Dealing with Hypertension

Having a serious condition like hypertension can change your life, but in many cases, you can do something to improve your situation. Hypertension is often caused by lifestyle choices and, just like you may have chosen things that can worsen your condition, you can make other choices that can help you get well again.

One such choice is to try the DASH diet. It is what the new USDA food pyramid was based on and following it can give you results in as little as fourteen days/two weeks. The nice thing about it is that, after awhile, you will find that you feel much better with the new fuel you are giving your body, as opposed to the kind of stuff you were eating before. The difficulty is in sticking it out until you get used to the new kind of lifestyle habits.

Some may also balk at the cost of the diet, since you are supposed to eat fruit and vegetables as well as some whole grains. Although this is more costly than, say, a box of macaroni and cheese made with bleached flour, you will find that the investment you make at present will save you greatly in hospital, doctor, and medication bills. You can see more information about the DASH diet at the website given below.

Exercise can also help your body recover from its previous circumstances and thrive. Those who are not currently exercising should consult a physician before beginning an exercise program, but a lot of doctors may suggest beginning with only ten or fifteen minutes of exercise three times per week. This way, you can ease yourself into a good habit without frustrating and/or hurting yourself so that you cannot do anything at all.

If you have joint difficulties or are morbidly obese, you may wish to take up an exercise that gives you a good workout but does not put undue strain on your body. Water walking is one example of an exercise that is good to start with, and to do it, all you need to do is walk in the shallow end of a pool. The water helps to lessen the weight you have on your body, but also adds resistance, which can slow down your movements so you are less likely to hurt yourself.