Having a stroke is the #5 cause of death in the US. But according the new research published in The Lancet, 90% of strokes are preventable. Researchers used the findings from the first phase of the INTERSTROKE to determine what the top risks for stroke and how likely they are to cause a stroke.
The good news is there are some strategies that can cut your risk for a stroke almost in half – eliminate hypertension.
It’s actually relatively simple, though it does take some commitment. Here are the 7 best ways to do it.
Reduce Your Sugar
Sugar is at the heart of many diseases. Sugar raises your insulin. An increase in insulin raises your blood pressure. It can be hard to ditch it all at once though. So grab a food journal and start tracking your sugar intake. Reduce it until it’s at least below 30 grams of sugar a day.
Exercise
Exercising is one of the most powerful techniques you can do to help reduce your blood pressure – especially if you’re obese. If you’re not used to exercising, start with walking. A study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center revealed that there wasn’t much difference in the reduction of blood pressure even though some groups exercised with more intensity than the other groups.
Relax and… Breathe
If you’ve seen the Seinfeld episode where George’s dad keeps shouting “Serenity now!” then you probably know the importance of relaxing (though the message is completely lost on Frank). Stress can increase your blood pressure. Taking a few seconds to slow down and take a couple of deep breaths can relax you and lower your blood pressure almost instantly.
CoQ10
Your body’s ability to create CoQ10 reduces when you get over the age of 25 and continues dropping. CoQ10 has the ability to reduce your blood pressure and support your overall heart health. However, it takes anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks to notice any difference.
Krill Oil
Omega-3s have been shown to help support a healthy heart and lower blood pressure levels. However, krill oil can thin your blood, so if you’re already on medication to lower your blood pressure, please talk to your doctor first.
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Drink Green Tea
A study found that Chinese people who drank green or oolong tea for at least a year were less likely to develop hypertension. Not many people involved in the study drank black tea, so it’s unknown how well black tea can prevent hypertension. For my money, I’d go with green tea.
Yoga
Yoga is an easy way to double up on the suggestions above. Yoga provides light to moderate exercise and forces you to relax. I am un-bendy and regularly go to yoga. You don’t have to be flexible. You don’t have to be in shape. Everyone can benefit from a yoga session.
If you haven’t done it before, try going to a beginner class at least a few times. The first time may be uncomfortable, but as you get more acquainted with your body, you’ll begin to appreciate it more and more. Also, yoga has dozens of benefits, so it’s worth doing even if you don’t have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is entirely treatable with natural means instead of depending on drugs. Focusing on the strategies above can get you off your drugs and on the track to a healthy lifestyle without them.
References:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/mu-gss071416.php
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/coenzyme-q10
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15277285
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