This is from Remedy magazine's website. "Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, it’s called high blood pressure.
"The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the first- and third-leading causes of death among Americans. High blood pressure also can result in other conditions, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness." (Read the whole rather lengthy article, of which I paraphrase briefly below, here.)
It took me years to wrestle my blood pressure into normal territory, years I shouldn't have spent. I didn't realize that it takes a whole approach, a whole process, to deal with hypertension. I'm much better off, my numbers are much better, when I exercise regularly and when I eat in a nutritional way. As I exercise more, my blood pressure has lowered and stablilized more.But I can't kid myself that I could conquer it with diet and exercise alone. I couldn't, and I can't. I am currently on three blood pressure medications, and those, along with diet and exercise, are finally doing the trick.
Remedy's guide to controlling your blood pressure, in short:
1. Monitor your weight.
2. Eat right.
3. Be active (exercise).
4. Less sodium (salt).
5. Manage your prescribed drugs.
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