Eating Healthy to Lower Your Blood Pressure {Update#1} (吃健康降低您的血压)

Eating Healthy to Lower Your Blood Pressure {Update#1}

(吃健康降低您的血压)

UPDATE – This Update is based on a recent study conducted by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore – A very first study that associates meals eaten away from home and high blood pressure and a first on Southeast Asian population.  In my earlier postings, I have mentioned where a friend’s high salt diet had linked to his kidney failure.

The study was team lead by Duke-NUS Professor Tazeen Jafar and based on a population of 501 university-going young adults aged 18 to 40 years in Singapore.  Research data was based on blood pressure, body mass index and lifestyle which include meals eaten away from home and physical activity levels.

A summary of results from the survey:

·             27.4% of the total population has pre-hypertension

·             38% ate more than 12 meals away from home per week

·             49% of the male has pre-hypertension as compare to only 9% in female

·             Those with pre-hypertension tends to have lesser physical activities and current smokers

Dr. Jafar's team shows that the significance of even eating one extra meal away from home will raise the odds of pre-hypertension by 6%.

With this study, Clinicians can advise young adults to modify their lifestyle behaviours while food policy changes can be made to regulate salt and fat in eateries. Clinicians can also advise younger male patients that they are at higher risk for pre-hypertension in order to make them more aware of their predisposition to the condition.

"The important thing is taking preventive steps," said Prof Jafar, stressing the value of being physically active and eating healthy food. "Behaviours that people adopt early in life tend to continue as they become adults."

Underlying message of my post to you:

·             Avoid and minimize salty or fried stuff.  When eating away from home, re-used oil will increase your cholesterol

·             Have a balanced diet and take more vegetables

·             Exercise three to four times a week

·             Stop smoking

My Original Blog was Posted in October 2014

High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart and kidney failure, stroke and other health problems. There are usually no signs or symptoms associated with high blood pressure, which is why it is so important to “know your numbers” and have your blood pressure checked regularly (see box below).

Fortunately, high blood pressure can be treated with lifestyle changes and medication. One of the easiest ways to maintain normal blood pressure is to eat a healthy diet. Dietician Cynthia Finley, RD, recommends a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins. “You also should decrease or eliminate foods that are high in sodium, fat and sugar, which are known to increase blood pressure,” she says.  [My personal experience – During my dialysis day, I met a guy with end stage kidney failure where his systolic number is about 200.  He admitted he has high sodium diet most of the times.]

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a flexible and balanced eating plan that studies have shown helps lower blood pressure. It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat, focusing instead on fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds and nuts. The DASH diet contains fewer sweets, sugars and sugary beverages, sodium and red meats than the typical American diet.

“Different diets work for different people and should be customized to ensure compliance,” says Finley. “If you want to lower your blood pressure by changing your diet, you should schedule an appointment with a dietician. He or she will be able to customize a plan that best suits your needs and will meet your individual goals.”

Know Your Numbers

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps. It is measured as systolic (blood pressure when the heart beats) and diastolic (blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats).You most often will see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number before the diastolic number, such as 120/80.

Below is a table that illustrates normal blood pressure numbers and ranges that put you at greater risk for health problems. What are your numbers?

Category	Systolic	Diastolic
	(top number)	(bottom number)
Normal	Less than 120	Less than 80
Pre-hypertension	120-139	80-89
High blood pressure, Stage 1	140-159	90-99
High blood pressure, Stage 2	160 or higher	100 or higher

Controlling Your Blood Pressure

·             Maintain a healthy weight.

·             Be moderately physically active on most days.

·             Follow a healthy eating plan, which includes foods lower in sodium.

·             If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

·             If you are prescribed “medication for high blood pressure”, always take it as directed.

Some of the above information is courtesy of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Other Relevant Posts for your Reading (您能读其他相关的博克):

·      Type 2 Diabetes - Myths & Facts (神话&事实关于第二类型糖尿病)

·      How Will a 15 Minutes of Walking Improve Quality of Life (15分钟走步行怎么将改进生活水平?)

·     Blood Test Report & Creatinine (验血报告&肌氨酸酐)

·     Difference between Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) and Blood Glucose (葡基化的血红蛋白 (HbA1c) 和血糖之间的别)

Disclaimer: I am not a Medical Doctor. All my blog postings are based on my personal experience that I've went thru and what I've read up from the internet. If you've any symptoms of diabetes OR want to better manage your health, I strongly urge you to have regular medical-ups to avoid future complications. In addition, control your diet portions and have regular exercise. 

(我不是一位医生。所有我的博克投稿是我的个人经验，并且我从互联网读了。如果您有糖尿病的任何症状或要更好处理您的健康，我强烈敦促您有规则健康检查以避免未来复杂化。另外，控制您的饮食部分并且有定期运动.)