Health Basics with Diana Bomford of Active Nutrition

High blood pressure (hypertension) has few obvious symptoms and unless you have regular check-ups, it is hard to know that you may have it and this is the reason it is known as the ‘silent killer'.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease as well as chronic kidney failure.

Research has found that a number of lifestyle adjustments such as ceasing smoking, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity (under professional guidance) and improving nutrition can help reduce and manage blood pressure.

Sodium is a major contributor to high blood pressure. Sodium is hidden in many processed foods and you may not be aware you are consuming way in excess of the maximum recommended dietary intake, which is 920mg/day for an adult. When purchasing tinned, bottled or packaged food, it pays to check the label for how much sodium is in the food. To find the best product, you can compare the sodium per 100g, but more importantly you need to know how much sodium there is in a serving, as it is easy to exceed the upper daily limit (2300 mg/day).

Processed meats such as ham, bacon and sausages are high in sodium. Two rashers of bacon can have between 1050mg and 1300mg of sodium, which immediately puts you over the recommended daily intake.

Eating more healthily by cutting back on takeaways, sugary foods and drinks, and packaged highly processed foods, and by increasing your whole foods such as wholegrains, vegetables and fruit immediately increases your nutrient intake and reduces the food types that damage your health and increase blood pressure. If you have every eaten a meal containing monosodium glutamate and found your heart pounding, you will understand how bad this additive is to your health.

Researchers have found, through a number of trials, that a balanced diet that includes the correct range of vitamins, minerals, good fats and fibre has positive influence on reducing high blood pressure, reducing both systolic and diastolic pressures.

If you are under medication for hypertension or kidney malfunction, please seek your doctor's advice before taking supplements or making large changes to your diet.

For further information, please feel free to email me: info@activenutrition.co.nz