High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure
Normal Adult Blood Pressure: 140/85
High-Normal or Borderline: 140/85-89
Mild: 140-159/90-104
Moderate to Severe: 160/105 and above

Foods to Eat More Of:

Fruits: Apples, apricots, avocado, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, cranberries, grapes, kiwis, mangoes, melons, oranges, papayas, pineapple, pomegranates, prunes, raisins, strawberries
Vegetables: Alfalfa sprouts and grass, arugula, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, eggplant, kale, lettuce, onions, parsnips, peppers, peas, potatoes, romaine lettuce, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, watercress
Whole-grains, brown rice, oats, beans
Low fat dairy (yogurt & milk)
Flax seed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, barley, kelp
Olive oil, chives, garlic (1-4 fresh cloves daily) & mushrooms (especially maitake and reishi)
Chicken & Fish (especially salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna)

Foods to Avoid or Minimize:

Canned and other processed foods with added salt, fatty foods, coffee, tea, colas, chocolate (if you have to have some - choose dark chocolate instead), pickled foods, soy sauce and excessive alcohol
Eggs, sugar, red meat, margarine
Coconut

Essential Oils:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.

Birch, clary sage, cinnamon, clove, balsam fir, goldenrod, lavender, lemon, marjoram, nutmeg, spearmint, thyme, wintergreen, ylang ylang (add to bath water, massage on hands/feet/heart area, or diffuse)

Natural/Herbal:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.

Daily exercise (walking, yoga, tai chi, meditation).
Avoid excess stress.
Astragalus, betony, black cohosh, buchu, cayenne, celery seed, dandelion, evening primrose, fenugreek seeds, garlic, ginger, hawthorn, linden flowers, noni, nutmeg, parsley, passion flower, rosemary, skullcap, stinging nettle, thyme, turmeric, valerian, yarrow
Green, oolong and/or hibiscus tea.
Pu Erh tea (a chinese oolong) - must be drunk black - no additives.
Make a tea of hawthorn, linden flowers and yarrow and drink daily.
A shot of Montmorency cherry juice daily.
There are mixed reviews on ginseng's use for high blood pressure. Some recommend it, some say avoid it. Use only under a doctor's supervision.
Exposure to lead and other heavy metals has been linked to high blood pressure in cases.
If you are a smoker, try to quit.

Yoga Therapy:

Yoga for Blood Pressure (27 minutes - Yog Sadhana)
Treat High Blood Pressure - Yoga (12 minutes - Homeveda)

Supplements & Homeopathic:

Calcium/ Magnesium: 1,000 mg calcium and 500 mg magnesium daily (do not use magnesium if you have kidney disease).
Vitamin C: 1,000 mg 3 times daily (reduce if it causes diarrhea).
Coenzyme Q10: 50 - 150 mg twice daily (take with food).
Fish Oils: 1,000 mg 3 times daily (take fish oils if you don't eat fish at least twice a week).
Hawthorn: 100-150 mg 3 times daily (should contain at least 1.8% vitexin).
L-Taurine: 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach (if using longer than 1 month, add mixed amino acids).
Kudzu

Mind-Body Connection:

High blood pressure can represent unsolved emotional problems.

Recipes-Food Medicine:
*Note: Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets. Recipes naturally Vegan and Gluten-Free are marked as such (V=Vegan; GF=Gluten-Free).

Smoothies/Beverages:

Meals:

Sides & Salads: