Hypertension can be caused by poor eating habits that must be corrected. Today we tell you what to eat if you have high blood pressure.
The high blood pressure or hypertension is no joke, even if it is a condition that usually manifests itself not painful and that makes a lot of sufferers do not make it all the case they should. My mother was one of those, one of those who, despite the doctor's warnings, was one of those who thought that "total for a day nothing happens, that I am fine" and did not forgive her piece of cheese or her piece of ham whenever he played ... until 3 years ago one of those excesses resulted in a rise that caused an acute heart attack from which he could not overcome.
And it is that following a diet, whatever it may be, can be very bearable, but it is not always easy and even less so when the only information that the doctor gives you is a small sheet that says "Diet X" which in this case would a low sodium diet - low in sodium - that one has to interpret as best as possible and figure out how not to get depressed in front of what will be their new menus. As I do not want anyone to get sad or depressed when sitting at the table today, I am going to talk about what to eat if you have high blood pressure or how to interpret the sheet that the doctor gives you to try to lower your tension / pressure blood pressure and prevent it from rising further.
What to eat if you have high blood pressure
The first thing the doctor will have told you if you have high blood pressure is not to add salt to your meals or to reduce it to the maximum, because now sodium has become your worst enemy, that at most you can take 1000 mg of sodium per day, which would be the equivalent of 2.5 g of common salt. And no, that does not mean that you can use 2.5 g of salt to season your dishes, because sodium is in more places and that also counts.
Vegetables and high blood pressure, which ones are and which ones are not?
In any healthy diet it is necessary to consume fruits and vegetables. These generally do not contain sodium in large amounts, except for the following, whose sodium content may be relevant:
· Swiss chard, 150 mg Na / 100 g
· Celery, 100 mg Na / 100 g
· Spinach, 80 mg Na / 100 g
· Asparagus, carrots and beets, 60 mg Na / 100 g
Na = Sodium
It should also be borne in mind that we are talking about fresh and unprocessed food, since treatments such as dehydration cause the sodium content per serving to increase considerably.
On the other hand, you can enjoy garlic and onions whenever you want -which will become great allies when it comes to seasoning your dishes- and red and citrus fruits.
Foods you should not eat if you have high blood pressure
All kinds of processed food should be avoided, whether packaged or canned, since even those that are indicated to be low in salt can still be a considerable source of sodium that may be part of other salts that are used as preservatives, such as sodium benzoate, or as flavorings, such as monosodium glutamate or E-621.
Avoid sausages and cured meats such as chorizo, loin or ham and all kinds of smoked or salted fish such as salmon or cod.
Pickled vegetables such as pickles, onions or olives are also a source of sodium.
The industrial snacks are also prohibidísimos, as they have salt cascoporro, but that does not mean you can never enjoy popcorn while watching a movie at home. It is as easy as making them yourself by buying the corn in bulk and making them explode in the microwave as we explain in this post, then to give them flavor, instead of salt you can add ground pepper, sweet or spicy paprika, or even give them a touch sweet with a little cinnamon.
The seasonings and sauces business also have to leave them in the store, but you can make your own by combining own extra virgin olive oil, vinegar that you like and any spice. The soy sauce is pure salt is not recommended, as the bouillon concentrate much put that are low in salt.
The cheeses also have a lot of salt and some fresh cheeses are packaged in a pickle, these also should be part of your diet, you choose fresh cheeses rather low in salt.
Dark chocolate, a permitted whim
If you're a dark chocolate lover, you're in luck, because a few ounces every now and then won't affect your blood pressure.
Be careful with the water and what you drink
The mineral water is one of the healthiest beverages of the planet but eye, if you have a high voltage to be sure of weak mineralization and its sodium content is less than 5 mg Na / l. Also be careful with sodas and carbonated drinks and find out their sodium content before consuming them.
The best advice when you have high blood pressure
Always read the labels of what you put in the shopping cart and if you have any questions, always consult your doctor.
Weight loss results in better control of blood sugar levels, cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. If you're overweight, you may begin to see improvements in these factors after losing as little as 5% of your body weight. However, the more weight you lose, the greater the benefit to your health and disease management.