From an email I received:
Did you try any of the methods for lowering your blood pressure?
I hope so…
Because today we’re going to get more detailed on foods that you should be eating – and 3 you definitely should NOT.
You may be surprised to see what they are!
Let’s dive right in…
Yesterday I told you about raw foods, smaller portions of lean meats, and to knock out the salt wherever possible. But is there a healthy salt? More on that in just a moment…
First let’s roll our sleeves up and take a look at some foods that have been shown to lower blood pressure.
1. Non-Fat Yogurt – the American Heart Association found in a study that folks who added non-fat yogurt to their diet were 31% less likely to develop high blood pressure. Why? No saturated fat. And don’t forget about non-fat Greek yogurt…it has the added bonus of more protein than regular yogurt.
2. Purple Taters – a smaller study showed that purple potatoes contain antioxidants that are good for the heart. Of course you could get that same benefit from purple grapes, pomegranates, or blueberries. But if you like a good potato now and then – make it purple…you might as well have all the help you can get and starches can make you feel fuller after a meal.
3. Beet Juice – drinking a tall glass of red beet juice everyday exposes you to phytochemicals in the juice that can actually serve to lower blood pressure. How? Because once this life-juice hits the bloodstream it turns into the gas nitric oxide. This stuff widens blood vessels allowing blood to flow more freely, which lowers blood pressure. About 8 ounces of juice a day should do the trick.
4. Sunflower Seeds – surprisingly, these seeds contain a key ingredient that comes out when digested – bioactive peptides – protein to you and me. This particular protein slams the production of an enzyme that’s notorious for causing high blood pressure. This enzyme regulates – or should I say DISregulates – the amount of salts and water in your body and raises blood pressure. Hold the salt please.
5. Bananas – ahh the banana…and all it’s potassium. Bananas are very high in potassium which has been shown to lower blood pressure in studies. In fact, just 1 1/2 to 2 bananas a day could lower yours by 2 or 3 points…doesn’t sound like much but that actually translates to a significant decrease in the risk of stroke. In fact, people with the most potassium in their daily diets slashed their stroke risk by 38% compared to folks with the least amount. You might say that’s pretty…a-peeling!
Now let’s quickly get into the 3 worst foods you can eat for your blood pressure:
1. Cured Meats – including hot dogs, sausages, ham, and lunch meats…they may look innocent but given the right conditions – and the right packaged bologna – you could be taking in 1,200 mgs of salt in just 3 ounces. And if you don’t know you should be at 1,500 mgs or less sodium for a full day.
2. Chinese Food – beef with broccoli? That dish in a meal-sized portion has been found to contain 3,752 mgs of sodium. And that soy sauce? Up to 1,000 mgs of sodium in just a teaspoon. I’ll have water and a toothpick, please.
3. Instant Soups – on average 1 serving of a can of chicken noodle delivers 760 mgs of sodium into your bloodstream. Eat the whole can – that’s 2 1/2 servings or 1,800 mgs.
Stocking up on the 5 best foods for your blood pressure and avoiding the 3 worst, is the best thing you can do for your ticker.
The idea here is to keep your blood vessels from constricting and you can easily do that by eating right.
As we’ve seen here the big culprit is salt. It’s bad, bad, bad.
But what if I told you there may be an alternative that doesn’t have that affect your blood pressure? Would that be something that would interest you?
We all know salt can make food taste better…maybe it’s time to check out an alternative that isn’t some weak-tasting salt-free facsimile of sodium…