Healthy eating

How to prevent high blood pressure the natural way

Did you know that high blood pressure affects one in three adults every year?

The condition increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure and if left untreated can cause blindness and heart failure.

However, high blood pressure is both preventable and treatable. We asked some of our spa experts for their top tips to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

Stephanie Moore, Clinical Nutrition at Grayshott Spa in Surrey recommends.

• Drink beetroot juice – many studies have been conducted on the ability of drinking beetroot juice to lower blood pressure. It has a measurable effect very quickly although studies have yet to show if it has a long-term benefit.
• Eat a small handful of raw almonds daily. The healthy fats have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
• Use turmeric in cooking. This spice has many incredible healthy properties. It can help to lower blood pressure because it is hugely anti-inflammatory. This helps improve cardio-vascular function, which ultimately lowers blood pressure.
• Eat more oily fish. Small, oily fish like mackerel, sardines and herring provide lots of healthy omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to keep blood vessels flexible and pliable, keeping blood pressure down.

Colin Hall the resident Aromatherapist at Ananda in the Himalayas recommends.

• A massage using clary sage, marjoram, ylang ylang, rosewood, lavender, lemon, melissa, chamomile and vetiver as these are hypotensive scents. For home use you can use these oils in the bath putting six to eight drops in a teaspoon of milk then adding to a bath full of warm water. Soak for around 15 minutes.
Ayurvedic expert Dr Matthew from Ananda in the Himalayas recommends.
• Stress can be a major hindrance in keeping your blood pressure steady. Start your day with 10 – 15 minutes of deep breathing to calm the mind and body.
• Too much salt in the diet can raise blood pressure. Use Himalayan Rock Salt instead of regular salt to keep sodium levels down.
• Fasting once every 10 days will help control pressure levels by keeping your system clean and pure. The preferred way of fasting is to avoid grains, meat and milk products. Consume mainly fruits, cooked vegetables and soups throughout the day.

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