Feeling heavy in the head?? Do you have redness in the eyes or a ruddy face? Feeling uneasy towards crowd and noise? Hearing noises in the ear, trembling of hands and legs? A desire for cold food and drinks….it’s high time you checked your Blood Pressure.
The average normal blood pressure in adults is 120/80. A persistent reading above 140/90 indicates hypertension. Hypertension is not just related to nervous tension. A calm person may have high blood pressure too. This depends on the attitude and the way of living. Overeating and obesity are the common causes of high blood pressure. Hereditary factors, usual hurry and worry, unreleased stress and physical strain are contributory factors.
CARE AND REMEDIES FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:
1.) High blood pressure should be controlled before it causes hardening of arteries. To keep the pressure under control one must keep the taste buds under control. A diet high in carbohydrates, high fibre, low fat and low salt is advised.
2.) Calcium helps to keep the pressure under control. It helps to stabilise the arterial blood flow. Calcium acts as a natural diuretic ie it clears excess sodium. Calcium is found in yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, soybeans, turnip, mustard leaves and broccoli.
3.) Potassium is essential to strengthen the cellular walls and keep the pressure indirectly under control. Potassium is lost in refining food and cooking vegetables in large quantities of water. Potassium supplements increase the pressure if the sodium intake is low. If diuretics are being taken then along with sodium, potassium too gets washed off and may cause erratic blood pressure. Potassium is found in avocado, banana, brown rice, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cherries, cooked oatmeal, lentils, dates, milk, molasses, peach, oranges, pineapple, spinach, watermelon and wheat germ.
5.) Garlic is the safest way to reduce blood pressure and relieve stress on the heart. Garlic contains allicin which is rich in sulphur and helps to reduce fat in the blood and liver, selenium which prevents clotting and the trace element manganese. It also brings down the level of cholesterol and fibrinogen.
6.) Eat foods that reduce blood pressure like alfa alfa, beans, blueberry, cinnamon, celery, raisins, prunes, legumes, sprouts, tomatoes, radish, olives, onions, bitter gourd and black currants.
7.) Raw fruit and vegetable juices of grapes, oranges, cucumber, carrot and beetroot should be included in the diet.
8.) Rest both physically and mentally is a valuable remedy for blood pressure.
9.) One should abstain from alcohol.
10.) Avoid canned and preserved foods, egg yolk and red meat. Reduce the intake of celery if the pressure us very high as it is very rich in sodium.

SPECIAL TIP- Drink a glass of fresh carrot juice once a day. Eat 1-2 tomatoes on an empty stomach for 15 days( not for people who have arthritis)