High blood pressure and obesity both increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Carrying excess weight also raises the risk of diabetes and some forms of cancer. In cases where there is a serious risk of disease; medications and or surgery may be required to prevent complications. For some patients, following a diet to lower blood pressure and lose weight is all it takes to reduce the risk. The best diet is one that is well-balanced, can be followed for life and is overseen by a physician or medical professional.
Considerations
Blood pressure measures the force that the blood places against the blood vessel walls as it is pumped through the body. It is recorded as a fraction. The top number is the systolic, which represents the heart beating. The bottom number is the diastolic; it represents the heart at rest.
Obesity is a major risk factor for high blood pressure. Carrying an extra 10 to 20 lbs. increases the risk of death, particularly among adults aged 30 to 64 years, warns the Office of the Surgeon General. The good news is that losing even a small amount of weight, such as 5 to 15 percent of your current weight, can reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Solution
The best program to help lower blood pressure and lose weight is one that will last a lifetime and help a patient reach healthy goals and develop lifelong healthy habits. To reduce the risk of disease, the Weight-Control Information Network suggests working to obtain a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 to 29.9. In addition, men should aim for a waist size of under 40 inches and non-pregnant women should aim for a waist size under 35 inches. Blood pressure should be controlled, so that the systolic number is 130 mm Hg or lower and the diastolic number is 85 mm Hg or lower. The right diet and weight loss program will address all these issues and not just offer a quick fix.
Features
Crash diets and those that severely restrict calories or eliminate a whole food group, such as carbohydrates, are difficult to stay on long-term and are often not well-balanced. A successful weight loss program is not a diet, but it is a well-balanced eating plan that encourages slow weight loss of about 1 to 2 lbs. per week, claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The goal is to learn to control portion sizes by eating a wide variety of foods. There must be a calorie deficit to lose weight and then a plan to eat just enough calories to maintain weight once the goal weight is achieved. Since 1 lb. is equal to 3,500 calories, to lose 1 lb. a week, there must be a daily 500-calorie deficit. To lose 2 lbs. a week, you must consume 1,000 fewer calories a day. However, do not restrict calorie intake too much or health problems can occur.
DASH Diet
Controlling high blood pressure with diet involves monitoring both fat and salt intake. A diet that can help patients do both is the DASH diet or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute reports that the goal is to reduce sodium intake to 2,300 mg or about 1 tsp. or less per day for individuals without known disease and 1,500 mg or less per day for those with high blood pressure.
While the body needs some salt to survive, too much can lead to fluid retention which causes weight gain and high blood pressure. Lowering salt intake means staying away from processed and packaged foods, asking for salt not to be added to foods when eating out, and not adding salt to foods at home. Patients who follow the DASH program can expect to both lower blood pressure and lose weight.
Low-Fat Diet
Like salt, the body needs some fats to function properly. Not all fats, however, are created equal. When it comes to weight loss, fattening foods tend to be higher in calories so they need to be consumed in moderation. When it comes to high blood pressure, some types of fats increase the risk of heart disease while others provide a protective effect.
The goal is to limit all fat intake to no more than 25 to 30 percent of total caloric intake. Most of this should be from unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as canola, peanut and olive oils, avocados, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds, states the Harvard School of Medicine. Saturated fats, such as butter, lard, coconut and coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil and processed foods that have been hydrogenated; should all be eliminated or restricted.
References
- Office of the Surgeon General: Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences (PDF)
- Weight-Control Information Network: Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: What is Healthy Weight Loss?
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure with DASH (PDF)
- Harvard Medical School: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good
