In the United States alone, roughly 70 million people suffer from high blood pressure. The majority of them suffer because of a poor lifestyle choice. Rather than eat healthy and get some exercise, they choose to eat quick meals (those loaded with preservatives), and they fail to get enough exercise. This leads to weight gain, higher cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and an immensely increased risk of suffering from a heart attack. Fortunately there is an easy way to reduce your blood pressure, and it doesn’t involve taking dangerous blood pressure medications. By following these 10,001 easy steps, you can be well on your way to a happier and healthier you.
Step One: Revamp Your Diet
One of the biggest lies that we have been told is that our food is healthy. We see on the box of Froot Loops that it is part of a balanced breakfast. We conclude that Froot Loops are good for you. We pile on the bacon, eat way too much red meat, scarf down french fries, and consume sugary beverages by the gallon. In the end, we feel terrible, our bodies are hurting, and the next day we do it all again.
Instead of perpetuating this cycle of unhealthy eating, break the bad habits by replacing them with delicious habits. Eating healthy does not have to be bland and boring. Without getting into too many details on the actual recipes, here is what you should look for:
Protein – Essential for building strong muscles, you need protein. Try to get a lot of this through fish like Salmon, Trout, and other fatty fishes. Supplement your meat with legumes like peas and beans.
Whole Grains – Skip the white bread and the white rice, they have been stripped of most nutrients. Instead, wild rices, whole wheat, and other grains with minimal processing.
Vegetables – Personally I don’t worry about organic, non-gmo, or anything like that. It is more important that you actually eat enough vegetables. Skip the canned ones, and go with fresh or frozen (without anything added).
Fruit – Similar to vegetables, avoid canned because they add a ton of sugar. I prefer fresh fruits.
Dairy – Small amounts of dairy are good for you. I prefer yogurt or kefir. These are also a good source of protein.
Once you have a healthy diet figured out, and realize that spending 20 minutes cooking really isn’t a bad thing AND that cooking healthy is cheaper than eating processed junk, then you can move on to the next steps of reducing your blood pressure.
Step Two: Take a Step
Here’s where things get a little tricky. This step is incredibly easy; in fact we do it every single day. The problem is that we don’t do too many of the steps that follow. The second step in reducing your blood pressure is to simply take a step. In other words, start walking.
Steps 3 – 10,001: Take More Steps
Many hundreds of years ago the famous forefather of modern medicine Hippocrates said, “Walking is man’s best medicine.” Those words remain true today, and as we progress technologically it seems that more and more people are walking less and less. Basically speaking, we have become a nation where we move from one sitting position to the next. We get out of bed, and sit to eat. We sit to commute. We sit to work. We sit to commute. We sit to eat. We sit to relax. We lie down to sleep. The only exercise many people get is walking from one chair to the next. And it is slowly killing us.
In order to help reduce your blood pressure, all you have to do is walk. The daily recommended amount is around 5 miles per day. For most people that is about 10,000 steps. Need some motivation to get there? It’s not as hard as you may think.
Get up in the morning and walk for 30 minutes. If you prepare a heart healthy smoothie for breakfast, you can consume your smoothie while you walk.
After you eat a sensible lunch, walk for 30 minutes. Most people get an hour for their lunch break; you don’t have to sit around for the extra 30 minutes after eating.
After dinner, go for an hour long walk. You will digest your food better, and get your exercise. After 2 hours of walking you may not be quite at 5 miles, but you will be far ahead of your peers.
Reduce Your Blood Pressure Daily
Most people can get on board with this for a few days. After that, old habits settle back in. Instead of succumbing to your old ways of living, start slow. Build up your walking habits until you are hitting your goal. Keep at it for 66 days, and you will have developed a habit. Now you will be hard pressed to break that habit.
Do you suffer from hypertension? How do you reduce your blood pressure: through pills or walking?
I am a writer and SEO expert in Billings, Montana. I’m not a health nut, but I know that sitting at a computer all day will slowly kill me. I use the built in health app on my iPhone to keep track of my walking distance. I usually get 3 to 4 miles per day.