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Our offices
will be
closed
Monday
5/27
Memorial
Day!
Have a happy
& safe holiday!
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Do You Have
High Blood
Pressure?
Make Some Key
Lifestyle Changes | |
FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET
Reduce red meats, salt, sugar, and alcoholic beverages. Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry and nuts. Read more about the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan. Learn more... | |
GET ACTIVE
Routine physical activity can lower HBP and reduce your risk for other health problems. Talk with your doctor before you start a new exercise plan. Ask him or her how much and what kinds of physical activity are safe for you. People gain health benefits from as little as 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. The more active you are, the more you will benefit.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT
Maintaining a healthy weight can help you control HBP and reduce your risk for other health problems.
To lose weight, cut back your calorie intake and do more physical activity. Eat smaller portions and choose lower calorie foods. Don't feel that you have to finish the entrees served at restaurants. Many restaurant portions are oversized and have too many calories for the average person.
QUIT SMOKING
If you smoke or use tobacco, quit. Smoking can damage your blood vessels and raise your risk for HBP. Smoking also can worsen health problems related to HBP. Talk with your doctor about programs and products that can help you quit smoking. Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke.
Learning how to manage stress, relax, and cope with problems can improve your emotional and physical health. Physical activity helps some people cope with stress. Other people listen to music or focus on something calm or peaceful to reduce stress. Acupuncture is a great way to de-stress and relax. Some people learn yoga, tai chi, or how to meditate.
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture has been found to be particularly helpful in lowering blood pressure. By applying acupuncture needles at specific sites along the wrist, inside the forearm or in the leg, researchers at the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, were able to stimulate the release of opioids, which decreases the heart's activity and thus its need for oxygen. This, in turn, lowers blood pressure. Schedule your appointment today.
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National High Blood Pressure Education Month
High blood pressure (HBP) is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems.
"Blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways.
About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has HBP. The condition itself usually has no signs or symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, HBP can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.
Knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you're feeling fine. If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your health care team to keep it that way. If your blood pressure is too high, treatment may help prevent damage to your body's organs.
Blood pressure is measured as systolic (sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-ah-STOL-ik) pressures. "Systolic" refers to blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. "Diastolic" refers to blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.
You most often will see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic number, such as 120/80 mmHg. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury-the units used to measure blood pressure.)
The table below shows normal blood pressure numbers for adults. It also shows which numbers put you at greater risk for health problems.
See your doctor and find out what your blood pressure is.
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Consider These
"Meditation Pills"
That You Can
Take Anytime
The next time you become stressed, remember how important it is to manage stress and how influential our behaviors are on our brain function and our overall health and well-being, down to every cell in our body.
*Pause and take a break. Just breathe with soft focus on your breath for a few minutes.
*Take a moment (sitting if possible, or standing) to stretch your arms upward. As you lengthen your back, breathe deeply through your nose into your belly and back out through your nose. Lower your arms, place them on your lap and take a few deep, long, slow and calm breaths.
*As you breathe normally, imagine your breath as light that nurtures you. When you breathe in, breathe in nurturing qualities -- feelings of joy, love, calm, connection to others. Each time you exhale, exhale tensions, pain, fear, anything that you do not need. Breathe in and out a few times using this technique.
*When the traffic light turns red, it is a great opportunity to connect to yourself; put down your smartphone, turn off/down the radio, and pause to breathe in peace and release your thoughts and anxiety.
*Whenever you wash your hands, wash your mind. As you focus on washing your hands, breathe and feel you are also clearing your mind.
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