- Keep your weight down. If you’re over weight, losing some will lower blood pressure naturally. But if your attempts have been unsuccessful, you’re not alone! It may be that your hormones are preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals.
- Engage in regular exercise, at least 20 minutes per day. There are other exercise possibilities than simply going running or wasting money on a gym membership. Have you tried yoga or a spin class? Those are our favorites.
- Avoid the Pill and NSAIDs like ibuprofen. Both will raise blood pressure.
- Take a heavy metals test to check your levels of lead and cadmium – both can cause high blood pressure. To learn more about how you can get this checked in the comfort of your own home, give us a call!
- Cook with traditional fats like coconut oil, avocado oil, and butter. Avoid highly processed oils such as canola and vegetable oil like the plague!
- Eat potassium-rich foods like bananas. Potassium helps to lower blood pressure.
- CoQ10 not only brings your blood pressure down but it also helps to provide your cells with energy (in the form of ATP).
- Get enough calcium in your diet. Low levels of calcium may bring on hypertension. Make sure your levels of Vitamin D3 are also adequate as vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Hint: dairy is not necessarily the best way for a human to get calcium- kale, okra, bok choy, almonds, broccoli and watercress are some great plant-based foods that are high in calcium.
- Make time for relaxation or mind-body techniques. Yoga and meditation are great examples, and easy to get started.
- Invest in a few high-quality probiotics. Take one and then rotate to another every month. This rotation of probiotics keeps a good variety of bacteria in your gut. You can also feed the gut with a variety of vegetables. This week try a vegetable you haven’t had in the last month. Do the same next week. Be adventurous! Continue this pattern and before you know it, you’ll be a vegetable lover and the “bugs” in your gut will treat you well.
