1. Normal Blood Pressure is defined as 120/80 mmHG. Any reading above this is put under the prehypertension category. Your doctor might not start you on any medication in the pre hypertension stage, but lack of lifestyle modifications will lead you to Stage I hypertension.
2. It has been observed that obesity is a risk factor to Hypertension. Losing and maintaining weight within the right range for your age and height is a good way to prevent the onset of Hypertension.
3. Losing as little as 10% of your current weight has a beneficial impact on Hypertension.
4. Exercise helps not only in weight loss, but also helps improve Hypertension directly. This can include any moderate activity like walking, cycling, swimming, yoga done at a consistent level for 150 mins a week.
5. Sodium (salt) increases Blood Pressure. It is therefore advisable to reduce the intake of table salt.
6. Practices like avoiding the addition of salt to roti dough, idli batters, curd/ chaach help in reducing salt in cooking to a great extent.
7. Sodium is also present as preservatives in all packaged foods. Ready to eat foods, packaged soups, instant snacks, noodles, pasta, breakfast cereals, pickles, sauces, purees, biscuits, chips are some examples of food high in Sodium.
8. Inclusion of fresh fruits and seasonal vegetables, help reduce and maintain Blood Pressure. So eat 2- 3 servings of seasonal fruits and 3-4 serving of vegetables a day.
9. Blood pressure medication once started should be taken for life. No good doctor will wean you off the medication for Blood pressure, make sure that you eat your medication on time daily and visit your doctor regularly for checkup