Medical Information Disclaimer: The information on this forum is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this forum is for general information purposes only. Legacy Heart Care and Trinity Heart Care make no representation and assume no responsibility for the accuracy of information contained on or available through these forums, and such information is subject to change without notice. You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained from or through this forum with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website. Legacy Heart Care and Trinity Heart Care are not responsible nor liable for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or products that you obtain through these forums.
Oh this is good advice! I need to follow it myself. Thank you for your time, doc!
Dear Dr. Phoebe,
This helps so much! I love salty foods, chips, I add salt in my foods (even on my burgers). My answers to your questions were yes, yes, yes, YES! I will start to work on this, as even my doctors have told me to cut down on the salt, but I did not think it was a big deal. I have also gained 20 pounds since last year (mainly because of work stress!). Thank you very much for this useful information and for your kind response.. It is so appreciated.
Frank
Hello Frank,
You ask a good question, and the answer is yes, there are several things you can do to help improve your high blood pressure. A good place to start is with your diet. Many people are surprised at how much of an improvement they notice in their blood pressure when they cut out salty foods. And it is true--the amount of sodium you take in directly affects your blood pressure; therefore, cutting the salt is one of the most effective ways to naturally lower your blood pressure.
Ask yourself: do you tend to eat canned soups? Chips or packaged snacks? Fried foods? Do you add salt or salty seasonings when cooking and eating meals? If you do, these are good places to start. You don’t have to do it all at once, but work on limiting or cutting out one of those things at a time. Some seasoning lovers swear by Mrs. Dash seasonings (as they are flavorful but still salt-free), so you may want to consider giving that a try.
Other general things that improve blood pressure are exercising, losing excess weight, and stress management (if you tend to experience a lot of stress).
Let me know if this helps, and if you have any more questions.
Best,
Phoebe