Join the Mission and eat high blood
pressure away for National High Blood Pressure Education Month
It's
National High Blood Pressure Education Month - time to take action
to find out what your blood pressure numbers are, what they mean,
and what you need to do to prevent or control this all too common
condition. The theme this year is: "Prevent and Control High Blood
Pressure: Mission Possible."
High
blood pressure is a dangerous condition. You usually don't have any
symptoms, so you may not even know you have it. And it can lead to
heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease, the first, third, and
ninth leading causes of death in the U.S.
The good
news, though, is that it is possible to prevent - and control --
high blood pressure. How? By making some fairly simple lifestyle
changes:
Losing weight,
if necessary, and maintaining a healthy weight
Being
physically active
Following a
healthy eating plan
Eating less
salt and sodium, and
Limiting your
alcohol consumption.
One step
that you can get started on right away is to gradually start eating
more healthfully. Research has shown that a healthy eating plan
called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) can reduce
your chances of developing high blood pressure AND lower your blood
pressure if it's already high.
The DASH
eating plan emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy
products. It is moderate in total fat and low in saturated fat and
cholesterol. It also includes whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts.
Plus, if you also reduce your salt and sodium intake, it works even
better.
Starting
on the DASH eating plan is fairly easy. It requires no special foods
and has no hard-to-follow recipes. Here are some tips to help you
get started:
Make gradual
changes like adding a serving of fruit or vegetables at lunch
and dinner.
Gradually
increase your use of fat free and low fat dairy products to 3
servings a day.
Gradually cut
in half the amount of butter, margarine, or salad dressing you
eat.
If you now eat
large portions of meat, cut them back by a half or third at each
meal.
Try 2 or more
vegetarian-style (meatless) meals each week.
Try casseroles
and pasta and stir-fry dishes, which have less meat and more
vegetables, grains, and dry beans.
Try fresh or
dried fruits, raw vegetables, or low fat and fat free yogurt for
snacks.
So join
the Mission and start eating more healthfully today. It can save
your life.
For more
information about the DASH eating plan, tips for getting started,
sample meal plans, and even recipes, visit the NHLBI's "Your Guide
to Controlling High Blood Pressure" at
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/index.html
and click on Prevention.
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