Woman’s Day New Zealand – August 05, 2019

H

igh blood

pressure,

also known as

hypertension,

is a common

condition in which

the force of your blood

against your artery

walls is too high.

While very common

• especially in people over
  50 – it can have serious
  consequences for our
  health, putting stress on
  the heart and leading to
  major problems, such as
  heart disease and stroke.
  As high blood pressure
  usually has no symptoms,

it’s vital we see the

doctor for regular checks.

While medication is

often prescribed to

treat hypertension,

there are many lifestyle

changes we can make

to ensure our blood

pressure remains in

the healthy range.

Regular exercise,

a healthy diet and

reducing stress can help

with managing blood

pressure. But remember,

decisions about lifestyle

changes and medications

must be discussed with

your doctor.

PRESSURE

Under

Learn to keep y our vessels in check

Questions

for Gemma

Write to

wday [email protected] or

Wo man’s Day, Private Bag 92512,

Wellesley Street, Auckland. PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES.

Reducing our salt intake can

have a big impact. As well as

going easy on the shaker, it’s

important to check the labels on

packaged food, as sodium is often

hidden in pre-prepared items. The

maximum daily amount of salt

recommended for adult New Zealanders

from all food sources is about six grams.

This is equivalent to one teaspoon per

day. Remove salt from the dinner

table, and instead add lemon juice,

herbs, garlic, extra pepper or

a drizzle of olive oil.

It’s not all bad news – dark

chocolate contains flavanols

that help lower blood pressure by

relaxing blood vessels and boosting

blood flow. An Australian study showed

that regular dark chocolate consumption

could help lower your systolic blood

pressure (the top number) by five points

and your diastolic blood pressure (the

bottom number) by almost three

points. So when you feel like

a sweet treat, opt for dark

chocolate rather than

a slice of cake.

DON’T

GET SALTY

EMBRACE THE

DARK SIDE

Adding potassium-rich

fruits and vegetables to your

diet is an important part of any

effort to lower blood pressure.

Potassium encourages the kidneys

to excrete more sodium. Bananas are

great, but potatoes and kumara are

even better. Tomatoes, spinach,

avocados, kidney beans, peas and

dried fruits like prunes or raisins

are other good sources

of potassium.

EAT RIGHT

Regular exercise, such as

brisk walking, can drastically

reduce your blood pressure.

Exercise helps the heart use

oxygen more efficiently, so it

doesn’thavetowork as hard to

pumpblood.Aimfor 30 minutes

ays of the week,

over time as

ome fitter

onger.

MOVE IT!

The hormones released

when we’re stressed – such

as cortisol and adrenalin – can raise

our heart rates and constrict blood

vessels, causing blood pressure to

spike. But slow breathing and meditative

practices such as yoga and tai chi can

help keep stress hormones and blood

pressure in check. Try five minutes

of deep breathing, morning and

night, and build up from there.

As well as reducing tension,

you’ll find you’ll sleep

better too.

STRESS LESS

Wellness

With Gemma McCaw

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