But regardless of the latest research, there are certain things you should avoid if you have hypertension. So if you’re following a high blood pressure diet to help manage your condition, be sure to watch out for these three potential spikers.
Alcohol directly raises blood pressure, and further acts to damage the walls of blood vessels, which can elevate the blood pressure further and make it more difficult to treat, while simultaneously increasing the risk of complications.
If you don’t want to take the step of cutting out all alcohol, the American Heart Association says to drink alcohol only in moderation, no more than 1 to 2 drinks per day (one for most women, two for most men). A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.
This, combined with the fact that too much salt is bad for the heart regardless of blood pressure status, means that reduced sodium is a strongly recommended part of a healthy diet. These recommendations are especially important in the setting of secondary high blood pressure due to kidney problems.
While it can be difficult at first to eat a low-sodium diet, you will quickly readjust your taste buds when you stick with it for a couple of weeks. Preparing your own food at home from whole ingredients rather than eating processed food or eating at restaurants is an easy way to control the sodium in your food.
The balanced high blood pressure diet should include sparse amounts of saturated and trans-fats (red meat, fast food), and moderate amounts of other fats (olives, canola oil), avoiding tropical oils. Instead of red meat, enjoy fish, poultry, seeds, nuts, and beans. You can still have the occasional meal of the leanest cuts of red meat. Enjoy fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
Heart-Check Shopping
When you are buying products at the grocery store, look for the Heart-Check mark from the American Heart Association. This mark on the label shows the product meets the AHA criteria for saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium for a single serving.
DASH Eating Plan
If you want a more structured way to dive into a diet for hypertension, look into the DASH eating plan, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
