Putting yourself on a high blood pressure diet if you find out you have hypertension is a smart move as far as trying to control this issue is concerned.
The foods you put into your body are going to have a significant effect on how your body reacts and the amount of hypertension you experience so making smart choices with your high blood pressure diet is the first step to getting better.
The most significant note about a high blood pressure diet is that it should be low in sodium. Salt is probably one of the biggest contributors to hypertension so reducing your intake will go a long way to making you better. Most of the salt seen in individual's diets does not necessarily come from the shaker however, but rather comes from processed foods. It can hide in places you least expect it - prepared chocolate pudding is a good example - so be sure to read all nutritional labels before you buy a product.
The foods you should aim to eat more of include skim or 1% milk, lean meat, skinless turkey or chicken, whole wheat cereals (but watch out for Bran Flakes as they are often low in sodium), fruits, vegetables, rice, pasta, potatoes and whole grain breads.
The foods to avoid eating would include butter or margarine, regular salad dressing, fatty meats, high fat dairy products (and even low fat cottage cheese), fried foods, salted snacks, canned soups, fast food products, pickles and prepared deli meats.
Make sure you do not overlook your beverage selection either. While most drinks will be alright in terms of sodium, there are a few such as V8 juice or any tomato based product that will likely be quite high.
Lastly, if you are consuming a lot of salt, speak to your doctor about potentially using a salt replacement product. These work fairly well for those who are trying to control their salt intakes but like the salty taste of foods. You do have to watch out however as they are high in potassium and if not balanced correctly could create problems.
