Diet & Fitness Blog
Ask Pam: Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
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How do I lower blood pressure and cholesterol?
Many of us face this issue daily. High blood pressure and cholesterol are too common and sometimes not taken as serious as they should be. You may have high blood pressure and cholesterol and not even know it!
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack or even kidney failure -- and too much cholesterol in your blood is a risk for coronary heart disease (leading to that heart attack) and for stroke.
We all can’t necessarily stop having high blood pressure or cholesterol (sometimes, it’s genetic), but there are plenty of things to control or improve your blood levels that can lead to a longer and healthy life.
Tips on Lowering Blood Pressure:
-- Reduce the fat in your diet (saturated fats, specifically).
-- Limit sodium intake (recommend 2300 mg per day).
-- Increase physical activity.
-- Quit smoking.
-- Follow up with your physician as recommended.
Tips on Lowering Cholesterol:
-- Reduce foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
-- Include the following foods into your diet: fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich foods, nonfat or low-fat dairy, omega-3 fatty acids (salmon), legumes, nuts and seeds (remember serving sizes), and unsaturated vegetable oils (canola, olive, sunflower, safflower oils) in limited amounts.
-- Limit these foods: whole dairy, butter, egg yolks, saturated oils, fried foods, fatty meats, baked goods (made with saturated fats and egg yolks), high-processed meats (hot dogs, salami).
-- Bake, broil or grill. Avoid frying.
-- Increase physical activity.
-- Follow up with your physician as recommended.
As you can see, many of the recommendations work for both conditions. Putting it bluntly, most of us would benefit by following these recommendations. They are basic, good health tips that lead us to eating more whole, nutrient-dense foods and getting us to move!
Have a diet question for Pam? Email askpam@ediets.com and check back to see if your question is picked! And if you missed a previous column, click here to see the archive.
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Labels: blood pressure, cholesterol, dieting, eating healthy, eating right, high blood pressure
Comment by 
said... - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 6:47:00 PM
Can you eat turkey sausages, burgers, or turkey hot dogs? I heard that you can not eat peanut butter because it will cause your blood pressure to go up, is that ture? Is it also ok to eat egg white from the eag?
Comment by said... - Thursday, September 24, 2009 11:41:00 AM
Hi,
Most turkey sausages, burgers, and turkey hot dogs can be included but in moderation. Generally with any sausage or hot dog they will have higher levels of sodium in them for taste. 2 sausages (2, 2oz links)are usually around 300-400 mg of sodium and so is 1 turkey frankfurter.Turkey burgers, a patty is only 80 mg. Now egg whites. Peanut butter and egg whites are not high in sodium per serving at all. Just keep in mind of the labeling with the peanut butter. Choose the one with no added salt.
With all the above in mind, they can all be included. Just keep moderation in plain site especially if you have a pre-existing condition and you will do fine.
Comment by said... - Thursday, October 08, 2009 9:50:00 PM
HI I NEED HELP ON LOSING WEIGHT.What do i do about that.Can you help me.
Comment by said... - Thursday, October 08, 2009 9:52:00 PM
Hi i need to lose weight.I am over weight.I have RA.And me being over weight don't help.So Please help me.
Comment by said... - Tuesday, December 01, 2009 11:45:00 AM
Hi,
Having RA can make intense physical activity harder to participate in but doesn't mean it can't be done. However RA does not stop a person from following a healthier diet that consist of balance nutrition, portion control, and sufficient calories. We provide great diets on our site that take into account your age, height, weight, gender, and activity level in designing a more personal diet plan.
Comment by Darren Blair said... - Wednesday, December 16, 2009 8:46:00 AM
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