High Blood Pressure Foods to Avoid: A Senior’s Guide
Maintaining normal blood pressure as you age can help you live a healthy, active lifestyle. One major factor in keeping your blood pressure within a normal range is your diet and the foods you eat. Here are some high blood pressure foods to avoid as you age, which is just one component of leading a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Why Blood Pressure Matters and How It Affects Your Lifestyle
Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels each time your heart beats. It’s measured in two numbers. The top number is systolic blood pressure, or the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts. The bottom number is diastolic blood pressure, or your blood pressure between each heartbeat. Normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mm Hg.
Your blood pressure can fluctuate during the day, but some habits can help keep it at a healthy level, including:
Limiting alcohol
Not smoking
Getting enough sleep and exercise
Managing stress
Eating a healthy diet for seniors
High blood pressure increases your risk of conditions like heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease. Adding in some daily movement, eating well, and getting enough sleep can help manage your blood pressure. So can keeping stress down, which is one of the many benefits of meditation for seniors.
The Sodium Trap: Common High-Salt Foods to Limit
Eating too much sodium can increase your blood pressure over time. If you want to lower high blood pressure with diet, one thing you can do is limit your intake of The Salty Six, or foods that may have higher levels of sodium than you think. These foods include:
Packaged bread and rolls
Cold cuts and cured meats
Canned soup and broth
Pizza
Sandwiches and burgers
Tacos and burritos
Some of the items on this list may seem surprising because of the sneaky amounts of sodium they can hide. For example, bread can contain up to 200 mg of hidden sodium per slice. This is because packaged products often contain high amounts of sodium to extend their shelf life.
This doesn’t mean you have to eliminate these foods from your diet completely, but you should be mindful of how much sodium you eat each day and how these foods fit into your diet.
Mastering the Nutrition Label to Protect Your Heart
Knowing and understanding food labels and packaging can help you make smart choices when choosing heart-healthy foods. A package that says “reduced sodium” means that the product inside has less sodium than the original recipe, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s low in sodium. For a product to have a “low-sodium” label, it must have 5% or less of the FDA’s recommended Daily Value (DV).
Talk to your doctor to learn what a healthy daily sodium intake looks like for you. However, seniors are generally advised to stick to 2,300 mg or less per day, which is about one tablespoon.
Smart Substitutions for a Flavorful, Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
Watching your sodium doesn’t mean that you have to limit flavor! Plenty of foods are naturally low in sodium and fit perfectly with a heart-healthy lifestyle. Instead of reaching for salty snacks like pretzels or chips, choose low-sodium snacks that come straight from nature and pack plenty of flavor, like fresh fruit or raw nuts.
Cooking at home gives you more control to decide how much sodium goes into your meals. Instead of reaching for the salt shaker, jazz up foods like rice, pasta, meat, or fish with fresh herbs and spices. While some spice mixes may be high in sodium, you can’t go wrong with adding things like cilantro, basil, mint, oregano, or cinnamon to your dishes, all of which have their own health properties.
Packaged sauces and dressings can also sneak in more sodium than you may want. Try dressing your salads and veggies with something simple, like heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil or a spritz of lemon juice for some zest. Feel free to get creative and play around with different flavor profiles.
The Best Foods to Support Healthy Blood Pressure Numbers
Experts agree that a diet that’s filled with fresh produce, lean proteins, and whole grains is an excellent way to support heart health and maintain normal pressure. Here are some key vitamins and minerals you can incorporate into your diet:
Potassium: Helps your kidneys remove excess sodium. Good sources are bananas, avocados, potatoes and sweet potatoes, spinach, and Greek yogurt.
Magnesium: Helps to relax your blood vessels. Find it in leafy greens, whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice, and a variety of legumes.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Slows buildup in your blood vessels. Oily fish, nuts and seeds, and soybeans are all rich in Omega-3s.
Nitrates: Relax blood vessels. Leafy greens, berries, and beets are all good sources.
Staying hydrated is already important as you age. However, some drinks can help lower your cholesterol while also hydrating you. In addition to water, these drinks can be part of a heart-healthy diet that supports good blood pressure levels:
Beet juice
Apple juice
Pomegranate juice
Tomato juice
Hibiscus tea
Milk
When choosing drinks, opt for 100% juice with no or minimal added sugar. Low-fat or fat-free milk is a heart-healthy choice, but whole milk can be a healthy option for those looking to increase weight.
Dine Well and Live Better at Senior Resource Group
SRG’s luxury dining options make following a heart-healthy diet both simple and delicious. Our chef-led, 12-hour dining options keep healthy eating in mind without sacrificing taste or flavor. SRG’s team makes healthy eating simple by handling all the meal planning, prep, and cooking, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy.
Above all, SRG supports a balanced lifestyle that incorporates all areas of wellness, which can support healthy blood pressure and aging. Think daily movement through exercise classes, managing stress through mindfulness or meditation, and restful sleep in cozy, private accommodations.
Reach out to SRG today to learn more about our healthy aging philosophy and get more information about our luxury senior communities that are waiting for you!
