High Blood Pressure 140/100 tips on reducing it please

[Katiekitty]

Hello - I've got high blood pressure. They've given me a machine to do twice daily readings and I've got to go back in a week to the doctor's.

Has anyone got any tips for how I can reduce it? I have a low salt diet and take regular exercise like walking, what else should I be doing?

Low salt lots of fruit and veg esp bananas and oranges minimal alcohol lots of water and do a bit of exercise evry day walking is great.Relaxation works too yoga baths reiki

Thank you noddyholder, I'll try and up my fruit intake and reduce the glass of wine after work! Probably doesn't help that I'm moving house at the moment too, but I'll aim to get some relaxation in where I can!

magnesium suppliments are supposed to help too but I think salt and exercise are the biggies.

i find cutting down caffeine makes a huge difference, too.

(i was in the same place as you this time last year )

Thanks all - I'm taking it all on board!

Do you think I can make a difference within a week?

This morning, I'd just had two cups of tea and had walked a short distance to the surgery, so perhaps the reading was influenced by this a little?

No crisps for me this week!

madwomanintheattic - did you experience headaches too? I get them quite regularly.

Hi Katie, I was in the same situation 6 months ago. In my case the reading came the day before I was offered a job after being out of work for 6 months.

I got it down by giving up drinking (except a glass or two on the weekends) going for low salt options and swapping my glass of wine for fizzy water at dinner.

But I think what worked best was getting back into a routine at work. I am lucky enough to have cheap access to a pool and gym nearby so most lunchtimes I go swimming or to yoga class with an equally porky workmate.

I have read that beetroot juice can play a part in reducing blood pressure. You can buy it at sainsburys as well as other stores. A friend of mine drinks a glass a day for this reason and she says its quite drinkable!

Have a look here. Some excellent info from BHF.

i wasn't getting headaches, but i was getting dizzy/ off balance spells... they stopped me driving for a fortnight

i drank various camomile type 'relaxing' teas in exchange for some of the normal stuff... and obviously walked everywhere

mine came down considerably within two weeks, to well within the normal range. i was amazed.

Ah, thank you all so much - I'll make a list with all your tips on and do as many as I can. Am feeling miserable sat here at work worrying about it but you've given me a bit of hope!

Eating celery is supposed to help [not so found memories of pre eclampsia]

you possible can make a small difference in a week - but whats more important are the long term lifestyle changes to make to keep it lower. Also - not ALL high blood pressure is due to lifestyle stuff, there might be medical reasons why you have high blood pressure. (don't think 140/100 is very very high?)

I read something recently about eggs and how they contain a protein which can help lower blood pressure. I will try and find the article.

I've found the article, it's in the July edition of the Sainsburys magazine p.155 if anyone's interested!

Article is about high blood pressure and says that the British Heart Foundation have now changed their advice about only having 4 eggs a week as Canadian researchers have found that proteins unique to eggs could help to improve blood flow and blood pressure.

It all sounds quite tasty do far... eggs, celery, fruit, beetroot juice!