High Blood Pressure
by: Sharon Hopkins
Poor diet, lack of exercise, intense weight training and some simple activities like public speaking can make your blood pressure jump. The cause for concern arises if it goes up and remains up. It is one of the most important indicator of cardiovascular problems after the age of 65 and hence, it needs to be treated. So if you are suffering from high blood pressure, it is vital that you should be under constant medical supervision. But there is no need to worry. You can take care of this problem without using drugs by making simple diet and lifestyle changes. Go for regular exercise, stop smoking, manage stress and change your diet to reduce alcohol, fat and salt intake.
You can also follow the following home remedies to treat your blood pressure problems:
• Eat celery: Since centuries, people have used celery and its oil to cure blood pressure. It contains a compound which lowers blood pressure by relaxing the muscles lining the arteries. This allows the muscles that regulate the blood pressure to dilate. Just by eating 4 celery stalks a day, you can enjoy the potent benefits of this vegetable.
• Consume garlic: You can easily lower blood pressure by eating just one clove of garlic a day. You can eat the clove either raw or in capsule form. Besides it also helps to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Talk softly: It has been shown that talking loudly and rapidly, increases your blood pressure during a normal conversation. But if you do this during angry conversations -- when you are at your emotional best, the pressure can shoot up still higher. This spikes the blood pressure and if chronic, puts you at the risk of coronary heart disease. However, speaking softly and slowly even when you are angry will eliminate the stress on your cardiovascular system.
• Speak the truth: Always speak the truth. Lying has been shown to spike blood pressure since it takes a lot of brain-effort to lie. The more you lie, the more you are stressed and the higher your blood pressure shoots.
• Go for aerobic not isometric exercise: Though exercise has been shown to lower the blood pressure, it is important for you to choose the right one. In isometric exercises, where you clench and hold like weight training, should be avoided. This is because holding your breath while lifting causes your blood pressure to go up temporarily. Choose aerobic exercises in place of isometric exercises.
• Laughter is the best medicine: To relax yourself completely, choose laughter. When you laugh, your adrenaline and cortisone levels go down, since these are the main compounds which have an adverse reaction on the blood pressure. It is the cheapest therapy that has benefited everyone greatly but more so, the people who are angry, frustrated or unhappy.
