Preventing and lowering high blood pressure
Making changes to your lifestyle can prevent or lower high blood pressure.
This can be through:
- Losing weight if you’re overweight
- Being more active and exercising regularly
- Stopping smoking
Diet and eating
Your diet plays a big part in keeping your blood pressure healthy. Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is a great way to prevent or lower high blood pressure.
- Reducing salt to the equivalent of one teaspoon a day
- Choosing rapeseed and olive oil, instead of butter, ghee and coconut oil
- Choosing unsalted nuts and oily fish
- Eating more fruit and vegetables
- Choosing high fibre carbohydrates like lentils and beans, oats and bran, wholegrain rice, bread and pasta
- Reducing caffeine
- Reducing alcohol
For more information about managing your blood pressure, check out British Heart Foundation’s resources page.
