prescription medications like anti high-triglyceride (for diabetics).

Finally, try to quit smoking and exercise more (at least 90 minutes per week). Not only will these reduce your risks for cancers, cardio-respiratory diseases, or obesity; it will also keep your HDL or good cholesterol at a healthier level. If you know how lower cholesterol and a balanced HDL level can help you, then you simply will have a healthier life.


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Sunday, March 6, 2011

Ways To Lower Blood Pressure Fast - Knock 10 Points Off Now!

If you suffer from high blood pressure you already know how miserable life can be. Hypertension is nothing to mess around with but if you don't do anything the best you will ever feel is the way you feel today. If you'd like to learn how to lower pressure fast just keep reading.

If you are on medication stay on it. Quitting hypertension medicine cold turkey can have disastrous affects. Do try these natural approaches to lowering blood pressure and as they work, consult with your doctor about reducing dosages of medication.

The fastest way to lower your pressure is through daily aerobic exercise. A thirty minute walk or bicycle ride can drop your BP about 2 points immediately and it will stay there for roughly 24 hours. Regular exercise will also strengthen your heart muscle and burn off stress related chemicals in your blood.

The Three Day Diet To Lower Blood Pressure

Try these three natural approaches for three days and watch your pressure drop 10 points.
Three teaspoons of apple vinegar mixed in a half glass of water. Nobody knows exactly why this works but it does. Take the mixture each morning for three days.Take a garlic supplement, or if you are a purist and love garlic, eat three to five cloves a day. Garlic has been used as a medicinal drug for centuries and is an abundant source of antioxidants.You need a good source of Omega-3 and you can pretty much forget about finding it in fish anymore. Most salmon are farm raised and fed junk. Only use fish that are classified as "wild" otherwise take a supplement.

These three natural remedies working together are great ways to lower blood pressure fast and show you the value of a natural approach to your condition.


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