Wellness Articles
Know Your Numbers
High blood pressure, which significantly increases a person's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, is known as the "Silent Killer." Many people don't know they have high blood pressure until damage has occurred. A healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80.
What you can do:
1. Eat a healthy diet consisting of numerous fruits and vegetables
and few high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
2. Limit processed, pre-packaged, and restaurant foods - they are loaded
with sodium.
3. Do not add salt to food!
4. Daily recommendation for sodium intake: 2,300 mg. Adults age 51 and
older, African Americans of any age, and individuals with high blood
pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease should reduce sodium
intake to 1,500 mg a day. Most Americans eat triple that amount in one
day!
5. Exercise! Exercise lowers blood pressure. Shoot for 30 minutes most
days of the week.
6. Stop smoking! Smoking injures blood vessels and speeds up hardening
of arteries, increasing risk of stroke or heart attack.
7. Visit your health care provider to have blood pressure checked
yearly. Purchase a blood pressure cuff at a pharmacy.
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