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What is high blood pressure?

When the heart contracts, the blood is pumped from your heart through the arteries into your body. The blood puts a force against the blood vessel (or artery) walls. This pressure is known as systolic blood pressure. When the heart is relaxing before it contracts again, the existing pressure in the arteries is known as the diastolic blood pressure. Your blood pressure is a reading of this pressure. When that reading goes above a certain point, it is called high blood pressure or 'hypertension'. When you have high blood pressure, it is partly because your blood vessels become narrower, and more constricted forcing your heart to pump harder to move blood through your body. These changes cause the blood to press on the artery vessels walls with greater force. 

Blood pressure can be managed by embracing a healthy lifestyle and medication (only if prescribed) for most cases. In most cases, drugs are not necessary and lifestyle changes, followed religiously, can be adequate to bring the blood pressure to desired levels. In others, medicines may be required, but the dose of the medicines required will be much less with better blood pressure control, when combined with rigorous lifestyle measures.

So what are some simple ways to control your blood pressure?

Weight reduction

• If you are overweight then you must lose weight. Calculate your Body Mass Index and also measure your waist.

Balanced Diet

• Restrict your calories as soon as the pointer goes there, calculate the calories which you need to consume each day so that you take only as many calories as are required
• Include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, include nuts in your diet and switch from refined grain foods to whole grains and whole pulses and the diet should be low on saturated fats and total fats. You can achieve 8-14 mm of Hg reduction in blood pressure through this diet.
• In general, for a person with mild to moderate physical activity in the cities -try not to consume too much visible fat in your diet through oils, ghee and butter.
• Restrict salty foods. Your total salt intake in a day should not exceed 6 grams (approx 1 teaspoon).
• Do not put extra salt in the salad or add it into your plate at the time of eating.
• Avoid or minimize alcohol.

Regular exercise

• Energize by working out for a minimum of half an hour every day.

Regular health check-ups

• Even if normal, visit the doctor regularly to get your basic parameters like blood pressure, plasma glucose, weight, and cholesterol checked.

Manage stress

• Walking is an excellent stress-buster. So are other forms of exercise like dancing, cycling, yoga and playing sports. Singing, playing musical instruments, meditation, vipassana can also help you to relax.

Avoid tobacco and smoking

Source:http://healthy-india.org/blood-pressure/prevent-blood-pressure-problems.html