If you smoke, quit. Add some form of regular exercise. Reduce your intake of sodium, alcohol, caffeine, added sugars and refined carbohydrates. Lose some weight. By reducing your body mass index (BMI) by just 5%, you could significantly lower your blood pressure.
Add calcium, magnesium and potassium rich foods, soy, dark chocolate or cocoa and fresh berries to your diet. Many nutritionists recommend whey protein, Co-Q-10, fish oil, Hibiscus, Berberine and aged garlic extract for their beneficial effect on blood-pressure reduction.
Add any type of stress reduction activities in addition to meditation. There is a well-known connection between daily stress associated with work, family or financial difficulties and its negative impact on our blood pressure. Developing effective stress management reduction skills will have a very powerful beneficial impact on your general wellness and mental fitness. Finally, sleep apnea (excessive snoring) has been directly linked to high blood pressure, and other chronic illnesses. Lakes Urgent Care can help you set up a sleep study if you are unable to do so through your primary care physician.