Across the world, at least one person dies every hour as a result of high blood pressure. In a year, this translates to about 5 million people. It is for this reason that we get to create awareness on what exactly is high blood pressure and how best to combat it nutritionally. What better day to speak about it than the actual day set apart for all stakeholders to demystify the silent killer disease.
Why the silent killer disease you ask? The signs are so subtle that they can be ignored or even pass up for a ‘normal’ disease. However, the disease is as risky as waking up feeling all pumped up for the day, but once we get into the shower for a bath, we are not to step out the same way we walked in. It is in that headache that we get to assume or even go ahead to buy the locally available and highly advertised painkillers without even identifying the root cause.
The risk factors are not as complex as we tend to think. It is in that sedentary lifestyle we choose over an active one by being more of a ‘couch potato’ and not having so much interest in the sweaty and muscle ache experience at the gym. It is in the salted and deep-fried foods which are considered tasty and so easy to find because of the fast food joints cropping up in every corner of town that in the end results to increased fat deposits around the arteries resulting to a strenuous effort for the heart to pump blood and in turn a high blood pressure reading.
To fully minimize the risks and to even manage this specific cardiovascular disease, a DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet is highly recommended. The diet involves consuming whole grain cereals and flours because they are rich in fiber and more so soluble fiber which absorbs water and swells up adding up to the bulk of food and giving a satiety feeling. This is also essential in weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
In addition to consuming a fiber-rich diet, reduced salt intake is recommended to minimize the sodium levels which in excess can result in renal disease and reducing fat intake more so the saturated fats are necessary. Further to the precautionary measures taken in what we consume, an active lifestyle is also paramount. Cardio exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, running, skipping, swimming and Zumba must be done in order to also maintain a healthy weight.
As Winnie’s Pure Health, our greatest desire is to see one in health by providing them with an alternative of products to prevent and even manage the disease. For the high fiber diet our range of flours such as; Chapati Afya with added cinnamon, Ugali Afya enriched with turmeric, Uji Afya and Wimbi Afya can help in managing the disease. Our range of healthy teas ranging from Hibiscus tea, Wheat grass Powder, Neem tea, Nettle tea all through to the mixed herbal tea is key in maintaining normal blood pressure levels.
To minimize this menace, it is therefore important to watch what we eat by ensuring that we make nutritionally sound food choices and getting all active to maintain a healthy weight.
