Lowering BP without meds

[OverripeBananaBread]

Has anyone ever managed this?

I had high BP in pregnancy and so monitor it from time to time. BP is creeping up and I think it will be inevitable that I need medication at some point, but I'm just wondering if any concerted efforts on my part might make a difference or if I should just start tablets anyway?

I don't smoke and drink v little so can't blame that, my BMI is 25 so I could try and lose some to be more in the green? I already lead quite an active lifestyle and eat good food but there are plenty of areas for improvement, especially around snacks and treats.

What sort of drop can you achieve by dropping small amounts of weight and reducing the crisps/biscuits?

I would definitely drop some weight. You’ll be amazed at how much effect that has. You may be able to keep off medication

I was ill, lost 10kg, bp went from 130/95 to 118/80

Don’t add any salt to your food (during or after cooking) and drink non-alcoholic and decaf drinks. Also having a good sleep routine helps.

Look at DASH diet outcomes, pretty good for BP. 30 mins activity most days, limit alcohol, limit salt and processed food

Thanks all, will do some reading.

I think I'm probably a victim of a lot of hidden salt through laziness - jarred sauces etc. Am going to try a bit harder to eat cleaner.

Lose a bit of weight and yes get clued up on your current salt intake and reduce this. That should be enough to make a difference.

Re the weight, it's not necessarily connected. I have high BP. It was scarily high pre meds. I niw take 2 types of medication and it's "normal". I am active daily (as in , I move a lot, minimum 13k steps rather than focused wirkouts) I've lost over 2.5st. Absolutely no impact on my BP.

Seek medical advice.

I weigh 8 stone and my blood pressure is high. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke or really have much salt in my diet. I also keep active.

I have no idea what’s causing mine. Under cardiology at the moment and due a bp review with my GP but don’t really want to take medication where possible.

Have you tried beetroot juice? It contains nitrates, which dilate the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. Try a small glass a day for a week and see if there's any inprovement. You can buy it from the long-life juice aisle in the supermarket and, although I don't love it, I find I can sip a glass quite happily whilst watching TV.

When you start looking at how much salt there is in some ready meals and tinned soups, even worse restaurant meals and takeaways, it’s quite shocking. 6g a day max is what’s recommended. Look into ways to reduce stress in your life and get plenty of sleep too. If you already have a BMI of 25 I doubt if losing weight will have much effect as you are already a healthy weight, although if you are apple shape then it can be advisable for general health if your waist measurement is too high (there’s a formula, it may have half of your height max but I’m not sure if I have that right).

Agree on beetroot, I did it for my adult disabled DS and his BP has stabilized. We don't even buy juice, just eat beetroot 2-3 times p/week now, initially daily.

My fave is shredded cooked beetroot lightly mixed with sauted onions and spices.