High Blood Pressure Diet - Foods To Eat And To Avoid To Reduce Hypertension Without Medication!

By James S. Jacobs  

High blood pressure is an insidious chronic disease, because it usually doesn't show any obvious clinical symptoms, at least in the beginning. When there are symptoms, they usually include headaches, fatigue, palpitations and lack of mental concentration. The most serious damage caused by hypertension usually occurs in the heart, kidneys and brain.

The heart is likely to show left ventricular hypertrophy, arrhythmias and heart failure. The kidneys may also be burdened by hypertension, but the severity of the problem depends on the type of hypertension (benign or malignant). Complications in the brain occur in approximately 25% of hypertensive patients and usually include a cerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage and thrombosis due to ischemia.

How can diet help you in the treatment of hypertension?

Nearly 50% of people who have hypertension are sensitive to salt, which means that the increased sodium intake greatly increases their blood pressure and puts them at risk for various complications. It has been estimated that the average adult consumes about 10 grams of salt instead of the 4 grams that are recommended by international health organizations. According to estimations, 85% of the salt we consume is contained in prepared foods and table salt is only 15% of the salt we eat. Sodium is found in a great variety of foods. The foods that contain significant amounts of sodium are meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. Smaller amounts of sodium are also contained in vegetables and cereals.

In short, here are the foods that you need to avoid, if you suffer from hypertension: artichokes, carrots, celery, cress, spinach, beets, radishes, pineapple, canned fruits, canned vegetables, pickles, salted butter, crackers, chips, salted nuts, ham, salty meats, smoked or canned meats, cheese, ham, baking soda, soy sauce and full-fat dairy products.

On the contrary you can safely eat fresh fish and meats, olive oil, vinegar, fresh fruits, dried beans, low-fat milk, unsalted nuts, honey, pasta and rice.

Additionally, several epidemiological studies show an inverse relationship between the levels of blood pressure and the dietary intake of potassium. The evidence indicates that high intake of potassium can lead to a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. According to a study, people who consumed a low amount of potassium were 2.6 times more likely to die from a stroke. Potassium may reduce blood pressure by removing sodium from the body through urine.

Potassium-rich foods are peaches, apricots, pears, kiwi, pumpkins, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, oranges, avocados, figs, grapes, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, beans, raisins, plums, strawberries, watermelon, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, beans and walnuts.

Now Pay Close Attention Here:
To Reduce Hypertension With Diet, there is an amazing method that can help you reverse the disease the natural way.

>> Click High Blood Pressure Diet to learn more.

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Sweeteners

by Ms H 

Most of us like sweets however, too much of these appetising stuff can lead to problems such as tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Here is the list of the most common sources of sugar found on food labels: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit-juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), honey, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose and syrup.

Sugar provides 4 kcal / g energy when it is consumed. However, sweeteners called sugar alcohols or polyols contain 2 kcal/g energy. Foods that contain sugar alcohols can be labelled sugar-free because they replace full-calorie sugar sweeteners.  They have been used for decades to sweeten chewing gum, candy, fruit spreads, toothpaste, cough syrup, and other products. There are easy and cheap ways to make sugar alcohols from corn, wood, and other plant materials, along with their sugar-like taste. List of polyols: sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, isomalt, lactitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates and maltitol.  The reason that sugar alcohols provide fewer calories than sugar is because they are not completely absorbed in your body. For this reason, high intakes of foods containing some sugar alcohols can lead to abdominal gas and diarrhea. For your heath you should control the amount of foods containing sugar alcohols.

Stevia is a non-caloric sweetener made from the leaves of a shrub that grows in South and Central America, so it is a natural low-caloric sweetener. Stevia is about 300 times sweeter than sugar.

Artificial sweeteners are far sweeter than regular sugar: aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, neotame, advantame and acesulfame-K. One concern about artificial sweeteners is that they affect the body’s ability to evaluate how many calories are being consumed. Some studies show that sugar and artificial sweeteners affect the brain in different ways. The human brain responds to sweetness with signals to eat more, leading to rise your energy intake and can contribute to the risk of obesity.

Sweeteners are really useful alternatives for people with diabetes. They also prevent tooth decay and control blood sugar level.

Sweeteners may be safe, but are they truly healthy?