Health should never be taken for granted. Sadly, this is what most of us do. We do not give significance to minor health complaints until something big happens and then we complain about paying the huge doctor’s bills. Wouldn’t it be better to take care of ourselves before things go out of our control? Most health complications start with minor symptoms. Same is the case with high blood pressure. Most people delude themselves into thinking that it is just temporary and will go away once the stressful phase passes. Sadly, for most people, hypertension is a permanent situation and if unchecked, can lead to cardiac diseases.

Blood pressure consists of two readings- the systolic and the diastolic. The normal range of blood pressure is 120/80, where the 120 is systolic level and 80 is diastolic.

There are many causes of a high diastolic pressure. One of the most common is obesity. If your BMI (body mass index) is more than 30, then you are definitely obese and at a serious risk of contracting blood pressure problems and cardiac diseases. The extra fat and cholesterol in their bodies exert pressure on the arteries leading to an increase diastolic level.

Diet plays an important role in the maintenance of your body. If you are fond of burgers, greasy fries, baked beans and saltines then you are not far from developing high cholesterol, which leads to hypertension. In addition to these unhealthy items, if your sodium intake is high and calcium and potassium intake is low, then you are on the road to getting high blood pressure.

Excess of anything is not good. In the same way, too much drinking and smoking contribute to a dangerously high diastolic level. Moreover, they also cause chronic halitosis. Alcohol contains too many calories and smoking leads to nicotine build-up in your arteries, which constricts the blood vessels and increases the blood pressure.

Monitoring your diet is only the first step towards health. The second step requires you to move muscles. So, leave your TV, laptop and playstation and get up for a workout. Exercise by doing whatever you like. The purpose should be to get sweaty! Physical activity helps you to improve your metabolism and this in turn will help in keeping extra fats off your body. Combining a good diet and exercise will ultimately help reduce the risk of heart attacks and heart failure. So do this not for lowering blood pressure but literally for your life!

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