7-day Diet To Lower Blood Pressure

If your blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mmHg, you are considered hypertensive. If you want to get your blood pressure under control, losing weight, being active and reducing your alcohol consumption will help, but it could take a few weeks before you see any improvements. Salt, or sodium, is also often blamed in hypertensive people, but Alice Lichtenstein, expert on nutrition at Tufts University and member of the American Heart Association nutrition committee, explains that only a subset of the population responds to sodium. A carbohydrate-controlled diet may be your best option if you want lower your blood pressure in 7 days.

Carbs and Blood Pressure

Carbohydrates are not what first come to mind when dealing with high blood pressure, but following a diet higher in fat or protein and lower in carbs is more effective at lowering your blood pressure compared to a standard low-fat diet, according to information published in the November 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association" and May 2004 issue of "Annals of Internal Medicine." By reducing your carb intake, your body will produce less insulin and retain less water, which will help you get rid of the surplus of water hanging out in your body and decrease the pressure within your blood vessels and arteries at the same time. The carbohydrate fructose, a type of sugar found in fruits and in added sugar, appears to have a very bad impact over blood pressure, according to a study published in July 2010 in "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology."

Breakfast

To start your 7-day diet to lower your blood pressure on the right track, decrease the amount of carbohydrates you usually get from breakfast cereals, oatmeal, bread, bagels, jams and fruit juices and add more fat and protein, such as eggs, cheese, nuts, nut butter or meat. Instead of having a big bowl of cereal with a glass of orange juice, two slices of bread and jam, have a smaller bowl of cereal, replace the orange juice with a small whole orange and the bread and jam with a handful of nuts, a couple of hard-boiled eggs or a few slices of cheese.

Lunch and Dinner

For your next 7 lunches and dinners, decrease your serving size of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and sugar and replace these foods with either more protein, from poultry, fish or meat, or more fat, from olive oil, avocado or nuts. Instead of having a 12-inch sub with potato chips and a soft drink for lunch, have a 6-inch sub, replace the potato chips with a salad of leafy greens and an olive oil-based vinaigrette and your soft drink with water. Instead of a huge plate of pasta, have a smaller amount of pasta, but add more meat to the sauce, sprinkle cheese or drizzle olive oil on top of your pasta. Treat yourself to two to three squares of dark chocolate containing at least 70 percent cocoa to keep your carb intake low if you feel like having a dessert.

Snacks

For your 7-day carbohydrate-controlled diet to be effective at lowering your blood pressure, you should also substitute your high-carb snack for lower-carb alternatives. Instead of snacking on granola bars, cookies, potato chips, pretzels or juices, have a handful of almonds, a small apple spread with peanut butter, a few grapes with 1 to 2 oz. of cheese, smoked salmon rolled with cream cheese and avocado slices or leftovers from a meal.

Special Considerations

Lowering your carb intake for 7 days could help you improve your blood pressure. However, if you take any medications for your blood pressure or another medical condition, consult your doctor before going on a carbohydrate-controlled diet. Your 7-day diet could quickly lower your blood pressure and require adjustments to your medications.