High blood pressure (hypertension) occurs when the heart exerts more effort than normal to circulate blood throughout the body. It is linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and nearly half of the population has hypertension. Causes for high blood pressure are many, such as heredity, obesity, dietary habits, smoking, kidney problems, diabetes and insufficient physical activity. You don’t always feel high blood pressure. To diagnose hypertension, visit a healthcare provider for a blood pressure check. Hypertension is a systolic reading of 130 or higher, or a diastolic reading over 80.
There are multiple treatments available for hypertension. Medications might be necessary, but making changes to your lifestyle can also lower blood pressure. One effective strategy is adjusting your diet, especially by cutting back on sodium intake. Here are some tips for reducing sodium in your diet. Remember, it can take about three months to adjust to eating less sodium. A low-sodium diet means limiting your daily intake to 2,000 mg, which requires cutting back on salt. Sodium is naturally present in foods, added during cooking, and used as a preservative. To manage your sodium intake, be sure to read food labels for their sodium content. You can also follow the steps below to help reduce your daily sodium.
12 Ways to Lower Sodium:
- Choose herbs and seasonings that are labeled “powder” instead of “salts”.
- Add only ¼ of salt called for in a recipe. When possible, add it at the end of cooking.
- Take the saltshaker off the table.
- When buying canned foods, choose “canned, no salt added”
- Fresh and frozen vegetables are the best choice; if getting frozen, it is without sauces/flavors added.
- Make your own flavored rice/pasta/potatoes/starches instead of using pre-made flavor packets.
- Home-make foods in place of processed items.
- Shop more of the perimeter of the supermarket; most foods there are lower in sodium.
- Limit/avoid meat tenderizer powders as they are very high in sodium.
- If choosing to have deli/cheese, ask for low sodium version.
- Choose nuts that are unsalted; they can be dry roasted or raw.
- It’s okay to eat flavorful foods, try adding strong flavors such as apple juice, apple cider, malt or balsamic vinegar, chili peppers, citrus zest, herb/spice powders or fresh, hot sauce, hummus, no salt added herb blends, nuts (especially roasted or ground), onion/leeks/shallots/chives, sundried tomatoes, wasabi or wine.
Adjusting your diet takes time—ease into lower-sodium foods to let your palate adapt. Healthier eating leads to a healthier heart.