According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one-third of Americans are afflicted with hypertension, or high blood pressure. One accompanying characteristic of hypertension is the tendency to retain water. To avoid excess water retention, many hypertension patients are instructed by their physician or dietitian to consume a low sodium, high potassium diet.
Step 1
Eat the rainbow. Fruits and vegetables are typically lower in sodium and many are potassium rich. Potassium has the ability to help lower sodium levels and consequently lower blood pressure. Some foods that are highest in potassium include tomatoes, plantains, plums, spinach and sweet potatoes, which also is a colorful variety of produce.
Step 2
Avoid sodium. Foods that are high in sodium cause the kidneys to hold on to the body's water. For people with hypertension, this is a bigger problem than mere bloating. Excess fluids crowd your veins and arteries, causing blood pressure to rise. Sodium is often used as a preservative in highly processed foods, so make such items as deli meats and canned cream soups off limits. Other foods high in sodium include bread crumbs, wheat flour, cheese and pork. Eat these foods in moderation or not at all.
Step 3
Check in with your health care provider. Your physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, dietitian or other provider should have the final say over the type of diet you adopt. If you are following a colorful diet in an attempt to lower your blood pressure, you will still need to have your blood pressure measured regularly to gauge success.
