How to Lower High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol Through Diet

Regulate blood pressure at home

Roughly 15 to 30 percent of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. If left untreated, both conditions can lead to clogged arteries, heart attack or stroke. Aside from taking prescribed medication, eating a healthy diet will also go a long way to help maintain a healthy heart rate. Follow these steps to get on the right track toward eating right.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Blood pressure monitor
• Low-fat recipe book

1. 

   Visit your doctor to get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked. Buy a blood pressure monitor and check it at home in between doctor visits.

2. Follow the advice of your doctor or a qualified nutritionist to get on a healthy diet plan rich in fiber, fruits and vegetables, lean meats, nuts, whole grains, beans and dairy foods that are low in saturated and trans-fats. Also, stay away from foods containing a lot of salt. Ask your doctor if it's okay for you to use a salt-substitute.

3. Avoid depending solely on medication to lower blood pressure or cholesterol. Many medications, such as beta-blockers and certain diuretics won't totally protect you against heart attack. By all means, take the medications your doctor prescribes, but counter those with a diet high in uncooked fruits and vegetables and lots of exercise to keep your weight down.

4. Get off the Standard American Diet (SAD) which consists mainly of processed and salty foods and animal fats. If you're eating these types of foods, slowly switch to a healthier diet and watch your blood pressure and cholesterol levels drop.

5. Research different diets that will lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet Plan (dashdiet.org), which is recommended by the American Heart Association.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep salt intake to 2,300 mg or less per day, which amounts to about 1 tsp.

• Blood pressure may rise as you age. People who are obese are two times more likely to have high blood pressure.

References

• Diet for High Blood Pressure
• High Blood Pressure Diet
• Preventing High Blood Pressure

Resources

• Recipes for High Blood Pressure Diet
• Cooking for Lower Cholesterol
• DASH Diet Plan
• Eat to Live Cookbook