A Healthy Diet & Exercise Plan for Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is the consistent elevation of the arterial blood pressure to more than 140 systolic or 90 diastolic or both. According to the American Heart Association, one in every three adults in the United States of America has hypertension, and many are unaware that they do. It is referred to as a "silent killer" since it is a major risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. However hypertension is easily detected and usually controllable. The first line of treatment is focused on lifestyle modifications. These include dietary modifications; increasing physical activity, if sedentary; reducing weight, if overweight; and behavior modifications.

Diet

Weight loss is the most effective means of lowering blood pressure. Weight reduction facilitates lowered blood pressure even if it is only a 10-pound or 15-pound loss. Focus your diet on decreasing the overall caloric intake to achieve and maintain your optimum weight. Avoid foods rich in fat and cholesterol such as fried foods and those containing cheese, butter and red meat. Increase consumption of fiber-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables and whole-grain cereals. Also make sure you have a proper breakfast and try to check yourself from grazing snacks all day, as this really adds up to the calories.
Sodium restriction is also known to lower blood pressure. The level of sodium restriction should be determined by your condition. Limit your intake of bakery products, canned foods and preserved foods, since most of our sodium comes from foods that are processed and manufactured. The other main source of sodium is table salt (sodium chloride) which contains about 40 percent sodium. Try substituting the taste of salt by adding spices, lemon juice or vinegar.
Adequate potassium also relates to blood pressure control mainly through its electrolyte balance with sodium. Eat fruits like bananas and vegetables for potassium. Increase intake of low-fat dairy products for calcium and magnesium. Stick to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and low-sodium foods, also known as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet for best results.

Exercise

An active lifestyle is essential for a healthy life. It is even more important to get some form of exercise if you have hypertension. It can lower your systolic pressure by an average of 5 to 10 millimeters of mercury. It takes around two to three months of regular exercise to show signs of lowering blood pressure.
The best workout to control your hypertension is aerobic exercise. If it increases your heart and breathing rate, it is aerobic. A 30-minute brisk walk or run daily is a good workout plan.
You do not even need to hit the gym to get exercise daily. Just park the car farther away, so you can walk more. Avoid elevators and escalators. Get up to change channels instead of using the TV remote control. Mow the lawn, and help around the house more often. The key being that as long as you exercise your blood pressure will stay in control.