HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY

Part 11: Increase Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables

Everyone knows that it's good to increase our consumption of fruit and vegetables but why is it particularly important if you have high blood pressure?

Quite simply, fruit and vegetables incorporate many of the factors which we have already seen are important.

• They are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium helping to redress the sodium- potassium balance in the cells.
• They are full of natural soluble fibre which has been shown to lower blood pressure.
• They help fill you up without adding  a ton of calories and therefore help with weight control – another factor in reducing high blood pressure.
• And in addition, they also contain anti-oxidants in the form of vitamins and other micronutrients which help prevent free radicals causing damage to blood vessels.

You will oftern see written that we need at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day but that figure is actually quite low. It was used so that people did not get put off increasing their consumption by having too high a target!

A higher consumption of 8 to 10 portions a day would be better if you can manage it.

To help, here are 20 ways you can increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables

1. Drink a glass of fesh juice every day
2. Eat a mixed salad with at least one meal
3. Eat fruit, dried fruit or chopped vegetables as a snack mid morning/mid afternoon
4. Puree vegetables in soups
5. Add vegetables to casseroles and stews
6. Slice fruit onto breakfast cereals
7. Enjoy a fruit smoothie for breakfast
8. Fill yourself up with salad and vegetables. Only allow yourself seconds of the vegetable or salad part of the meal
9. Go vegetarian twice a week (or all the time)
10. Fill half your plate with vegetables or salad at lunch and dinner
11. Add salad ingredients to sandwiches
12. Eat fruit salad, cooked fruit or fresh fruit for dessert
13. Add vegetables to pizzza toppings
14. Cook vegetables with a can of chopped tomatoes and puree to make a pasta sauce
15. Keep a supply of frozen vegetables and berries and tinned fruit in natural juice so you always have them available. (For best results choose fresh or frozen vegetables as canned vegetables often have high quantities of salt added,  negatively changing the potassium-sodium balance. Also avoid adding salt in cooking.)
16. Slice fruit into natural low-fat yogurt as a snack or dessert
17. Keep an apple or nuts and raisins in your bag, briefcase or car so you always have a healthy snack on hand.
18. Choose the salad option at fast food restaurants
19. If you eat convenience foods serve with fresh vegetables or salad – you can buy them ready prepared at the supermarket.
20. Try some new recipes to make vegetables more interesting so that you want to eat more of them.

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