If you have high blood pressure (BP), this is a sure sign from your body that it is finding life difficult and needs some help from you. If you visit your doctor and he finds that you have raised blood pressure, he may advise medication to reduce it. However, if you dislike taking medication but are willing to make dietary and lifestyle changes to help bring your blood pressure down, your doctor might be prepared to give you a smaller drug dose. He will need to monitor you regularly while you make these changes. If you are taking medication for high blood pressure, it is important to continue taking it while discussing lifestyle changes with your doctor.

Changes You Can Make

Lose Weight

Losing extra kilos can lower your blood pressure sufficiently to reduce the need for drug treatment. Patients’ blood pressure often improves significantly after shedding just 3 – 4 kilos.

Reduce Stress

Exercise is a great stress buster so try to incorporate some exercise into your day, even if it is just a daily walk. Begin to take the stairs instead of the elevator. A weekly massage can be a great stress reliever and building relaxation time into your day with time to talk about your problems will help too. High achievers can work on reducing stress by not judging themselves on results and being satisfied with having done their best.

Consume Less Salt

An adult should not have more than 6 grams of salt a day, which is around a level teaspoon full. Many ready to eat foods contain huge amounts of salt, so cut out salted crisps and nuts, ready made meals, cured or smoked meats, stock cubes, packet soups, and sauces. Fortunately, many of these can be found as low-salt varieties, so read the labels!

Have a Cuppa

A cup of tea really can make you feel better and it is good for your circulation, and eating garlic is also thought to lower blood pressure and improve circulation.

Exercise Tip

Don’t Miss Your Exercise

Exercising feels great, but once you stop a regular routine, it is often very hard to get back on track. If you find that you do not have time for your regular exercise routine on a given day, do not skip exercising altogether. While you don’t have to perform your full routine, dedicate at least a few minutes to exercising so that you don’t lose your pace. This tip holds true even when you are on vacation.

Recipe of the Week

Chicken Teriyaki

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, whole, split in half

180 ml soy sauce

1-1/2 tbsp sugar

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

Method

Arrange chicken, skin side up, in a single layer in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously and pour over chicken. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning once or twice. Preheat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade. Spray rack in broiler pan with vegetable spray. Transfer chicken to rack. Broil about 10 minutes about 15 cm from heat, turning once and basting with marinade.

Ask Alva

I was diagnosed with hormonal imbalance 3 years ago and was treated by an endocrinologist with medication for about a year and a half. Right now, I only take Diane 35. Is Actrim safe to take in my case, i.e. will it cause a hormonal imbalance of any kind or would it affect my skin, hair, etc.? I have very sensitive skin (that was prone to severe acne before the hormone treatments) and scanty hair. Nancy

Actrim can help you to lose weight. It is completely fruit based and natural and there are no side effects to cause any hormonal imbalance. If you don’t have very much weight to lose, cut out fried food, cut down on sweets and drink plenty of water. Take doing my mini-morning workout at home and you will be much fitter and healthier. You can email me at [email protected] for a free copy of the workout. There are also one or two excellent supplements available that will help to improve your skin and stimulate new hair growth. Alva