Hey there, viewers! When it comes to lowering your blood pressure, your first instinct might
be to cut salt and processed foods. But just lowering sodium won’t really help.
The DASH diet focuses on getting lots of fruits, vegetables, fiber,
and low-fat dairy into your system to naturally get rid of your rising
blood pressure. The secret probably lies in a few foods that have high calcium,
magnesium, protein, potassium, and fiber. Should you eat bananas? What about yoghurt? Wait,
I can actually eat more chocolate? We’re talking about all of that AND more...
1. Yogurt A cup of yogurt
is a great way to kickstart your day. Getting a burst of energy, especially in the morning,
will help you through the rest of the day. There are just so many things that you can make with it.
You can add a handful of granola mix, almonds, and berries of your choice. You can also add seasonal
fresh fruit to it. Blend it all together into a smoothie or just enjoy it with fruit chunks.
Calcium is a compound that helps to fight high blood pressure.
A 12 ounce serving of yogurt will give you 30% of the recommended calcium for the day.
The only thing you have to make sure of is that the yogurt is low fat or fat-free.
Which fruit tastes the best with yogurt? What else do you like to add to your yogurt bowl?
Sound off in the comments below, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
2. Bananas
If you've been staying away from desserts, it's time to add them back to your diet.
Hold On! We're not asking you to go crazy on the junk.
There's a healthy way to devour those sweet treats and still have normal blood pressure.
Bananas are a great substitute for added sugar. A medium-sized banana would complete about 9% of
your daily intake of potassium, as it has 420 mg of potassium. Just grab one and have it on the go,
or blend it into your smoothies, muffins, cookies, frozen treats, and any other dessert you prefer.
3. Berries
Those popping, vibrant colors that berries add to any dish are just delightful. But
that’s not all that berries do. Most berries are filled with a gas called nitric oxide.
This gas magically boosts the blood flow in your system.
Blueberries appear to have the most nitric oxide.
So the next time you feel tempted to snack on something healthy, just grab a few blueberries.
You can eat them with your morning oatmeal,
as well as salads for lunch and desserts after dinner. Studies have shown you won’t
have to worry about high blood pressure if you eat an ounce of blueberries daily.
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4. Leafy Greens
We always run away from greens. But trust us when we say that leafy greens are miracle workers.
Think of all the green veggies like kale, spinach, Swiss chard,
beet greens, lettuce, collard greens, arugula,
etc. All of them are loaded with potassium. Salads and soups are not the only way you can eat them.
Get creative in your kitchen and make stunning omelets, frittatas, sandwiches, and burgers.
5. Beets
Just like blueberries, beets are also packed with nitric oxide gas. Adding beetroot to
your diet is not very difficult. The simplest way is to juice them up.
Research has shown that beetroot juice helps to lower systolic blood pressure by almost 4-5
(mercury). But if you enjoy the crunchy texture of this root vegetable, you can add shredded,
sliced, and even diced beats to your salads, and soups.
6. Garlic
Garlic sure leaves an unbearable after stench, but its health benefits will make you think
twice before saying no. A compound called allicin will allow garlic to lower your blood pressure.
Use fresh garlic to make a spread. Bake a cut of whole garlic sprinkled with olive oil in
your oven until it's creamy and buttery. Remember to go easy on the seasoning.
The reason we’re stressing the use of fresh garlic is that allicin is only
released when garlic is crushed or chopped. So if you’re planning to use garlic supplements,
we’re not exactly sure how effective it might be for treating high blood pressure.
Therefore it’s best to stick to the most natural form.
7. Sweet Potatoes
This ground veggie is posing a serious threat to regular potatoes. And why shouldn't it?
Nutrition-wise, it's far better for you. White, yellow, and orange sweet potatoes are rich in
potassium, magnesium and fiber. You can bake them in a pan by brushing or spraying some cooking oil.
Or just go plain by steaming them. They taste delicious either way!
8. Oatmeal Oatmeal is like comfort
food. And honestly, who doesn't like this humble breakfast option. It's quick to make,
filling, and delicious, especially after topping it with berries and nuts.
Oats are considered whole grains. They are high in fiber. Studies have shown
that at least 3 servings of whole grains can decrease your risk of heart disease by 15%.
9. Salmon
Some foods may not be rich in calcium, but still help in the absorption of calcium in your body.
Fatty fish is one of them. Salmon and mackerel are the top picks in this category. They’re loaded
with omega-3 fatty acids, typically known to reduce inflammation and lower your blood pressure.
Salmon is also high in vitamin D. Without vitamin D, calcium will just enter and leave
your system without doing any actual good. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium.
Fatty fish do not require fancy sauces or marinades for cooking. A simple salt and
pepper seasoning, with a drizzle of olive oil and a few herbs, will be the perfect fillet of salmon.
Before we go ahead, here’s something cool about going vegan.
Watch 6 things that will happen to your body when you stop eating meat.
Now back to our discussion on 20 foods that will lower your blood pressure...
10. Avocados This creamy fruit can be enjoyed by mixing it with
tuna in sandwiches, or as a salad topper. It's a great substitute for mayo. Just 1 medium-sized
avocado will give you 975 mg of potassium. It will complete 25% of your recommended
daily intake of potassium! Apart from this, it’s a great source of calcium and magnesium.
We highly recommend squeezing this fruit into your diet to get a triple blast of these nutrients.
11. Quinoa
Just half a cup of this whole green completes 15% of your magnesium requirement for a day.
It also has a lot of fiber and protein. That’s some great news for all you vegans
looking for plant-based protein. Along with stabilizing your blood pressure,
quinoa can reduce your unnecessary binging, get rid of constipation,
and get your blood sugar levels under control. It’s popular to have quinoa in salads. You can
also use it for making veggie patties for burgers, or even cereal for breakfast.
12. Broccoli
Do you want to live long? Eating a cup of broccoli daily will lower your blood pressure. Some studies
have emphasized how eating broccoli can help lower your heart problems and give you a longer life.
If you were to break down broccoli, you would find 4 compounds. These are calcium, potassium,
magnesium, and Vitamin C. There’s a special method for cooking broccoli. If you aim at
getting all the nutrients, let it sit for about 40 minutes after chopping. This releases all the
inflammation-fighting enzymes out of the veggie chops. Then you can either cook it, or eat it raw.
13. Peaches and Nectarines
Peaches are delicious, and have so many terrific nutrients.
Its distant cousin nectarine is similar. They’re both high in potassium and carry
10% of your daily recommended value. If you haven’t been watching your salt intake,
you can benefit a ton from the potassium in this fruit.
It will help you to maintain a balance between the water and sodium levels in your body.
14. Kiwi
Getting rid of high blood pressure requires some serious life changes.
You need to watch what you’re eating as well as exercise.
Eating 3 kiwi fruits a day can keep your blood pressure under control, according to a study.
Kiwi can be a great addition to your yogurt for a killer yogurt parfait.
15. Red Bell Peppers
All peppers are great. Green, yellow, orange, and red ones are common in the market.
Out of these, the red variety is the best to stabilize fluctuating blood pressure.
They’re high in potassium and Vitamin E, along with fiber and Vitamin C. You can make a healthy
snack out of these by baking thinly chopped strips and enjoying it with a dip of hummus.
This recipe can be a hit on your veggie platter at parties. If you’re not a fan of raw bell pepper,
broil them with some olive oil. You can add them to your stir-fries, and even scrambled eggs.
16. Pumpkin Seeds
Small but mighty pumpkin seeds can be a crunchy snack whenever you feel
the urge to reach for that bag of chips. They’re packed with magnesium and zinc,
which will lower your rising blood pressure. This is only true if you have unsalted pumpkin
seeds. The store-bought ones are generally coated with salt and will increase your blood pressure.
To be sure that your pumpkin seeds don’t have a grain of salt, prepare it in your own home.
Roast them by baking a few cups for 20 minutes in a sheet pan at 350 degrees.
Keep them bottled up in an airtight container, and drizzle them on your smoothie, oatmeal,
salads, and soups. 17. Dark Chocolate
This is music to the ears of every chocolate lover!
Studies have shown that 1 oz of dark chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease.
This is because of a compound called flavonoid. It helps to promote healthy blood vessel function.
We know that dark chocolate can be quite tempting. Remember to
stick to that one ounce serving as the dark chocolate will be calorie-dense.
18. Pistachios
By now, you may have figured out that you will have to eat unsalted pistachios.
Shop for the unsalted variety, and add them to your salads for a crunchy texture.
They’re so powerful that just a handful can reduce blood vessel tightening and heart rate.
19. Pomegranates
Do you generally avoid buying pomegranates? They’re both expensive and hard to prepare.
Drinking the juice is so much easier. Studies suggest that this fruit is high
in antioxidants, and helps lower blood pressure.
You just have to avoid added sugar in the juice, and you will be good.
20. Olive Oil
Out of all the cooking oils at the supermarket, olive oil should be your top pick. It’s linked
to lowering blood pressure, especially in women. It’s also rich in polyphenols along
with many other health benefits. Add a spoonful and make super simple dressings for your salads.
Olive oil is almost like a magic potion for your body. Let's keep
the conversation going, with a couple of more oil-related videos, shall we?
Watch what half a tablespoon of olive oil daily can do to your body.
You can also try 7 healthy cooking oils for different types of cooking.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn how cooking oil can improve your health.
Which of the foods we discussed are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!