HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY

Part  2 : Weight Control

Many studies have shown that weight gain is related to a significant rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. One of the reasons why this is so, is that fat requires an adequate supply of blood and each and every pound of extra fat within the body increases the total length of the small blood vessels by around one mile. 

Fortunately, the loss of extra weight can result in a significant reduction in both high blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension and the likelihood of it developing in overweight people who have normal blood pressure.

If you are overweight or obese, losing weight not only helps you normalise your blood pressure but also reduces your risk of stroke, heart attack or diabetes as well as other serious illnesses so it well worth making the effort.

Research has shown that every kilogram (2.2lbs) of weight you lose, your blood pressure levels falls by 1 millometre of mercury so if you lost 10 kilos (22lbs) your blood pressure would fall by 10 too.

This is especially significant if your blood pressure is only slightly elevated as a reduction by 10 may put you back in the normal range and prevent you having to take blood pressure lowering medication for the rest of your life.

Should you lose weight as quickly as possible then to get your high blood pressure back to normal?

The answer is no. It is best to lose weight slowly. If you cut calories too drastically your body switches to starvation mode and starts conserving fat by reducing your metabolism (the rate by which you use the energy in the food you eat). And if you start to eat normally again the weight will pile back on even faster than ever – you end up more overweight than you started – and threatening your blood pressure even more.

Aim to lose no more than a pound or two a week by eating healthily, controlling portions and taking gentle exercise.  If you eat a little less than you need each day (say 250 calories) and do some additional exercise (of about 250 calories) you should lose about a pound of fat a week. (It takes 3,500 calories to make a pound of fat)

We will be looking at food and exercise over the course of these lessons but meanwhile to help yourself lose weight so that you can start having the desired effect on your blood pressure, try to eat following these simple guidelines:-

• Eat only when you are hungry
• Stop eating when you are satisfied rather than stuffed
• Choose healthy foods (lean proteins, whole grains, fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds) over junk foods
• Drink water in place of sugary or milky drinks or alcohol

If you have problems with motivation, keep reminding yourself of why you want to lose weight and that you want to keep the blood pressure medication to a minimum. There are probably other reasons you can think of other than your health which will help you along.

Also for more free information and tips on motivating yourself to lose weight see this weight loss motivation site.

And if you want more support why not join a local slimming club or look for an online group to help you.

The link to the next part of this course will arrive in your email inbox in 3 days. If you have arrived at this page without an email subscription and would like to receive all 30 parts of this course you can subscribe for FREE using the form on the top left of the page. Alternatively if you would like to download the whole course as an ebook so that you can read it and print it out immediately you can do so for just $9.95 - you'll also receive a special bonus (worth $14.95). See Lower Blood Pressure Ebook offer for details.