The American Heart Association (AHA) has declared May, the Stroke and High Blood Pressure (HBP) Awareness month.
HBP causes hypertension, one of the leading causes of death in the US. According to recent statistics, 1 in 3 adults has HBP and 21% do not even know it. Why? Because most of the time there are no symptoms; that's why it's called the silent killer.
The next time you go to the doctor, even if the doctor says that your "blood pressure is within the normal range", be sure to ask for the number and write it down. Also ask the doctor to explain what the numbers mean. This easy to read chart will help you understand the different blood pressure categories.
HBP is greatly affected by our lifestyles and by exercising regularly and making better food choices we can reduce our blood pressure levels. 30 minutes daily walking has been shown to have beneficial effects. For nutrition, you should avoid eating too much sodium. The AHA, recommends no more than 1500 milligrams per day of sodium. It is important to realize that most of the sodium we consume comes from canned and packaged foods rather than table salt.
Check out this slide show from webMD that shows the sodium content of some popular foods. You will be surprised to learn that cereals and vegetable juices have high levels of sodium.
Look up your favorite foods on the manufacturer's website and read the nutrition label to determine how much sodium you have been consuming. Resolve to find food products that have lower sodium levels so you can reduce the amount of sodium you eat.
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