Ignoring the problem is the largest mistake that men make when it comes to maintaining a healthy body.
Heart disease is the number one killer of men – no matter your age and fitness level. Bill Phillips, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of “The Better Man Project,” says men aren’t paying enough attention to the high death numbers. While women on the other hand, are three times more likely to visit a doctor. Ignoring the problem is the largest mistake that men make when it comes to maintaining a healthy body.
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According to Phillips, if your blood pressure is anything over 120/80, there is an underlying problem: either the heart is malfunctioning or your arteries are narrowing. “Blood pressure indicates the force of your circulating blood on the walls of your vessels. The top number [systolic] is the pressure created when the heart muscle contracts. The bottom number [diastolic] is the pressure between beats, when the heart is resting,” he explains.
Here are Phillips eight DIY tips to lower your blood pressure by 16 points:
1. Lower sodium intake.
Sodium causes you to retain water in your blood, which adds volume and boosts pressure. Constant high pressure on your arteries, in turn, exposes you to a greater risk of heart attack, stroke. Take out salt and add seasoning instead.
2. Tea up.
Australian researchers found that people who drank three cups of black tea every day for six months saw a two-point drop in both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
3. Breathe slowly and deeply.
Slow breathing and meditative practices (yoga) decrease stress hormones, which elevate renin, a kidney enzyme that raises blood pressure. Try five minutes in the morning and at night or you can even do it on your commute: Inhale deeply and expand your belly. Exhale and release tension.
4. Breathe quickly and deeply (aka exercise)
Three times a week, do a cardio workout, which could even be just a walk. In a study, hypertensive patients who went for walks at a brisk pace lowered their pressure by almost 8mm Hg over 6mm Hg.
5. Beet it.
Drinking 17 ounces of beet juice can yield a five-point drop in blood pressure according to a 2012 Australian study.
Laughing out loud at a funny movie causes blood vessels to dilate by 22 percent according to a study from the University of Maryland.
6. Grab a bunch of grapes.
Men with metabolic syndrome who ate the powdered equivalent of about two cups of grapes daily for a month lowered their systolic blood pressure by six points (University of Connecticut).
7. Try a DASH.
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, a plan developed by the national heart, lung and blood institute. A typical DASH menu focuses on fruits and veggies, whole grains and protein from poultry, fish, beans and nuts while minimizing added sugars and salt. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that it can lower systolic blood pressure by up to 16 points in four months in people with high blood pressure.
Relevant source:
http://www.today.com/health/national-mens-health-week-how-lower-your-blood-pressure-t26501
Curated from Today.com
