Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a tasty seasoning that is a rich source of various flavanols and proanthocyanidins, including epicatechins, epiafzelechins and epicatechingallates. Natural cinnamon is the inner bark of a small evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon helps in metabolizing the sugar levels in your blood, thereby is good for treatment against diabetes and blood pressure. It is also considered as a blood stimulant as it helps in stimulating the blood flow in your body. In can be consumed by:
- Sprinkle a pinch of raw cinnamon powder over your salads or smoked foods.
- Can be mixed with a teaspoon of honey and takes as syrup.
- Can be used to flavor our daily food intakes.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is believed to work in a number of ways for reducing your blood pressure. First, it is a great component in helping you to lower the bad cholesterol that accumulates in your blood vessels. By the reduction of bad cholesterol in your blood, the blood vessels will have enough space and ability to pressurize the blood flow, thereby reducing the high blood pressure.
Apple cider vinegar also acts as a detoxifier which can help your body fight off diseases and release free radicals that are good for fighting against the sugar levels in your blood. This will also indirectly lead to reduction of blood pressure. When you use apple cider vinegar as a remedy for high blood pressure then you are giving your entire body a boost and not just dealing with lowering the blood pressure.
It can be consumed by adding a small quantity of vinegar to our daily food intake or mixing a teaspoon of vinegar with fruit juices or soups.
Go for a lower sodium food diet
The main source of sodium is the table salt. Reducing the intake of salt on a daily basis will help lower the blood pressure. Also a number of low sodium foods can be consumed. Some foods that are lower in sodium contents are:
- Fresh or frozen lamb, poultry and fish, but it must be cooked deprived of salt.
- Eggs and egg substitutes that are rich in protein
- Milk, yoghurt, ice creams, etc. If suffering from diabetes avoid milk products.
- Unsalted breads, bagels and rolls.
- Baked rice but do not add any salt to it.
- Fresh vegetables and juices, like carrots, beetroots, apple, lime, etc.
- Also some special salts lower in sodium contents can be used for cooking instead of the usual iodinated salts.
Get regular physical activity
Exercising on a regular basis can be considered as a drug free approach in reducing your blood pressure. Do not get stressed by thinking that you need to run a marathon or join a gym to get fit. Instead, you can simply start slow by adding more physical activity to your daily routine. For example you can make use of the stairs instead of an elevator or walk your way to the nearest stall rather than going on a vehicle.
Regular physical activity gives you a stronger heart. A stronger heart can pump more blood into the body with lesser effort. If your heart can work less to pump, then the force on your arteries is also decreased thereby lowering your blood pressure. In case if you plan on doing some heavy workout, plan to joining a gym or start practicing yoga then get some expert help before you start with it.
