High Blood Pressure? Get It Down!

I met a friend for coffee yesterday morning and she filled me in on the results of her recent physical exam. She told me she was shocked that her blood pressure was higher than usual, and that her doctor told her she had every reason to be concerned. While high blood pressure itself is not a disease, it puts you at a greatly elevated risk for every heart problem under the sun. What’s even more sobering, though, is that your blood pressure can be sky high without your even knowing it.

I told my friend that she wasn’t alone. A whopping half of all women over 45 have high blood pressure. And then I passed along a few helpful hints to help her get her numbers down.

Track it at home. A DIY blood pressure monitoring kit gives you a dandy way to keep tabs on your vital stats between doctor’s appointments. But it can give you even more peace of mind after your visit with the doc. How so? Because of a common but little-known condition called “white-coat hypertension.” It’s caused when a doctor or nurse walks into the examining room and your anxiety level leaps skyward — accompanied by your blood pressure. With the kit you can check the numbers for yourself — and rest a whole lot easier.

Celery can lower your blood pressure?! Yep. This highly under-rated vegetable contains an oil that can be one of your strongest allies in sending your numbers downward. It works its magic by allowing the muscles that regulate your blood flow to dilate, thereby taking the pressure off of those life-giving, fluid-carrying “canals.” Incorporate these crunchy (and ultra-low-cal) champs into your diet as much as you can.

Up your K and Mg. Adequate intake of both potassium and magnesium (which you may recall from high school chemistry is K and Mg on the periodic table of elements) is essential for maintaining proper blood pressure. So if you need to get your numbers down, or simply want to stay on an even keel, pack plenty of these health workers into your daily diet:

Magnesium. Good sources include baked potatoes, bananas, broccoli, dairy products, nuts, pumpkin seeds, spinach, and wheat germ.

Potassium. You’ll find it in avocados, baked potatoes, bananas, cantaloupe, dried fruits, milk, mushrooms, tomatoes, and yogurt.