H ealth
spoonful.
Find out how to cut down on salt.
Eating a low-fat diet that includes
lots of fibre – such as wholegrain
rice, bread and pasta – and plenty
of fruit and vegetables also helps
lower blood pressure. Aim to eat
five portions of fruit and vegeta-
bles every day.
Limit your alcohol intake
Regularly drinking alcohol above
recommended limits can raise
your blood pressure over time.
Staying within these recommend-
ed levels is the best way to reduce
your risk of developing high blood
pressure:
1. Men and women are advised
not to regularly drink more than
14 units a week.
2. Spread your drinking over three
days or more if you drink as much
as 14 units a week.
Find out how many units are in
your favourite drink and get tips
on cutting down.
Alcohol is also high in calories,
which will make you gain weight
and can further increase your
blood pressure.
Find out how many calories are in
popular drinks.
Lose weight
Being overweight forces your
heart to work harder to pump
blood around your body, which
can raise your blood pressure.
Find out if you need to lose
weight with the BMI healthy
weight calculator. If you do need
to shed some weight, it’s worth
remembering that just losing a
few pounds will make a big differ-
ence to your blood pressure and
overall health.
Get tips on losing weight safely.
Get active
Being active and taking regular
exercise lowers blood pressure
by keeping your heart and blood
vessels in good condition.
Regular exercise can also help you
lose weight, which will also help
lower your blood pressure.
Adults should do at least 150 min-
utes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of
moderate-intensity aerobic activ-
ity such as cycling or fast walking
every week.
Physical activity can include any-
thing from sport to walking and
gardening. Get more ideas on how
to get active.
Cut down on caffeine
Drinking more than four cups of
coffee a day may increase your
blood pressure.
If you’re a big fan of coffee, tea
or other caffeine-rich drinks, such
as cola and some energy drinks,
consider cutting down.
It’s fine to drink tea and coffee as
part of a balanced diet, but it’s im-
portant that these drinks are not
your main or only source of fluid.
Stop smoking
Smoking doesn’t directly cause
high blood pressure, but it puts
you at much higher risk of a heart
attack and stroke.
Smoking, like high blood pressure,
will cause your arteries to narrow.
If you smoke and have high blood
pressure, your arteries will narrow
much more quickly, and your risk
of heart or lung disease in the
future is dramatically increased.
Get help to stop smoking.
Get a good night’s sleep
Long-term sleep deprivation is
associated with a rise in blood
pressure and an increased risk
of hypertension. It’s a good idea
to try to get at least six hours of
sleep a night if you can.
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Health is
wealth.
check your
health
today