If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it's important to know about food that helps lower blood pressure because what you eat plays a huge part in how well you maintain a normal blood pressure reading (120/80 or lower).
It just like putting unleaded fuel in a diesel engine.
If you put the wrong stuff in, your body won't perform very well.
And if you continue to do it over time, it will conk out on you.
Now I know you may not be looking forward to changing your diet.
It's what you've become accustomed too and old habits are hard to break.
But its really not as bad as you think.
Foods that help lower your pressure are in abundance and believe it or not, they can actually taste great too.
Perfect example of this is the first food on my list.
Chocolate! That's right.
No joke.
Chocolate is a food that helps lower pressure.
Now you can't go wild on a heart shaped box of chocolate the size of your head and use your high pressure as an excuse.
But you can eat about a half an ounce or 30 calories worth of dark chocolate and feel great about it.
The Journal of the American Medical Association found that eating a small amount of chocolate is associated with a lowering of pressure without weight gain or other negative affects.
Skim Milk Skim milk contains calcium and vitamin D which helps reduce blood pressure by 3 to 10 percent.
Over time, this could add up to 15 percent reduction in risk for cardiovascular disease.
Bananas and Soybeans These are all sources of potassium.
Potassium and sodium are partners in your system.
When potassium is low, your body will retain sodium and the extra sodium raises your pressure.
Keep in mind that potassium supplements should only be taken if prescribed by your doctor.
To much potassium can be life threatening.
Spinach and Beans Out of all the food that helps get your number down, spinach may be the most hated.
But it's got a ton of magnesium which is great for lowering and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
And they've got potassium in them too! Try cooking your spinach with some minced garlic.
Taste great, and garlic is also a food that helps lower your pressure.
Garlic Garlic Can thin the blood and thus lower your pressure.
If you are taking medication for your blood pressure, be sure to consult your doctor before taking garlic in conjunction with your medication.
Especially if your medication is a blood thinner.
There's lots of good food that helps lower blood pressure out there.
All you have to do is take advantage of it and you can get your pressure back under control.