How Healthy Are Apples?
12 Heart-Healthy Snacks To Help Manage Blood Pressure
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Make one of these snacks when you need a quick and nutritious bite between meals. They're each made with lower amounts of sodium and saturated fat to help support heart health. Plus, flavorful foods like kiwi, banana and yogurt give these dishes at least 470 milligrams of potassium per serving to align with our high blood pressure nutrition parameters. When you're in the mood for something sweet, try recipes like our Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie, or for a savory bite, enjoy our Spinach & Egg Sweet Potato Toast.
Strawberry & Yogurt ParfaitThis parfait combines fresh fruit, strained yogurt and crunchy granola for an easy breakfast. Pack the parfait in a Mason jar for a healthy breakfast on the go.
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Raspberry-Kefir Power SmoothieKeeping ripe peeled bananas in your freezer means you're always just one step away from a healthy smoothie. Kefir, peanut butter and flaxmeal add protein, probiotics and healthy fats.
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Spinach & Egg Sweet Potato ToastSkip the gluten and get some vitamin C with this healthy sweet potato toast recipe. Topped with spinach, egg and a dash of hot sauce, it's a delicious alternative to eggs Benedict.
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Kale ChipsNot a fan of kale? These crispy baked kale chips will convert you! For the best result, don't overcrowd the baking pans.
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Strawberry-Banana Green SmoothieThis green smoothie recipe is sweetened only with fruit and gets an extra dose of healthy omega-3s from flaxseeds.
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Raspberry Yogurt Cereal BowlFor breakfast, snack or a healthy dessert, try using yogurt instead of milk for your cereal. If making this as a to-go snack, keep the cereal separate and top just before eating.
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Berry & Flax SmoothieFor the prettiest color, use a mixture of berries with a lot of blueberries in this healthy smoothie recipe. Flaxseed oil adds heart-healthy omega-3 fats, making this a serious power smoothie.
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Sprouted-Grain Toast with Peanut Butter & BananaJelly is delicious, but nothing beats the natural sweetness of a nutritious banana. It's the perfect addition to creamy peanut butter and a crisp slice of fiber-rich toast.
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Mermaid Smoothie BowlChannel your inner mythical creature with a colorful smoothie bowl that's fun to make and eat. Look for blue spirulina powder, a protein-rich supplement made from blue-green algae, at natural-foods stores or order it online.
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Banana & WalnutsA handful of walnuts and a potassium-rich banana go a long way as a snack. It's the perfect mix of carbohydrates and heart-healthy fats to keep you energized.
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Fig & Honey YogurtIn this Mediterranean-inspired snack, dried figs and honey top plain yogurt. Substitute fresh figs if you can find them.
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Peanut Butter-Strawberry-Kale SmoothieThis PB&J-inspired green smoothie recipe makes for a quick and healthy breakfast you can easily take on the go.
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Read the original article on EATINGWELL
5 Easy Ways To Lower Blood Pressure Fast With Food
Are you battling high blood pressure? There are a few changes you might want to consider making in terms of your diet. Martha Theran, RD, Nutritionist with Pritikin Longevity Center, explains to Eat This, Not That! That tweaking your eating habits can make a big difference in terms of normalizing blood pressure. "Eating a low-calorie density, nutrient-dense, low-processed diet can help bring your blood pressure closer to normal or even within a completely healthy range. You'll start to see the difference usually within just a few days," she says. Here are five key habits you should adopt.
Cook More at Home
Her first recommendation is cooking more at home. "Cooking at home is an important part of lowering your blood pressure, which is why it is recommended in the DASH. This means keeping your diet as unprocessed as possible and consuming less things that come in packages, avoiding take-out/restaurant food and really limiting fast food," she says. "Making your own homemade meals from fresh, low-calorie and nutrient-dense food helps you lower your sodium and sugar intake while increasing your intake of powerful blood pressure-lowering nutrients, like potassium, antioxidants and fiber."
Increase Fiber Consumption
She also recommends amping up your fiber intake. "Consuming plenty of fiber has been shown to help prevent hypertension," she says. "Fiber is found in nearly all unprocessed plant foods, so eating fresh vegetables not only helps in increasing fiber intake, but it also aids in lowering your blood pressure."
Lower Your Sodium Intake
Third, lower your sodium intake. "A low sodium diet is the recommended approach to controlling high blood pressure because high amounts of sodium, found in basically all processed and packaged foods, are known to worsen high blood pressure by impacting fluid retention and how arteries dilate," she says. "Sodium is a type of electrolyte that's balanced by other beneficial electrolytes like potassium and magnesium to keep blood pressure within a healthy range."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
Get More Potassium
Fourth, get more potassium. "A low-potassium, high-sodium diet contributes to high blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Potassium — found in foods like green veggies, bananas, sweet potatoes, organic dairy products, beans and avocados — is the third most abundant mineral in the body and is needed to interact with sodium to perform many important functions, including helping lower blood pressure. Potassium naturally increases sodium excretion," she says.
Stay Hydrated
Finally, make sure to say hydrated. "Drinking enough water each day is important for preventing dehydration and balancing fluids," she says.
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Leah Groth
Leah Groth has decades of experience covering all things health, wellness and fitness related. Read more about LeahThe Five Foods And Drinks To Avoid If You've Got High Blood Pressure
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