Foods heavy in salt and sugar, as well as saturated fats, can raise blood pressure. Avoiding them can assist you in achieving and maintaining a healthy blood pressure. The American Heart Association suggests eating enough of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy grains if you have high blood pressure. Also consider adding extra fiber, especially from whole-grain products, to your diet. Eating more foods high in potassium can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure as you get older. Good sources of potassium include bananas, beans, cheese, eggs, fish, fruit juices, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, and yogurt. Blood vessels expand when we eat because of the way our bodies react to glucose, the simple carbohydrate found in foods like bread, pasta, and potatoes. This expansion sends nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, and other substances that are used by body cells down into the blood where they are sent back to the bone or absorbed by body tissues with each breath. This is called vasodilation and it helps fight off heart disease and stroke. The problem is that many people eat foods that are high in sodium and fat at the same time. This combination of foods causes your body to produce more insulin, which is a hormone that lowers blood pressure.