Date 2019-02-08
Category ARTICLES, Food & Health
High blood pressure is a frightening disease because it has few symptoms yet puts people at great risk of heart disease or stroke. Huge numbers of people have been diagnosed (up to 75 million in the United States alone) but many more have hypertension and don’t know it.
High blood pressure is quite manageable with diet and lifestyle changes, so don’t despair if you have been given (or even just suspect) this diagnosis.
1. Avoid Sugar and Salt
Sorry, but these two tasty food enhancers are major factors in hypertension. You will need to limit your intake of sugar and salt, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat only bland food for the rest of your life.
In general, a healthy person should not consume more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. When it comes to sugar, the main concern is avoiding “added” sugar. Our bodies need sugar to function properly, but most of it should come from sources like whole fruit rather than candy or even juice.
The American Heart Association recommends a daily intake of added sugar no higher than 37.5 grams (9 teaspoons) for men and 25 grams (6 teaspoons) for women.
That’s why canned and jarred tomato products need so much sodium to make your sauce, ketchup, and paste palatable. Making tomato-based foods and condiments at home with quality tomatoes is actually quite easy and you can enjoy the flavour you crave with a fraction of the salt.
(BhadooSKY)