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Follow the guidelines below to help lower or prevent high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
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Maintain a healthy body weight |
| If you are overweight, losing as few as 10 pounds may lead to a meaningful drop in high blood pressure. Medicine for high blood pressure may also work better after weight loss. |
| If you have high blood pressure, it is very important to discuss these lifestyle and diet changes with your doctor. These changes can affect your blood pressure so your DOCTOR may need to adjust your blood pressure medicine. |
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Enjoy active living |
| Regular exercise can lower blood pressure in some people. It can also help with weight control, lowering cholesterol, and stress management. Choose an activity you enjoy such as walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming. Start slowly, and gradually work your way up to four or more 30-60 minute sessions of moderate exercise each week. |
| Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. |
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Limit alcohol |
| High amounts of alcohol can increase your blood pressure. You may choose to avoid alcohol altogether. Discuss this with your doctor. |
If you have high blood pressure and you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
| Limit alcohol intake to: |
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| 1 drink is equal to: |
| 1.5 oz | liquor (40% alcohol) | (50 mL) |
| 5 oz | wine | (150 mL) |
| 12 oz | beer | (375 mL) |
| 3 oz | sherry or port | (85 mL) |
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Do not smoke |
| Smoking cigarettes does not cause high blood pressure. However, smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, and may make your blood pressure lowering medicine less effective. If you smoke, try to quit on your own or with the support of a group, or ask your doctor for help. |
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Reduce your stress |
| How you handle stress can affect your blood pressure. Ask your doctor for help if you have problems managing the stress in your life. |
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Lower your salt intake |
| Eating less salt and other sources of dietary sodium can help some people lower their blood pressure. You can lower your sodium intake by eating less canned, processed, and fast foods - these account for most of the sodium we eat. Not adding salt to foods while cooking or at the table helps too. |
Probably. Researchers have thought for some time that foods high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help lower blood pressure.
A large study called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) found that eating a certain way could lower blood pressure as much as taking blood pressure-lowering medicine. A later study that combined the DASH diet with a lowered sodium intake resulted in even greater blood pressure reductions. The diet in the DASH study:
Researchers could not say which nutrients or foods led to the greatest lowering of blood pressure. However, the overall diet did lead to lower blood pressure. Also, the DASH way of eating is a balanced, healthy way of eating for everyone whether you have high blood pressure or not.
| Food Group | Daily Servings1 | Serving Sizes | Examples | Significance |
| Grain products2 | 6-8 | 1 slice bread 1 oz dry cereal3 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta |
Whole wheat bread, rolls, whole wheat pasta, English muffin, pita bread, bagel, cereals, oatmeal, brown rice, unsalted pretzels and popcorn | Major sources of energy and fibre |
| Vegetables | 4-5 | 1 cup raw leafy vegetable 1/2 cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetable 1/2 cup vegetable juice |
Broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, green peas, kale, lima beans, potatoes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes (prepared without salt) | Rich sources of potassium, magnesium, and fibre |
| Fruits | 4-5 | 1 medium piece of fruit 1/4 cup dried fruit 1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit 1/2 cupfruit juice |
Apples, apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapple, raisins, strawberries, tangerines | Important sources of
potassium, magnesium, and fibre* *juice is not a good fibre source |
| Low-fat or non-fat dairy foods | 2-3 | 1 cup milk 1 cup yogurt 1 1/2 oz cheese |
Skim or 1% milk or buttermilk, fat-free, low-fat or reduced fat cheese (use low salt cheeses if available), fat-free or low-fat regular or frozen yogurt | Major sources of calcium and protein |
| Lean meats, poultry and fish | 6 or less | 1 oz cooked meats, poultry or fish 1 egg4 |
Select only lean cuts; trim away visible fats; broil, roast or boil instead of frying; remove skin from poultry; cook without salt | Rich sources of protein and magnesium |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes | PER WEEK 4-5 |
1 1/2 oz or 1/3 cup nuts 1/2 oz or 2 Tbsp seeds 1/2 cup cooked legumes (dry beans and peas) 2 Tbsp peanut butter |
Unsalted almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanut butter; kidney beans, lentils (prepared without salt) | Rich sources of energy, magnesium, potassium, protein, and fibre |
| Fats and oils | 2-3 | 1 tsp soft margarine 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp mayonnaise 2 Tbsp salad dressing5 |
Soft margarine, vegetable oil (such as canola or olive oil), low-fat mayonnaise, light salad dressing | |
| Sweets and added sugars | 5 or less per week | 1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp jelly or jam 1/2 cup sorbet 1 cup lemonade |
Fruit-flavoured gelatin, fruit punch, hard candy, jelly, maple syrup, sorbet and ices, sugar | Sweets should be low in fat |
| 1 This DASH eating plan is based on 2000 calories a day. The number
of servings that you need from each food group may be different, depending on
your daily energy needs. 2 Whole grains are recommended for most grain servings as a good source of fibre and nutrients. 3 Serving sizes vary between 1/2 cup and 1 1/4 cups depending on cereal type. Check the cereal Nutrition Facts label. 4 Since eggs are high in cholesterol, limit egg yolks to no more than 4 per week. 5 Fat content changes serving amount for fats and oils. For example, 1 Tbsp of regular salad dressing equals one serving; 1 Tbsp of a low-fat dressing equals one-half serving; 1 Tbsp of a fat-free dressing equals zero servings. |
The DASH Way of Eating is adapted from Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
For more nutrition information, call Dial-A-Dietitian at 604-732-9191 or 1-800-667-3438 to speak with a registered dietitian.
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