High blood pressure is at epidemic proportions in the United States today with more than 65 million people suffering from high blood pressure and another 45 million having a condition known as pre-hypertension. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could very easily be suffering from it without any knowledge of it until it is too late.

There are of course medicines on the market that can help in lowering blood pressure, but several of these have accompanying side effects and, even though some people may need to take medicine in the short term to lower their blood pressure, a better solution is to control the condition naturally if you are able to.

For the majority of us high blood pressure is linked to weight and diet and this is a major problem today when nearly seventy percent of Americans are overweight or obese. In addition, most Americans get too much salt in their diets and not enough of the many other beneficial minerals and vitamins which can act to lower blood pressure. In short, you can eat your way to a normal blood pressure, as long as you know what to do.

If truth be told, it is often possible to normalize your blood pressure fairly fast if you change your diet and begin taking exercise. That said, if you have not been exercising for a long time you ought not to suddenly begin exercising vigorously and it’s always prudent to talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

To start though let’s talk about some things which you should avoid and top of the list comes salt. Salt is one of the main offenders in today’s epidemic of high blood pressure. Too much dietary fat is also a culprit as it encourages arteriosclerosis, weight gain, and other difficulties that result in high blood pressure. Hence, two things which you should avoid (or at least reduce) in your diet are salt and excess fat, principally saturated or trans fats.

So, what sorts of food should you have in your diet to help you in lowering your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the major substances which is missing in today’s American diet and that is very beneficial for your blood pressure. It help to reduce blood pressure just as sodium helps raise your blood pressure and thus getting enough potassium in your diet can help even out blood pressure.

It is very easy to get enough potassium in your diet by merely adding plenty of fresh or frozen vegetable and fruits, as long as they do not have any added salt or sugar. Even though this may seem bland to some people, it’s an excellent way to make sure that you normalize your blood pressure. And of course, at the same time you need to cut down on the salt to the recommended daily intake of about 2400 mg a day. A great way to achieve this is not to add salt to your diet at all as natural and unprocessed foods contain enough salt and, if you wish to add flavor to your food then simply try using herbs and spices.

Calcium and magnesium are two other minerals which can help to lower blood pressure. Both calcium and magnesium are considered to be calming minerals and most Americans don’t get enough of them in their diets. Low-fat dairy products are an excellent source of calcium as are legumes, nuts, and dark and leafy green vegetables. You ought to endeavor to get a balance of roughly two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods like soybeans, sesame seeds and white beans not only have a lot of magnesium and calcium but they are also good sources of potassium.

Finally, make sure that you drink enough water and also get enough fiber in your diet. Fiber is important because it helps to speed toxins and other unhealthy substances out of your body and it also helps you feel full so that you do not overeat.