How to Control Hypertension with Diet, Meditation and Yoga

Worried about high blood pressure levels? Well, keep your worries in a trash, understand hypertension, follow the simple ways and keep hypertension at bay.

What is blood pressure?

The lateral pressure exerted by blood on the walls of blood vessels is known as blood pressure.

What is hypertension?

When the blood starts exerting more pressure on the vessels than the normal it is known as hypertension. It occurs when:

• The blood volume increases
• The arteries lose elasticity due to cholesterol and calcium deposition. 

How to control hypertension?

1. Cut down the consumption of processed foods:

Processed foods contain hidden quantities of salt which is responsible for increasing the blood pressure. Also check the saturated fat and trans fat content of the food. Look for foods that have 0 grams (g) of trans fat and are lowest in saturated fat and cholesterol.

2. Reduce salt intake:

Human body needs 500mg/day of salt to function. Many people take 10 times this amount. A study by National Heart, lung and blood institute in the United States showed that an intake of 1500 mg/ day of salt lowered blood pressure substantially. To keep your salt intake in check, consider products in which the sodium content is less than or equal to the calories per serving. For a food with 250 calories per serving, ideally the sodium content should be no more than 250 mg.

3. Substitute table salt with other salts:

The composition of table salt is NaCl( sodium Chloride) . It dissociates into Na+ and Cl- in blood. When sodium levels increase, water retention in blood starts. This causes an increase in volume of blood and thus the blood pressure increases. On the contrary, K+ (potassium ions) have been found to reduce blood pressure. Hence, substituting NaCl with KCl( potassium chloride) is helpful. KCl is a little bitter in taste and may be unpalatable to some. In that case mixing the two salts (NaCl and KCl) is helpful.

4. Add fresh fruits and vegetables in diet:

Fresh fruits and vegetables have many antioxidants in them. They keep blood vessels healthy and elastic and hence keeping blood pressure in control. In ayurveda, Garlic is especially used in lowering cholesterol level. Fruits and vegetables rich in fibers must be preferred. 5g of fiber per diet must be taken.

5. Lead a stress free life:

Identify the causes of stress in life and do away with them. Meditation and yoga are especially helpful in relaxing the mind and bringing down blood pressure. Ardha matsyendra aasan( spinal twist), pavanmuktaasan(wind relieving pose) , uttanpadaasan(raising legs)etc. are some of the yoga poses which are helpful along with the other lifestyle modifications.