5 Simple Tips To Prevent High Blood Pressure, According To An Expert

The importance of taking good care of your health should be obvious, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in day-to-day life and forget about the small things that can have a big impact on your long-term health. One of these seemingly inconsequential habits is making sure you’re getting enough sleep at night, because just one hour less per night can lead to high blood pressure, according to Dr. Gregory Papanikos in a recent interview with The Huffington Post. Here are five other simple tips that help prevent high blood pressure like Dr.

1) Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet

Two recent studies found that people who added more fruits and vegetables to their diet saw a reduction in blood pressure. Researchers aren't exactly sure why; they suspect it's due to a combination of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in plants. Another study from 2015 found that even eating just one extra serving of fruit per day can lead to better control of blood pressure for adults with high blood pressure. So eat an apple before your next meal! You're also encouraged to increase consumption of beans, nuts and seeds—all rich in magnesium, which is another way to lower blood pressure naturally. Drinking more water is also recommended; without enough water in your system you can't produce enough anti-hypertensive hormones. How much water should you drink?

2) Reduce your stress levels

Research shows that chronically high levels of stress can raise blood pressure and contribute to heart disease. One way to prevent high blood pressure is to find ways to lower your stress levels. Consider deep breathing exercises or listening to relaxing music when you feel your stress levels rising. Yoga is another simple strategy for reducing stress—and thus preventing high blood pressure and heart disease as well. Meditation and prayer are also effective strategies for lowering stress and have been linked with lower rates of heart disease and improved overall health.

3) Watch less TV

If you really want to prevent high blood pressure, it's time to put down your remote. A 2006 study in Greece found that people who watched as little as one hour of TV a day had higher blood pressure than people who didn't watch TV at all. The study authors aren't sure why watching TV is associated with high blood pressure; they speculate that it could be because watching TV has been linked to obesity and poor diet. In fact, several studies have linked lower body mass index (BMI) with reduced risk of high blood pressure and hypertension.

4) Stop smoking and drinking

Smoking and excessive drinking both increase blood pressure over time. If you’re trying to lower your blood pressure, it’s a good idea to stop smoking and decrease alcohol consumption. Avoiding processed foods can also help—as can keeping an eye on weight gain. When your body mass index (BMI) hits 25 or more—the range at which obesity is generally diagnosed—high blood pressure is more likely to develop. If you have a BMI of 30 or higher, take action immediately: You are at especially high risk for heart disease and stroke. Consult with your doctor about how best to lower blood pressure in such cases.

5) Lower your salt intake

Salt can significantly raise blood pressure. While it’s tough to avoid all salt, especially in processed foods and restaurant meals, try limiting yourself to under 2 grams of sodium per day and you should notice a difference. If your doctor gives you special instructions for lowering your blood pressure (some people have diet-related high blood pressure), then take those into account as well. Also, lose weight if needed: Most experts recommend losing no more than 10% of your body weight as an initial goal when treating high blood pressure; that's around 16 pounds for someone who currently weighs 200 pounds. Some sources also recommend losing more weight (up to 35% of total body weight) over time with exercise and a low-sodium diet for best results.

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