Your Guide to Keeping a Healthy Blood Pressure

Most people have tons of tasks on their to-do lists. From paying for that upcoming vacation to making sure the children are enrolled in the best schools, life has a way of filling up. However, you are living the only life you have, so you need to make yourself a priority. Furthermore, your health needs to be at the top of that list. Your health is your wealth as they say. If you don't have your health, it's very difficult to live an abundant, active life. When you stay on top of your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar numbers, you'll be able to have a better gauge on how you're doing internally. If you start with your blood pressure and make sure it's at a healthy level, this will decrease your likelihood of developing other diseases and conditions. Consider the following tips and incorporate them into your daily regimen.

Common Methods of Keeping Blood Pressure Healthy

1. Decrease the intake of caffeine

If you're someone who thoroughly enjoys a good latte, pay attention to how much you drink every day. If you tend to drink coffee multiple times a day, it's time to make some changes. In most cases, people consume a lot of caffeine to stay alert and awake. Instead, take a multivitamin that has a significant amount of Vitamin B12. If you must have some coffee to feel like yourself, do your best to drink a bottle of water first. Water is cleansing and it's the best liquid to get into your system when you first wake up in the morning.

2. Exercise

Exercise is excellent for cardiovascular health and it gets the blood pumping throughout the body. It's also excellent for helping to decrease the blood pressure. In the morning, go for a jog or go for a swim. Enjoy a dance workout class after work. If you enjoy cycling, hop on a bike and do a few miles. Just make sure that the workout is one that will allow you to get your heart rate up on a daily basis.

3. Find ways to decrease stress

In order to decrease stress, find ways to intentionally indulge in acts of self-care. If your to-do list is really long, it's time to take some tasks off of your list. It's time to learn to say no on a consistent basis to others and say yes to yourself.

4. Eat highly-nutritious foods

Fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains are created to nurture the body and make it thrive. Knowing this, it's important to find ways to consume them. Drink a meal replacement green smoothie filled with spinach, bananas, chia seeds and other fruit. Eat a large, green salad and top it with lots of fresh vegetables. If you'd like to add meat, choose grilled options. With every meal, make sure there's lots of color on your plate. Avoid foods with lots of saturated fat and decrease your intake of meat.

5. Get to a healthy BMI

Take a Body Mass Index (BMI) test. This test will let you know if you're underweight, overweight or at a healthy weight. When you find out which range you're in, make sure that you make the necessary adjustments. If you're overweight, it's time to lose weight. As you lose weight, your waistline will decrease. Use your waistline as an indicator of your health. If your waistline is larger than a certain number, this leaves you susceptible to chronic illnesses and diseases.

6. Eliminate unhealthy habits

If you are someone who likes to smoke, make the necessary effort to stop. If you need to transition, there are plenty of transitional products you can use to help you kick the habit. If you tend to drink a glass of wine every night, find delicious non-alcoholic drinks you can enjoy. Both drinking and smoking are bad habits to cultivate. Drink wine on special occasions or once a week.

Important Facts to Consider

While these tips might seem exhausting at first, do your best to always strive for the goal because your health is on the line. Whenever you're tempted to give up, remember the following facts.

• More than 75% of all medical visits are related to stress and stress plays a role in high blood pressure.
• Almost 50% of all Americans battle with high blood pressure.
• It's considered the silent killer because most people don't recognize any symptoms.
• Genetics play a role, but there are ways to decrease the chances of high blood pressure.

Be mindful of the statistics and do your best to know your numbers. Always make it a point to see the physician (at least once a year) so that you'll know the full scope of your health. Preventative care is important. After all, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.