If You Have High Blood Pressure and Heart Problems Avoid These Foods
Many people are not aware of the importance of having a healthy diet.
Consuming unhealthy foods that have low nutritional value, increase your blood pressure. High blood pressure eventually results in heart problems. Also, high sodium intake contributes to hypertension, especially as we grow older. So, you need to make diet changes to improve your health.
Cut down the following foods:
Table salt
A diet high in salt is bad for your cardiovascular health. It reduces blood flow in the main arteries and affects your blood circulation. Also, salt can increase water retention, which affects your kidney function.
French fries
A medium serving of French fries contains 19 grams of fat and 270 mg of sodium. Too much sodium in your organism can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease.
Soda pops
According to the American Heart Association, sugar is the main ingredient of soda pops. Additionally, diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners, which increase your blood pressure.
Liquor
Drinking excessive amount of alcohol can lead to an increased risk of hypertension. Moderate drinking of liquor and other types of alcohol is no more than 2 drinks per day.
Red meat
Eating red meat hardens your blood vessels and can harm your heart. Most of the red meats are high in saturated fats, which increase blood cholesterol levels.
Processed meat products
Processed meat products like bacon, ham, salami, canned-meat and other similar products are associated with hypertension risk. Fish, chicken, and turkey are much healthier food choice.
Pickles
Pickles are low in calories, but they are high in sodium. For example, one medium pickle can have around 570 mg of sodium.
Sugar
Eating foods with high sugar content increases the risk of obesity, which is one of the main reasons for high blood pressure.
Doughnuts
Doughnuts are delicious, but they are high calorie food and have no nutritional value. One doughnut contains 200 calories and 12 grams of fat.
Margarine
Margarine contains unhealthy trans fats, which raise your bad cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Canned chicken noodle soup
This food is one of the most favorite meals around the world, but one serving contains 800 mg of sodium.
Pizza
Many pizza makers use meat and cheddar cheese which are high in sodium.
Espresso
Several studies have shown that espresso is linked to high blood pressure. Substitute this drink with green tea.
To lower your blood pressure, consume natural products like fruits and veggies. Add herbs to your meals like thyme or rosemary instead of salt.
