Weight Fitness

Blood Pressure – Tips for Lowering and Controlling Hypertension

November 6th, 2009 at 06:20pm Under Health

High blood pressure is a serious health concern. Most people know that having a high blood pressure is bad, but few know really what blood pressure actually is.

It is the measurement of the pressure of your blood pushing on the artery walls. The 2 numeric values that make up your blood pressure represent the pressure when your heart beats and when it as rest. For example, your blood pressure may be measured at 120/80.

It is normal for your blood pressure to fluctuate. It will decrease while you sleep and increase when you are active. A high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90 or higher in most people. There is an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and other problems when you have a high blood pressure because the heart has to work harder to function.

There is no one sole cause of high blood pressure. IN some people it is due to another medical condition, medication they are taking, obesity or one of many other conditions.

So how do you reduce your blood pressure to lower your risk of heart and organ problems? Here are some tips.

1. Reduce salt intake
Processed foods are usually high in salt, so avoid them and choose fresh foods. Don’t eat processed, fatty and salty meat. Choose products marked as low sodium and check foods labels to check salt or sodium levels.

2. Lose weight
Many people with high blood pressure are carrying excess weight. Choose low fat foods and reduce your caloric intake. Aim to eat more protein and complex carbohydrates as found in whole grain foods.

3. Reduce caffeine intake
There is no proof that caffeine contributes to high blood pressure, but it does make your heartbeat speed up. Opt for decaffeinated coffee and minimize your intake of any drink containing caffeine.

These tips are just some ideas that you can attempt to lower your blood pressure. They are not certain to work for you, but they will improve your overall health so there is great benefit to trying them. High blood pressure is a serious medical condition, so always seek professional advice before attempting anything new, taking supplements or medications and before drastically changing your diet.

By Paul

Weight and Fitness for Better Health

October 19th, 2009 at 07:58am Under Weight Loss

Beneficial health is due in part to proper weight and fitness. A proper diet and fitness plan really does work wonders. This combination is responsible for many life changing transformations.

Just about everyone knows that a exercising rids us of unwanted calories and is great for returning to a more acceptable weight. However, there are more significant benefits that go virtually unknown.

A fitness program that incorporates aerobic exercises on a daily basis lowers the level of blood sugar in the body by burning glucose at a faster rate in order to fuel the body’s demand during higher rates of activity. That helps you to loose weight.

Obesity is known to be associated with lower insulin and high blood sugar levels. A weight and fitness plan helps get these under control.

The harder you push yourself, the faster you will burn blood sugar. But keep in mind that you want to ramp up your intensity level on a slow and even  basis.

Here is a good example.

If you are used to walking at about 2.5 mph on a treadmill, start at that speed and walk for a steady thirty minutes on day one, on day two, increase to 2.6 mph, day three, 2.7 day four, 2.8 and so on.  Soon you will find that you are running at a steady pace and you will not be gasping for air!

There’s more to loosing weight than simply exercising though. You will also need a healthy diet that’s low in calories

Try to cut out as much fats and sugars as possible and remember to drink at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day.

This may sound difficult, but if you approach it in a method similar to our running example above, you’ll find it’s not that hard at all.

You’ll improve your chances for success a hundred fold with a daily weight and fitness plan that grows over time. It’s easier on your body and you won’t feel it to be difficult or depriving.

By Paul