Blood pressure refers to the force of blood against your artery walls. High pressure is dangerous because it forces your heart to work too hard. The high force of your blood flow can harm your arteries as well as your heart, kidneys, brain and eyes. The higher your blood pressure rises above normal, the higher the risk to your health. High blood pressure often has no warning signs or symptoms.
Recommendations
A daily sodium intake of 2,300 mg is the highest level considered acceptable by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program. Most adult men in the United States consume about 4,200 mg of sodium per day, and women take in about 3,300 per day. You can help reduce your blood pressure by following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, eating plan and by eating less salt.
Guidelines
The DASH diet encourages you to lower your intake of foods high in fat, cholesterol and sugar, such as processed deli meats, butter, margarine, lard, eggs, marbled meats, poultry skin, candy, cake, muffins, pie and cookies. Instead, you should eat more foods rich in potassium, calcium, fiber and magnesium, such as low-fat dairy products, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grain breads and cereals.
Food Labels
Read food labels carefully and compare products based on the serving size you intend to eat. Processed foods that are high in salt include regular canned vegetables and soups, frozen dinners, chips and other snack foods. Baking soda,soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, or MSG, and seasoned salts are often added to food and are all high in sodium, as reported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Substitutions
When planning meals, use whole grain cereals, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses and low-sodium tomato products. Serve meat as an accompaniment rather than as the center of your meal. Use small amounts of oil and vinegar instead of salad dressing. Use a small amount of natural peanut butter instead of butter or margarine.
