Hypertension & Pre-hypertension
Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mm-Hg — a systolic pressure above 140 with a diastolic pressure above 90.
Prehypertension: A systolic pressure of 120 to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure of between 80 and 89 mm Hg. Prehypertension is a precursor to chronic high blood pressure.
Source: www.medterms.com
Healthy Ping’s remedies and suggestions:
A healthy lifestyle will help control your blood pressure, even if you are on medication for hypertension. See if these can help you.
Healthy diet: Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. If you make Healthyping’s drinks, you would get plenty good nutrients, calcium, magnesium and potassium, which can help prevent and control high blood pressure along with lose weight.
Cut down salt intake: According to Mayo Clinic’s suggestion, daily sodium intake should be less than 2,400 milligrams (mg) for healthy adults; if limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day, it will dramatically decrease blood pressure. Avoid eating processed foods which have too much salt.
Do not eat salty foods at dinner: if eating salty foods at dinner or drink too much water right before going to bed, it would cause the blood pressure to raise and retain water the next morning. Avoid this if you can.
Beneficial fruits /Vegetables: Celery, watermelon’s white part and Chinese Wax gourd are natural diuretics that work with the kidneys to help the body eliminate sodium, water and reduce blood volume. Besides a diuretic, Celery contains active compounds called phthalides, which relax the artery muscles, dilate the vessels and lower blood pressure. Phthalide also gives celery its unique aroma and taste.
Hibiscus tea: can effectively lower high blood pressure and reduce high cholesterol levels in many individuals. Soak 5 hibiscus flowers in 2 cups hot water for 10 minutes, cool down and drink. Usually, after drinking this for 3 days, your blood pressure should start to drop.
Keep a healthy weight: According to Mayo Clinic’s suggestion, if you are overweight, losing even 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms) can lower the blood pressure.
Routine work out: Regular physical activity keeps your weight under control and helps lower your blood pressure. We suggest doing aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day. Using the elliptical machine or swimming is great exercise without too much impact to your joints.
Exercise with slow motion and deep breathing: helps lower blood pressure such as Tai Ji, Yoga, or Pilates with certain breathing patterns. These exercises provide gentle stretching with slow motion and deep inhalation and exhalation with meditation to relax and lower blood pressure.
Limit alcohol: Even if you’re healthy, alcohol can raise your blood pressure. If you choose to drink, you should drink red wine and less than 4 OZ a day. Some studies found the benefits of red wine, one glass a day for women and two glasses a day for men, lowers the risk of heart attack for middle age people by 30 to 50 percent. Source: healthcastle.com/redwine-heart.shtml
Don’t smoke: Tobacco will damage the blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. If you smoke, you need to quit smoking ASAP. Acupuncture & acupressure can help.
Reduce stress as much as possible: Cope with stress by deep breathing and counting to 20 when something upsets you. Getting plenty of sleep is the best way to relax. It is important to go to sleep before 10 pm because your liver and immune system start to recover after 10 pm. Acupuncture and Meridian massage help you relax, sleep better, and reduce blood pressure.
Monitor your blood pressure at home: Check your blood pressure every morning at the same time it will help you understand your general health, show if medication is working and even alert you and your doctor to potential complications. During fall and winter it’s called the stroke season, you should check your blood pressure in the morning and also the evening.
The following treatments for hypertension taken from Dr. Yi Yang’s book, then translated from Chinese to English by Dr. Lu
Acu-pressure on both big toes: massage on the crease of big toes. Massage in a circular motion applying pressure from 36 to 100 times once a day. The more times the better.
Acu- pressure on nose: press from the point between eyebrows down to the nose tip with olive oil until the skin turns red.
Chinese meditation with numbers: 650; 000; 3820. In your mind, say one number at a time: six five zero; zero, zero, zero; three eight two zero. Say these numbers a total of 15 minutes a day.
Eat vinegar peanuts: soak peanuts in rice vinegar for 1 week then eat 1 or 2 peanuts a day.
