Vegetarian Food to Help Reduce High Blood Pressure - Helping Reduce Your Hypertension

Will vegetarian food help to reduce high blood pressure?

Sometimes known as 'the silent killer' high blood pressure may well be affecting up to 30% of adults living in the western world. Unless you visit your doctor and ask for a blood pressure check, then you won't know you are in any danger.

Even if you do not follow a vegetarian diet, and many people do now include a few vegetarian meals within their diet each week, here are a few ideas to help reduce your high blood pressure. Try to include the following vegetables.

• Sweet potatoes, although they don't count as part of your 'five a day' they do add vitamin C, potassium and fibre to your diet. The skins are also excellent for you and a good source of beta carotene, which may well help in the fight against some cancers.


• Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, lettuce and Chinese cabbage are a few to look at including in your weekly shop. All helping to prevent plaque build-up within the blood vessels.

 

• I must include tomatoes here, I know it's a fruit and not a vegetable, but they are really good for you and you can use it as though it were a vegetable. Tomatoes are a great source of potassium as well as vitamin C and E. My favourite are from the vine, do smell them before you buy them. Tomatoes pre-packed may have travelled far to reach your supermarket.


• Broccoli is high in glutamic acid which in turn will help to prevent strokes and decrease blood pressure levels. On the plus side, broccoli is delicious and eaten with a simple blow of rice or pasta is quick and easy to cook.

I have followed a vegetarian diet for 30 years, it isn't difficult to enjoy a healthy life-style by not including meat. I appreciate that not everyone reading this has the same view, but try to incorporate these healthy vegetables within your normal diet and give your body a chance to help itself.

When our daughter was diagnosed as celiac, my husband and I set out to write a book for vegetarians on a gluten-free diet. I believe that what you eat, is what you are!

Do not delay in having a check-up, if you have to live with high blood pressure, once you know the worst of it, there are steps you and your doctor together can take to help you lead a full and healthy life.

My last few words of advice would be make sure you cut down the amount of processed food you buy because it usually contains lots of 'hidden salt' which the manufacturers include to improve the taste. Try to avoid smoked and pickled food too, and take the salt grinder off your dinner table!