What is hypertension?
Blood pressure can rise and fall during the day, but when it stays high over time, it is called hypertension. With this condition, blood moves through the arteries at a higher pressure than normal, which makes the heart work too hard. If left uncontrolled, it can lead to heart disease, blindness and stroke. Nine in 10 Canadians will develop hypertension during their lives, and it's responsible for more deaths than any other heart disease risk factor.
The good news is that you can prevent and treat hypertension. The first step is to have your blood pressure checked to see if your numbers are high. Since hypertension has no symptoms, many Canadians don't know they have it. With proper diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, you can cut your risk of stroke and heart attack by 40 and 25 per cent respectively.
Preventing and treating hypertension
High blood pressure can be controlled by:
• Maintaning a healthy weight
• Not smoking
• Being physically active
• Keeping alcohol to a minimum
• Following a healthy, sodium-reduced diet
The Canadian Hypertension Society recommends the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet to prevent and treat hypertension. This diet recommends 2-3 servings of low-fat milk products, 8-10 servings of vegetables and fruit, and no more than 2300 mg sodium per day. The trouble is, many Canadians aren't meeting these goals! About two-thirds of Canadians adults don't consume enough milk products, half fall short of vegetables and fruit, and most consume over 3000 mg sodium per day. There is definitely room for improvement!
Don't fall short on milk products
Milk products are an important part of the DASH Diet since they contain key nutrients that may help lower blood pressure, including calcium, potassium, magnesium and protein. Many studies have examined the relationship between milk products and blood pressure and found that milk products, especially lower-fat ones, may have a protective role against developing hypertension. If you fall short of 2-3 daily servings, you're not doing all you can to protect your health. One serving is equal to 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup of yogurt or 50 g cheese. Are you getting enough?
It's easy to get more milk products in your diet with these recipes (which also contain vegetables and fruit!):
• Broccoli and Cheese Breakfast Melts
• Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
• Squash and Pepper Burritos
• Apricot and Raisin Rice Pudding
• Yogurt Bran Muffins
Making small changes to your diet and lifestyle can make huge improvements on your blood pressure levels. Not sure where to start? Try a cup of skim milk each day to replace a cup of soda or an alcoholic drink. Your heart will thank you!
To learn more about hypertension and about the other health benefits of milk products, visit getenough.ca.
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