Did you know that it’s normal for blood pressure to rise and fall throughout the day? There are various factors that impact blood pressure – such as stress, sodium intake, movement, and caffeine.

Blood pressure is the measurement of force pushed against the walls of arteries as the heart pumps. There are typically NO physical symptoms for high blood pressure unless the condition is left untreated for a long time. Over time high blood pressure can lead to kidney failure, heart attacks, and heart failure.

To help preserve the health of your heart and body it’s important to prevent chronic high blood pressure/hypertension. It’s chronic high blood pressure that can take a serious toll on blood vessels and the cardiovascular system.

Lifestyle steps you can take to prevent/manage high blood pressure:

– Stress management and self care
– Watch your sodium intake and limit processed foods
– Increase potassium rich foods (Potassium helps the body to eliminate excess sodium)
–  Movement/exercise (also great for improving sleep and stress management)
– Manage or work towards a healthy weight (excess body fat can lead to increase blood pressure and chronic inflammation)
– Avoid/quit smoking

When working on lifestyle changes, try to pace yourself so that you don’t get overwhelmed and remember that small steps lead to big results!