Diet to control hypertension

In the diet for hypertension, it is important to avoid adding salt during the preparation of meals and avoid the consumption of industrialized foods rich in sodium, which is the substance responsible for raising blood pressure. In addition, you should avoid drinking coffee, green tea and high-fat foods such as red meats, sausage, salami, and bacon.

Hypertension is the increased pressure within the blood vessels, which can lead to complications like heart failure, loss of vision, stroke and kidney failure, being important to do the proper treatment with diet and medication to prevent these problems.

What to eat

To control hypertension, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole foods, such as seeds, rice, bread, whole flour and pasta, and grains such as oats, chickpeas, and beans should be eaten.

It is also important to consume low-fat foods, preferring skim milk and dairy products and fish and lean meats. In addition, you should invest in good fats, using olive oil to prepare food and consuming omega-3-rich fruits and seeds daily, such as flaxseed, chia, nuts, nuts, peanuts, and avocados.

What to avoid

In the diet to combat hypertension one should avoid adding salt to prepare food, replacing it with herbs that give flavor to food, such as garlic, onion, parsley, rosemary, oregano, and basil.

It is also important to avoid the consumption of high-salt industrialized foods such as meat tenderizers, meat or vegetable broths, soy sauce, English sauce, powdered soups, instant noodles and processed meats such as sausage, sausage, bacon, and salami. 

In addition to salt, one should avoid consuming caffeine-rich foods such as coffee and green tea, alcoholic beverages, and high-fat foods such as red meats, fried foods, pizzas, frozen lasagne, and yellow cheeses like cheddar and the excess of fat favors the increase of weight and the appearance of atherosclerosis, that worsen the hypertension.

Home Remedies for Hypertension

In addition to diet, some foods have properties that help reduce blood pressure in a natural way, such as garlic, lemon, ginger, and beets.

Some teas that work as soothing and natural relaxants can also be used to control pressure, such as chamomile and mango tea. Here's how to use these foods.

Diet menu for hypertension

The following table provides an example of a 3-day dietary menu for hypertension.

Meal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	Skimmed milk + whole wheat bread with cheese	Skim yogurt + oatmeal whole grains	Skimmed milk with coffee + whole-grain toast with margarine
Morning snack	1 apple + 2 nuts	Strawberry juice + 4 wholemeal biscuits	1 banana with oat flakes
Lunch dinner	Baked chicken + 4 coleslaw of rice + 2 coleslaw of beans + raw salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber	Cooked fish + 2 medium potatoes + onion, pod and corn salad	Diced chicken with tomato sauce + whole noodles + bell pepper, onion, olive, grated carrot and broccoli
Afternoon snack	Skim yogurt with linseed + 4 whole-grain toast with ricotta	Avocado vitamin with skim milk	Green juice of cabbage + 1 whole wheat bread with cheese

In addition to eating, it is important to remember that it is also often necessary to take medication to control the pressure as directed by the doctor and practice regular physical activity to lower the pressure and improve blood circulation.