Here's your minute-by-minute plan for tackling the most important number in your life
By Best Life Editor
If you’re like most
men, you sweat over insignificant numbers: the year of that bottle of
Bordeaux, Joey Votto’s on-base percentage, the price of that coveted office throne,
the gigabytes of iCloud storage for your Phish live-show collection.
Yes, all of these fall into the category of “insignificant” when you
consider numbers that really matter, like your blood pressure.
[post_ads_2]
Do you know your numbers? Do you know what they mean and what causes
high blood pressure? Quick primer: Obesity, a sedentary lifestyle,
smoking, and genetics are just a few of the causes of high
blood pressure. As blood vessels become constricted, the heart is forced
to pump the same volume of blood through a narrower space. Over time,
the increased strain on the entire circulatory system raises the risk
for stroke and heart disease. High blood pressure can even stifle blood
flow to the penis, making it more difficult to get (and keep) and erection. Got your attention?
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 32 percent of
men ages 45 to 54 have high blood pressure, and men who have
hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 or higher) are four times more
likely to suffer a heart attack than men with a BP lower than 120/80.
However, if you have high blood pressure, there’s much that you can do
to control it. Medication can result, on average, in a seven-point drop
in blood pressure, but you may be able to do just as well by making diet
and lifestyle changes. Need a plan? Here’s a day in your life to ensure
exceptionally low blood pressure. And once your blood pressure is
firmly under your control, check out these 70 Genius Tricks to Boost Your Confidence.
6 a.m. Eat a bowl of oatmeal topped with sliced bananas and raisins
The soluble fiber in oats is good for cholesterol reduction, which in
turn can help your BP. But the big payoff comes from the bananas and
raisins. Both fruits are loaded with blood-pressure-lowering potassium.
Studies show that if you don’t get your recommended 3,500 mg of
potassium daily, you’re setting yourself up for high blood pressure.
Wash the oatmeal down with tea, which is rich in flavonoids, compounds
that improve the ability of blood vessels to relax. In addition to
giving you low blood pressure, oatmeal is one of the 10 carbs that will make your abs pop like Michelangelo’s David.
[post_ads_2]
6:30 a.m. Swim, walk, or run
In one of the largest long-term studies on blood-pressure reduction,
researchers in Finland followed a group of 17,441 healthy adults for 11
years. The study found that as physical activity increased, the risk of
hypertension markedly decreased. Men who were the most physically active
showed a 41% reduction compared with men who were the least active.
Other studies show that just 20 minutes of moderate exercise twice a
week will ensure low blood pressure.
The Finnish researchers also found that obese men in the study had a
66% higher risk of having hypertension than did men who had a body mass
index of less than 25. “The most powerful intervention you can make to
control or lower your blood pressure is to lose weight or maintain a
normal weight,” says Richard B. Devereux, M.D., director of the Adult
Echocardiography Laboratory at New York Presbyterian Hospital. If you’re
gonna tackle a run, it might help to learn how to run the perfect race.
12:30 p.m. Eat Like a Greek
You’ve probably heard about the general health benefits of the
Mediterranean diet. It’s especially important for maintaining low blood
pressure. A 5-year study of more than 20,000 nonhypertensive Greeks
found that a diet low in saturated fat and red meat but high in olive
oil, vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruit, and fish had a dramatic
impact on blood pressure, according to a report by the American Society
for Clinical Nutrition. An ideal lunch: spinach salad with chunks of
protein-rich tuna, olive oil, and tomatoes. And for more benefits of the
Mediterranean diet, learn the 5 ways that living like an Italian will make you a healthier man.
[post_ads_2]
3:30 p.m. Squeeze a Tennis Ball
A study at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, found that
isometric hand exercises made blood vessels more elastic, which in turn
decreased systolic blood pressure in subjects by 15 points. You should
get the same results by squeezing hard grips or a tennis ball, says
Maureen MacDonald, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of
kinesiology at McMaster and lead researcher on the study. Do four
2-minute sets of contractors three times a week.
Or gaze at your belly. Searching for inner peace has its benefits.
“Look at monastic people, like the Buddhist monks: They live long and
don’t have high blood pressure,” says cardiologist Thomas D. Giles,
M.D., president of the American Society of Hypertension. Two daily
20-minute sessions of Transcendental Meditation, during which you intone
a mantra, can lower systolic blood pressure by an average of 10 points,
according to a study in the late 1990s that tracked about 200
participants over 9 months.
4 p.m. Snack on Yogurt
One cup of plain yogurt delivers 18 percent and 49 percent
respectively of potassium and calcium you need every day to ensure low
blood pressure. Pair the yogurt with some blueberries. In addition to
granting you low blood pressure, the magical fruit is one of 7 foods that will instantly supercharge your libido.
[post_ads_2]
7 p.m. Dine Smarter
Go ahead. Have a steak—a lean one. “Red meat isn’t a problem,” says
Giles. “It’s the white stuff (the fat) in the meat that’s bad for the
blood pressure.” So avoid fatty rib eyes and T-bones, and choose leaner
cuts like filet mignon, tenderloin, London broil, or the newest thing,
the coulotte.
Even better, make it a tuna steak. The omega-3 fats in tuna help
strengthen heart muscle and prevent clotting, and bring about low blood
pressure, by reducing inflammation in the arteries.
Finally, don’t salt your food. Sodium drives blood pressure up; so
logically, limiting your intake should have a positive effect. Here’s
proof: In a 3-month study at the University of Colorado, 35 people with
mild hypertension were split into two groups. One group reduced sodium
intake to less than the recommended 2,400 mg a day, and the other did
not change salt consumption but exercised regularly. The result? Those
who ate less salt saw an average 16-point drop in systolic blood
pressure, while study participants who exercised but did not limit salt
intake realized just a five-point drop.
8 p.m. Have a Drink
One or two alcoholic beverages a day may lower your blood pressure
slightly, according to a 22-year study at Harvard University Brigham and
Women’s Hospital that followed 14,000 participants. “When you consume
it in moderation, alcohol protects blood vessels,” says Giles.
Teetotalers can get similar results by drinking grape juice. Compounds
found in the skins of Concord grapes can lower blood pressure by an
average of six points if you drink 12 ounces of their juice every day.
If you need ideas on what libations to drink, check out the 10 best nightcaps of all time.
[post_ads_2]
9 p.m. Put Your Phone on Silent
According to Italian researchers reporting at the 2013 meeting of the
American Society of Hypertension, a buzzing cell phone can trigger
blood pressure spike as high as 7 points. Turn yours off as you wind
down for the night. Check texts once an hour before you turn in. For
tips on curbing your phone use, learn the 11 ways that smart men put away their smartphones.
9:30 p.m. Relax with MBSR
Chronic stress makes you more likely to develop hypertension than people who are chronically calm, according to research in the Science Journal of Psychology.
But here’s your antidote for anxiety: Mindfullness-based stress
reduction (or MBSR) was able to reduce blood pressure numbers by almost
five points in subjects involved in a 2013 study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. And for more ways that yoga can improve your life (in addition to giving you low blood pressure) learn the yoga moves that you can bring in to the bedroom to really spice things up.
[post_ads_2]
10 p.m.Take a Statin
If you take cholesterol-reducing medication, like Lipitor or Zocor,
before you go to bed, there’s added incentive to keep up the therapy.
Research presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions
shows that taking statin drugs for cholesterol also leads to a
significant reduction in diastolic and systolic blood pressure. The
study, conducted at the University of California at San Diego, monitored
more than 1,000 men and women with LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, in the
acceptable range (meaning they didn’t need statin therapy). When put on
statins, their blood pressure decreased. The findings may help explain
the reduced risk of stroke seen with statins, since LDL cholesterol
bears little relationship to stroke risk, while blood pressure is a
potent risk factor.
[post_ads_2]
What Do Your Blood Pressure Numbers Mean?
Your blood pressure, expressed in millimeters of mercury, consists of
two numbers: Systolic (the top figure) is the pressure reading for when
the heart beats and pushes blood into the arteries. Diastolic (the
bottom figure) represents the lower pressure when the heart rests
between beats. (Think “South Dakota” to remember which comes first.)
Lower than 120/80
Normal blood pressure
Normal blood pressure
120/80–139/89
Prehypertension
Prehypertension
140/90–159/99
Stage 1 hypertension: moderately high
You’ll have to modify your diet and pick up your exercise regimen. If these don’t control your BP, you’ll likely need medications to get back to low blood pressure.
Stage 1 hypertension: moderately high
You’ll have to modify your diet and pick up your exercise regimen. If these don’t control your BP, you’ll likely need medications to get back to low blood pressure.
160/100–179/109
Stage 2 hypertension: very high
Your doctor will prescribe blood pressure meds.
Stage 2 hypertension: very high
Your doctor will prescribe blood pressure meds.
180/110 or above
Danger Zone
Danger Zone
You’ve increased risk of having a heart attack by two times and stroke by four times.
