The Pressure’s On

Do you know what the number one sign of high blood pressure is? Nothing!

Surprised? High blood pressure is often called "The Silent Killer" because you can be asymptomatic, or without any symptoms, for years before it’s even diagnosed. Of course, the best way to determine your blood pressure is to have it checked regularly.

Everyone has periods of high blood pressure. It naturally rises and falls throughout the day. But when blood pressure is consistently elevated, it is called high blood pressure or hypertension.

The blood in your blood vessels is like water in a hose. A slow trickle through the hose would be low pressure. But turn the water up and the pressure is high. High blood pressure makes the heart pump too hard and can lead to atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, stroke, heart attack, kidney disease and blindness.

Healthy Steps to a Healthy Heart

If you find that you do have high blood pressure, there are several lifestyle factors that you can make to lower it (from NHLBI and NIH):

1. Maintain a healthy weight. Speak with your doctor or dietitian/nutritionist to determine if you are at a healthy weight. Those who are using drugs to control their blood pressure can often reduce or discontinue the drugs if they lose weight (see your doctor before discontinuing any medications). Losing even 10 pounds can lower blood pressure and significantly reduce your risk for a heart attack.
2. Get moving! The higher blood pressure and the less active a person is to begin with, the greater the likelihood that physical activity will be effective in reducing blood pressure. Walking 4-5x/week 30-45 minutes can help to lower BP. Most people don't need to see a doctor before starting an exercise regimen but if you've had heart troubles or a heart attack, are over 50 years old or haven't been active in while, seeing a doctor for clearance is a good idea.
3. Follow a healthy eating plan. An eating plan has already been designed for lowering blood pressure. It is called "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" (DASH). The DASH eating plan includes whole grains, lean poultry, fish, and nuts. It also includes 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy and is low in saturated and total fat and cholesterol.  This eating plan is high in potassium, calcium and magnesium as well as protein and fiber. Check the link to see specifics about this eating plan. If you are trying to lose weight, choose an eating plan that is lower in calories.
4. Cut back on sodium. Greater than 80% of sodium in our diet comes from processed foods and eating at restaurants. Processing increases the shelf life of products. Sodium is one key ingredient that preserves foods. Processed foods include most foods that have been packaged by manufacturers to be shelf stable. Examples include canned soups, chips, cookies, cured meats, frozen meals, etc. Some people are more salt-sensitive than others and will see greater results by reducing their salt and sodium intake.
5. Drink alcohol in moderation. More than one drink a day for women and two a day for men can increase blood pressure and contribute excess calories. One drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1 1/2 ounces of 80 to 100 proof liquor.
6. Take your prescription drugs as prescribed.

How to Read Your Blood Pressure

Every increase of 20 systolic or 10 diastolic, starting at 115/75, will DOUBLE your risk of having a cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke!

Check it Out!
Food Certification Program

Heart-Healthy Grocery Shopping Made Simple.

With so many product options and messages on packages — it's hard to make healthy food choices with confidence. That's why the American Heart Association (AHA) created the heart-check mark. When you see this distinctive symbol on a product, you'll instantly know the food has been screened and verified to meet the American Heart Association's certification criteria to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2.

Remember, you can always get more information from United Supermarkets’ dietitian, Dr. Tyra, with any health concerns relating to your diet and nutrition.

United Tag Labels

Just like the AHA, we have our own heart healthy labels to guide you in our store. If you are pursuing a heart-healthy lifestyle, the first thing to do is arm yourself with knowledge, then put that knowledge to work each time you dine by paying greater attention to the foods you eat.

Our newest dietary guidelines from national organizations endorse consumption of at least three servings of whole grain products per day. Making dietary changes that focus on whole grains assists in heart health and diabetes risk reduction and management. The combination of heart-healthy and fiber intake recommendations encourages persons with diabetes to choose carbohydrates wisely based on individual requirements and medical advice provided by physicians/diabetes educators.

Just look for our Heart Healthy & Diabetes Management (HHDM) label on the shelves in select stores.

Click here for a list of HH/DM products available in our stores.

Sources:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

http://www.americanheart.org