Traditional Chinese medicines effective at stalling prediabetes

Chinese herbal medicine may hold the key to preventing the development of type 2 diabetes in people who are at high risk of the disease, according to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).

A clinical trial by scientists found that consuming a combination of herbs was as effective as a western prescription for medication for controlling prediabetes and slowing its progression to full-blown type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes is characterized by blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to indicate the onset of diabetes.

To test the effects of herbal medicine on prediabetes, 389 people diagnosed with the metabolic condition at 11 research sites across China were randomly assigned to take either a capsule containing a mixture of 10 Chinese herbal medicines, called Tianqi, or a placebo. The capsules were taken three times a day before meals for 12 months.

Each participant was given a month of lifestyle education at the outset and had their glucose tolerance measured every three months.

At the end of the trial, 36 people treated with Tianqi had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes compared to 56 people in the placebo group.

After adjusting for age and gender, the researchers concluded that people who took the herbal medicine were 32% less likely to get diabetes than those on the placebo, a risk reduction similar to that reported for the widely used diabetes medications metformin and acarbose. In addition, those taking Tianqi experienced few side effects.

One of the study's authors, Doctor Chun-Su Yuan, of the University of Chicago, said: "Patients often struggle to make the necessary lifestyle changes to control blood sugar levels, and current medications have limitations and can have adverse gastrointestinal side effects.

"Traditional Chinese herbs may offer a new option for managing blood sugar levels, either alone or in combination with other treatments."

Researcher Doctor Xiaolin Tong, of Guang'anmen Hospital in Beijing, China, added: "Few controlled clinical trials have examined traditional Chinese medicine's impact on diabetes, and the findings from our study showed this approach can be very useful in slowing the disease's progression."

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Can Chinese Herbal Medicine Reduce Diabetes Risk?

For people with elevated blood sugar levels, taking Chinese herbal medicines may reduce the risk of developing diabetes, early research from China suggests.

Nearly 400 people in China  with prediabetes were randomly assigned in the study to take either an herbal medicine called Tianqi or a mixture of 10 Chinese herbal medicines; sometimes spelled Tian qi or a plasebo three times daily for one year. People with prediabetes have elevated blood sugar levels that are not yet high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

At the end of the year, 36 participants in the Tianqi group and 56 in the placebo group developed Type 2 diabetes. After taking into account the participants' age and gender, those who took Tianqi were 32 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who took the placebo, according to the researchers.

Few side effects were seen 15 in the Tianqi group and 11 in the placebo group, and all were mild reactions, the researchers said.

People with prediabetes are at greater risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but they often struggle to make the necessary lifestyle changes to control blood sugar levels, and current medications have limitations and can have adverse gastrointestinal side effects, study researcher Dr. Chun-Su Yuan, of the University of Chicago, said in a statement. Traditional Chinese herbs may offer a new option for managing blood sugar levels, either alone or in combination with other treatments.

However, it is too soon to recommend this herbal medicine as a therapy to prevent diabetes, because larger studies with longer follow-up time are needed to verify the results, the researchers said.

Other experts were critical of the study.

Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance, said that seeing changes in patients' blood sugar levels doesn't mean that the herbal medicine is good for their health, it just means that you've changed some lab values.

To really know whether the herbal medicine improves health, researchers need to look at more definitive outcomes, such as rates of heart attacks, strokes and vision loss, and life span, Cohen said.

Cohen said he would not recommend buying the product. Herbal products are not subject to Food and Drug Administration approval; rather, they are sold as dietary supplements, a category of products that are often tainted or contain unlabeled ingredients.  [Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism]

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Lower You’re Blood Pressure Fast with These Tips

Bring It Down

High blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of at least 140 90 mmHg. Numbers like this can put you at risk for a number of serious health conditions, including stroke and heart disease.

Making the right lifestyle choices can help control blood pressure as well.

Try these quick tips to reduce your blood pressure and maybe even lower your chance of developing heart disease

Lose 10 Pounds

The Mayo Clinic reports that dropping any extra weight can help keep your blood pressure in check. Start with just 10 pounds; as a rule, the more you lose, the lower your blood pressure.

Weight loss can also make your blood pressure medication more effective. Losing weight can be particularly effective if your weight is outside of the range that has considered healthy, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Talk to your doctor about an optimal target weight and a safe weight-loss plan for you.

Take Measurements

If you are uncertain as to whether you need to lose weight, ask your doctor to measure your body mass index and your waistline. These two readings can help determine whether you are at increased risk for high blood pressure.

Your BMI is a measurement of your body’s height to your weight. While knowing your BMI can often help to predict your level of body fat, it may not be enough. Waist measurement can indicate risk for developing high blood pressure. A healthy waist measurement for men is under 40 inches, and women under 35 inches.

Walk It Out

A great way to improve your BMI, reduce the fat around your middle, and decrease your blood pressure is to reduce your calories and get regular exercise.

The American College of Sports Medicine states that even easier exercises like walking or doing chores around the house can pay off in lowering blood pressure.

ACM recommends a half-hour minimum of moderate physical activity five days a week.

Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program.

Eat DASH

A healthy diet is another key to improving and maintaining your blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic recommends the DASH Diet, otherwise known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet.

DASH may sound fancy, but it is not complicated. It simply means eating foods that are low in cholesterol and saturated fat, and focusing on balanced nutrition. Think the usual suspects fruits and veggies, whole grains, and low- or no-fat dairy products. Another important factor in a successful diet is to reduce the size of your portions.

DASH is effective and may cause your blood pressure to plummet as much as 14 mmHg.

Do not Pass the Salt

Salt and high blood pressure do not mix. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you cut even a little bit of salt from your diet, it can result in lowering your blood pressure by as much as eight mmHg. The majority of salt in the American diet comes from restaurant food and pre-prepared foods.

Aim to keep your sodium intake to no higher than 2,300 mg per day. Those over age 51 should consume even less salt strive for no more than 1,500 mg a day.

Take it down a Notch

Increased stress can mean increased blood pressure, at least temporarily. If you are at risk for high blood pressure due to being overweight, you will want to pay particular attention to lowering your stress.

Many activities can help you stay calmer in the face of daily life stressors. Many of the same healthy actions that are good for your blood pressure like eating right and exercising can also be stress preventers.

In addition to exercise, other forms of relaxation like meditation or deep breathing can also be helpful.

Make Lower a Habit

When you focus on living a healthy lifestyle, you will be making the right choices for your blood pressure as well. Watching your weight, exercising, and eating right are winning actions in the battle against hypertension.

Taming your vices can also make a difference in some cases. If you smoke, drink too much alcohol, or have a daily caffeine habit, talk to your doctor about whether cutting back might play a role in your blood pressure reduction plan.

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Broken Hearts and Heart Disease

We can't put our fingers on it, but we know that love is good for us...whether it be romantic love, or love for family members, friends, or pets, that open-hearted feeling simultaneously fills us with vitality and peace. Most of us, at one point or another, also experience a tragic side of love...heartache, or the emotional pain we feel when we lose a vital connection with another being.

Whether it be the sudden death of a loved one, a difficult break-up or divorce, or the realization that our love for another is unrequited, heartbreak may strike us at any time. It can even begin in childhood when one or both parents are physically and/or emotionally unavailable or abusive, or give love only when certain conditions are met.

Sometimes heartbreak can be so powerful that we begin to consciously or unconsciously shut ourselves off from vital heartfelt connections with others. We may develop physical defenses like restricted breathing and muscular tension in our chests, and mental defenses like denial, which helps us control our feelings. We may become unable to take in life-sustaining love.

We might look, instead, to behaviors and or substances to distract us from being truly present, and thus vulnerable, in our relationships with others. Such distractions can become a way of life. Years of trying to control our feelings in this way can lead to the literal breakdown of our hearts, which manifests as symptoms of heart disease.

Heartbreak and Heart Function

The heart the ultimate organ of pulsating muscle, engaging the energies and interactions of mind, body and spirit...whatever one thing affects what one feels...whatever one feels affects the heart rate: how fast the heart beats and how well the heart pumps.” Heartbreak and Heart Disease.

It is no secret that the heart's role is not just that of a mechanical pump. Our hearts are dynamically influenced by our feelings, fantasies, passion, and connections to other people. The passion of love or the pain of loneliness may be physically felt in our hearts, and may affect our blood pressure as well as heart rate and pumping actions.

While poets, writers, and other romantics have, for centuries, conveyed this intuitive knowledge, doctors and nurses traditionally are not trained to treat "heartbreak." Physicians and nurses, however, who attend to people having heart attacks and hear their personal stories, tend to have little doubt about the connection between psycho-emotional states and cardiac events.

Broken Heart Syndrome

"Broken heart syndrome," which has gained mainstream recognition as an acute medical condition, is perhaps the most compelling evidence that emotional stress can affect our physical health.

Also known as, stress-induced cardiomyopathy, broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition where the heart muscle in the left ventricle enlarges and compromises the heart's ability to pump life-sustaining blood through the body. It usually occurs after the sudden loss of a loved one, as well as after other situations of intense emotional stress, like being held up at gunpoint. The sudden release of stress hormones in response to severe emotional stress literally stuns the heart, and can cause symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath and even heart failure.

Broken heart syndrome differs from a classic heart attack in that it is a profound, acute physical reaction and can occur in people without symptoms of heart disease or other heart attack risk factors. The symptoms are treatable, and the condition reversible.

The recognition of broken heart syndrome represents a big step in mainstream medicine. However, most cardiologists have yet to acknowledge a more subtle link between heartbreak experienced without a debilitating surge of stress hormones and the slow progression of heart disease.

Heartbreak and Heart Disease

"Even though anger, hostility and rage are legitimate components of our personalities, most of us are hesitant to acknowledge this 'shadow' or ‘dark side' of ourselves. As a result, we often deny or suppress these feelings, or are not even aware of them. However, I think that getting in touch with these powerful hidden emotions and becoming aware of their contribution to heart disease is critical to healing and protecting the heart. Heartbreak and Heart Disease.

Suppressed anger, rage, loss of vital connection and emotional isolation and lack of intimacy with others are all "hidden" emotional risk factors that can contribute to the development of heart disease. Many cardiologists fail to recognize these psycho-emotional factors which often underlie other commonly recognized risk factors such as excessive smoking, inappropriate diet, and even high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Psycho-emotional risk factors also can affect our breathing patterns and how we retain muscular tension. Denial of unpleasant emotional experienced in infancy, childhood and even adulthood may eventually result in energy blocks in the adult body, which manifest as muscular rigidities or "character armoring." Energy blocks in the chest, diaphragm, and throat can lead to chaotic, shallow breathing patterns, which deprive the body of enough vital oxygen necessary for healthy functioning. An "armored" person can become more susceptible to degenerative disease, especially heart disease.

Take the type A or coronary-prone personality type, for example. People who have type-A qualities often show rigidity in their facial and bodily structures, as well as in their breathing patterns.

From a psychotherapeutic standpoint, type-As have experienced some early rejections, abandonment, or other pain that set in motion a deep, unconscious fear of love and emotional expression. This fear drives the need to prove self worth through excessively performance-oriented or competitive behaviors. Type As unconsciously focuses on outward accomplishments to avoid giving and receiving love. Sometimes they push themselves to a breaking point and suffer heart attacks.

Acknowledging "hidden" psychological and emotional risk factors and cultivating awareness of how they may contribute to the more obvious controllable risk factors a can help us develop healthier lifestyle patterns.

Second Chances

Sometimes heart attack survivors and people diagnosed with heart disease are able to "reframe" their conditions as giving them a second chance in life or as being "messengers" of the need for change. Even though cardiac events or heart disease diagnoses can be frightening, seeing them as opportunities, rather than tragedies, can help jump-start our healing processes.

Of course, altering the many aspects of our lifestyles that have contributed to heart problems is not an easy feat. Changing our diets, losing excess weight, exercising more taking nutritional supplements, and quitting smoking and or other harmful behaviors can be challenging and require a lot of patience and commitment.

Reducing stress may be a big part of making these lifestyle changes, and can be easier said than done. One approach is to try to understand what pushes our buttons and why, then re-habituate ourselves to deal with perceived stressors in a healthier manner. This is where mind-body practices like meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and journal writing can be very helpful; as practices, they can assist us in developing the tools necessary to maintain our willpower and conviction as we tap into the psycho-emotional stuff underlying our stress.

Healing Heartbreak

Healing heartbreak involves recognizing and coming to terms with our past heartbreaks and "owning" the "shadow" qualities we developed as coping mechanisms. This is, by no means, an easy task. Facing our issues surrounding heartbreak, whether we experienced it as children, teens or as adults, can require lots of bravery and patience. We may have to delve into hidden memories that were, at the time, so painful and traumatic that our subconscious minds buried them away as a means of self-preservation.

Sometimes, heartbreak that begins in childhood has a domino effect; we may experience heartbreak throughout adulthood, as unconscious feelings of abandonment are awakened by recurrent experiences. A good therapist can be useful in learning how to recognize such patterns. Once we acknowledge the patterns, we can start changing them and learn to better love others and ourselves as we heal our psycho-emotional wounds.

Finding a therapist may require trying out" a lot of therapists and methods. It is important that there be a good fit. Therapy may involve just talking or it may also entail bodywork; bioenergetics psychotherapists, for example, place clients in physical postures to help them release tensions in their bodies caused by emotional blocks or armoring.

Of course, therapy is not for everyone; healing is a journey particular to the individual. Regardless of the route taken, what matters is that we learn to acknowledge and reframe our feelings, that is, channel them in the direction of healing. This may mean re-learning how to open our hearts to new feelings and love, how to relax and minimize stress, how to breathe deeply, and how to build strong emotional connections with other people.

It can mean finding positive forces within  negative events or experiences, not matter how small: learning to laugh at ourselves and not take everything so seriously, learning not to internalize personal or work pressures, and learning to communicate more honestly with and reach out to others. Perhaps, most importantly, finding a positive force often means forgiving others and ourselves over and repeatedly.

Facilitating the Healing Process

For some, massage or other touch therapies may be useful in helping release trapped energy and discover emotional blocks, while deep breaking, visualization, and or transcendental meditation might be preferred methods for others.

Acupuncture and or chiropractic work also can help move trapped energy through the body. Some people might resonate best with an exercise program, which helps them increase circulation of oxygen and blood through the body. Others may prefer to practice yoga, and become more "present" through awareness of their breath and stream of consciousness as they move through physical postures.

There is also nothing like a good cry when it comes to healing. Crying frees our hearts of muscular tension and rigidity while enhancing oxygen delivery. I believe the ability to feel emotions deeply, to cry during times of intense sadness and heartbreak is essential in the prevention of heart disease. Like crying, laughing also is a tremendous remedy for our hearts. It helps us breathe deeply and release tension in our chests, and if we laugh hard enough, we may even cry.

Playing, that is, engaging in an activity solely in pursuit of joy and pleasure in the present can be another positive healing force. Playing with pets or children can get us back in touch with our spontaneous natures and inner children we all have one. If "play" is a sports activity, it is important that it remain non-competitive and friendly.

Spirituality also can help us find new growth and direction within ourselves. Having faith in something outside ourselves, however we choose to identify that greater power, gives us a place to turn to for courage and strength and helps alleviate pressures to perform perfectly. It also may help us develop a sense of "oneness with others that can help us open up more to loving and being loved.

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Holistic Medicine or Traditional Medicine?

We see the terms Holistic Medicine and Alternative Medicine a lot on the Internet today. They seem to be used interchangeably. However, do you really understand the meaning of the terms? What is Holistic Medicine and how is it different from Traditional Medicine? It can be confusing.

The terms traditional, allopathic, or conventional refer to the type of medicine practiced in the Western world. This approach to health is relatively new in human history when compared to the Chinese healing arts of 5000 years ago. Traditional medicine is scientific-based medicine. You must have data, you must have proof, and you must be able to show your proof in a laboratory setting.

Traditional Medicine believes something physical is present to cause disease, like a virus or a bacterium, and you must be treated for that disease by a prescription drug or, if necessary, surgery in order to get better.

The Holistic Approach to Health Care is quite different. This philosophy states that you become sick when emotional, psychological, or spiritual stresses overwhelm and weaken the immune system. Holistic Medicine works by finding the cause of the stress in the patient's life, helping the patient cope with that stress, and supporting the body's natural healing process with things like proper nutrition, herbal supplementation, and other non-invasive techniques. The treatment always boosts the body's natural ability to heal itself.

Some refer to Holistic Medicine as Alternative Medicine, as in an alternative to traditional medicine. According to Carolyn Myss and Norman Shealy in their book Creation of Health, the term alternative should actually apply to the various techniques used in the Holistic Health field, such as Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and Medical Herbalist.

The term Holistic does not refer to a technique. It is an approach to health and healing that emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and spirit. The body is treated as a whole, with each state working in tandem with the others.

The Holistic approach empowers the patient to accept responsibility for his/her own health and treatment. The healthcare provider forms a partnership with the patient so that together they can develop the best possible treatment plan for the patient.

Holistic Health requires a commitment to the healing process. It is not a quick fix; pop a pill, and go home. You are cured. It is a continuous striving toward optimal health, not just the absence of sickness.

Traditional medical doctors often refer to the alternative techniques they use in their practice, like Physical Therapy or Massage Therapy, as complementary to the drug and surgical procedures they regularly use. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, has gathered compelling evidence of how well Holistic Health techniques work in treating disease and promoting health and well-being.

As more and more people search for alternatives to prescription drugs and surgery, Holistic Medicine and its natural remedies will continue to offer safe and effective treatments. Traditional Medicine will always be the major player in emergency care and acute, life-threatening illnesses. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide which treatment option is best for his or her needs.

Herb medicine online is helping others discover the benefits of Holistic Health and Healing by writing about the various alternatives to traditional medicine. You can find out more by visiting her website at Herb Medicine Online.

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The Advantages of Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine is becoming ever more popular in today's world as people seek out natural remedies. If you look around the market is flooded with products claiming to be natural and herbal.

It may be puzzling to some as to how or why this sudden want or need for these products started. Maybe it’s because we are becoming a nation ever more conscious of our health and well being or perhaps it's a media driven desire to be more like the glamorous celebrities who endorse such items. However, herbal remedies and natural treatments themselves are not a new thing; in fact, they date back many millions of years.

The earliest accounts of the use of these types of remedies date back to 2800BC from China. Archaeology from early civilizations has shown the use of plants in burials and ceremonies.

Herbal medicines have fallen in and out of favor with man throughout the ages. However, they have continued to develop and are once again gaining popularity in today's world, particularly as there are growing concerns about the safety and side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. In light of this, herbal remedies are offering a safe and natural alternative for many ailments.

Below are some advantages of natural and herbal medicines.

Costs.

Herbal treatments cost much less than their prescription counterparts. They are also more convenient as they can be purchased over the counter from any health food store without the need for a prescription. Remember though, it is important to check with your doctor before taking any type of medication as natural does not always mean safe and many natural substances can often be dangerous.

Herbal medication is not categorized as drugs, they are considered as food, this is because they are natural and can be marketed as dietary supplements without the need for a prescription. Supplements are not subjected to the same strict scientific inspection as prescription medication. In addition, prescription drugs, unlike herbal remedies do not have to be tested in order to prove they work and are safe before being marketed.

Herbal medicines may not be pure and it is possible they may contain pollen or other such contaminates which could induce sickness. Currently standardized manufacturing and testing is much needed in the herbal industry.

Strength and Effectiveness.

People have many and varied reasons for seeking out alternative remedies but often include dissatisfaction with the more traditional healthcare treatments. It is worth remembering though that the benefits and effectiveness of alternative medicine is often individual to the patient concerned.

The strength of the remedy may also vary and has many factors including the variation or strain of the plant or herb used the growing methods, how it is harvested, the way it has been preserved, and the exposure to light, air, and moisture during its growth.

Herb Medicine Online offers you the latest information on weight loss, and numerous weight loss products that are on the market.

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Seven Native American Herbal Healing Secrets

Are you aware of the fact that Native Americans lived in this country for thousands of years and never had one case of many of the common illnesses we face daily? I believe the reason they were healthier is that they lived off the land and used herbs and other plants as their food and medicine. These herbs are still available to us and can be found in your local pharmacy, health-food store or at many websites online.

Let us look at seven of the herbs used by these healthy people:

Arnica - This herb was used by Native Americans for joint pain and muscle aches. Modern research has determined that this herb stops inflammation and contains a natural pain reliever caffeoylquinic acid. A study performed in Great Britain found that it also reduces pain and stiffness associated with carpel tunnel syndrome. In addition, this wondrous substance boosts circulation to injured tissue. For this purpose buy it in a topical gel or cream form and rub it into skin where you have scrapes or bruises.

Black cohosh - This herb mimics estrogen and helps balance hormones. Studies have found that it relieves PMS symptoms, including irritability and menstrual cramps. No doubt, this is the reason the Algonquins named it cramp bark. It also helps ease menopausal symptoms in older women such as hot flashes and night sweats. This herb is thought to be as effective as prescription hormone therapy, minus the adverse side effects. On top of these benefits, a new study suggests that this herb may cut the risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 60%.

Sagebrush - Native Americans often burned this herb to purify the air at ceremonies. Come to find out, this plant contains several ingredients, which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. When it is burned, the space around it is sanitized as these ingredients are released into the air. When these ingredients are breathed into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, they can kill harmful germs. By the way, the plant we are talking about here grows wild in the western US and is not related to the spice used in cooking.

Saw Palmetto - By now, probably everyone knows that saw palmetto can cut the risk of prostate cancer, but recently it has been discovered that when used by women, it gets rid of facial hair. It is responsible for these two seemingly unrelated benefits because it balances the body's hormones. It is also being used to help some patients who have polycystic ovary syndrome.

Stinging nettle - New research indicates that this herb has many benefits and that it is 50% more effective at overcoming nasal allergies than the most popular over-the-counter meds. It seems that this herb impedes the production of histamine, which is a chemical produced by the immune system that causes congestion, sneezing and other related allergy symptoms. It is a natural pain reliever and anti-inflammatory, as well, and helps shrink swollen nasal passages.

White Willow - Native Americans made tea from this herb and drank it to ease aches and pains. The bark of this plant contains salicin, which is the same chemical in aspirin that is responsible for the relief of pain. There is a difference in how the same substance from two different sources is absorbed by the body: aspirin works faster, while white willow relieves pain longer. An added benefit of white willow is that it does not irritate the stomach. You can either drink this as a tea or take it in capsule form.

Yarrow - The Navaho called this tiny flower life medicine, and it contains ingredients that can numb pain on contact. It also contains natural coagulants that help stop bleeding from wounds. It is also an antiseptic and kills surface bacteria. The Cherokee bathed in the leaves of this plant after battles to help speed healing time. It can also be used for skin rashes and conditions like eczema. Look for it in your health food store in cream or ointment form.

The real beauty of using these herbs is that they do not produce the adverse side effects of prescription and over-the-counter medications. I do not know about you, but that is enough for me to try these if the need arises.

Kristoforus Lembu is passionate about the topics of health, fitness, and bodybuilding and enjoys writing about these subjects. If you are in the market to update your office, check out Herb Medicine Online.

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How to lower your blood pressure

An unhealthy lifestyle will raise your blood pressure over time. In addition, the higher your blood pressure becomes, the higher your risk of having a stroke or heart attack in the future.

However, the good news is that if you have high blood pressure, healthy changes will help to bring it down. In addition, you do not have to wait until you have high blood pressure to make healthy lifestyle changes. The more you can reduce your blood pressure, the lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke will be.

How to lower your blood pressure

Blood Pressure Diet - Eat less salt

Too much salt raises your blood pressure, so it is important to eat as little as possible. In fact, some people with high blood pressure may be able to avoid blood pressure medicines by cutting down on salt.

Most of the salt you eat is not what you add to your food, but is in prepared foods like bread, breakfast cereals, and ready meals.

Do not add salt to food when cooking or at the table. When shopping for food, check the labels and choose low-salt options when you can.

Blood Pressure Diet - Eat more fruit and vegetables

Eating more fruit and vegetables helps to lower your blood pressure. Adults should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. A portion is 80 grams, or roughly the size of your fist.
Try to eat a range of different fruits and vegetables. Dried, frozen, and tinned are fine, but watch out for added salt, sugar, or fats.

Blood Pressure Diet - Keep to a healthy weight

Losing weight, if you need to, will help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of health problems. The best way to lose weight is to choose more low-fat and low-calorie foods, and increase your physical activity.
Set yourself realistic goals. Make small changes to your eating habits and activity levels that you can keep to for life.

Blood Pressure Diet - Drink less alcohol

If you drink too much alcohol, this will raise your blood pressure over time. The current recommended limits are 21 units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women. A unit is roughly half a pint of beer or cider, a small glass of wine, or a single pub measure of spirits.
If you keep to the recommended alcohol limits, this should help keep your blood pressure down.

Blood Pressure and Exercise - Get more active

Being moderately active for 30 minutes, five times a week can keep your heart healthy, and can lower your blood pressure. If you cannot find 30 minutes in your day, increasing your activity by even a small amount can help.

Think about how you can be more active in your daily life. Any activity that leaves you feeling warm and slightly out of breath is ideal. [Source: NHLBI]

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