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Causes for High Blood Pressure
Your Stressful Schedule
Chronic stress, like
the kind you experience every day during your 9-to-5, can significantly
increase your blood pressure, says Eric Topol, M.D., Men’s Health advisor and
cardiologist at Scripps Health. Your move: Grab a glass of milk. Stress lowers
your levels of serotonin, which is the body’s go-to stay-calm chemical. But
milk contains whey protein, which Dutch researchers found can help boost
tryptophan, one of the building blocks of serotonin, by 43 percent. (Not a fan
of dairy? Discover 6 Easy Ways to Beat Job Stress.)
Your Excess Baggage
Weight is one of the
biggest contributors to high blood pressure. But then again, it differs from
person to person, says Dr. Topol. “Some people can be extremely heavy and their
blood pressure is normal, while others can gain just a little weight and their
blood pressure goes through the roof,” he says. Your move: Ditch the processed
crap and upgrade your kitchen with whole foods like fruits, nuts, vegetables,
whole grains, as well as proteins like fish and meat. “Your body requires about
ten times more energy to process a gram of protein than a gram of fat. So
you’ll burn more calories just by eating more protein-packed foods,” says Alan
Aragon, M.S., Men’s Health nutrition advisor.
Channeling your inner
carnivore also helps your blood pressure. Australian researchers found that
people with high blood pressure who swapped 8 percent of their daily calories
from bread, potatoes, cereal, or pasta with lean red meat saw a four-point drop
in their systolic blood pressure in just 8 weeks.
Your Genes
Genetics certainly play
a major role in your blood pressure, but that doesn’t mean your fate is sealed
if your old man had the condition. Even if you have the genetic burden, you may
be able to override it by leading an active lifestyle, Dr. Topol says. Case in
point: Researchers studied 6,000 people who had a family history of high blood
pressure, yet hadn’t developed it themselves. At the end of the five-year
study, those who walked briskly for at least 150 minutes per week had a 34
percent lower risk of developing the disease than people who were inactive.
Your Lack of Exercise
Lack of activity
doesn’t just contribute to your growing waistline—it greatly ups your risk for
high blood pressure, too. Your move: Hit the gym on a regular basis and make
sure you’re getting your dose of aerobic exercise, advises Dr. Topol. In fact,
the American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes (or longer) of moderately
intense physical activity, at least five days a week. The reason: Regular
physical activity opens up your blood vessels, which ultimately helps keep the
pressure in your veins and arteries at normal levels. (Need some inspiration to
get you started? Check out the program that will Ignite Your Fat-Burning
Furnace.)
