Take Control of Your Blood Pressure

Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, offers advice for managing hypertension with diet and exercise.

Healthy lifestyles play a major role in the prevention and treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure. For those who have high blood pressure or those at risk for hypertension, small diet and exercise changes can help you control your blood pressure without medication.

These simple lifestyle tips can help prevent or manage hypertension:

Eat plenty of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits. When using canned vegetables, choose products with “no salt added.”

Skip the salt when cooking. Use herbs, spices, herbed vinegars and fruit juices to add flavor instead.

Choose foods that are low in sodium. If you have hypertension, you should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. That is the equivalent of just under two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt.

Read the nutrition facts on the label to determine sodium content in packaged food. The sodium content is usually listed in milligrams per single serving. Look for the products that say:

• Unsalted
• No salt added
• Reduced sodium
• Sodium-free
• Low in sodium

Spend at least 30 minutes a day doing physical activity. Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood or join a fitness class with a friend. If you have physical limitations, try seated exercise programs.

Be mindful of calorie intake and gradually increase exercise to facilitate weight loss. Your blood pressure rises as your body weight increases, so weight reduction often helps lower blood pressure.

When eating out:

• Request that your food be prepared without added salt.
• Ask for sauces and salad dressings on the side since they are often high in sodium. When eating a salad, use a twist of lemon, a splash of vinegar or a light drizzle of dressing, or dip your fork in the dressing before getting a bite of salad.

These tips can help you manage high blood pressure, but please consult your health care team before making any adjustments to your hypertension medications.

For more information on managing hypertension, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute or the American Heart Association.

- Cara Stewart, RD, LDN