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Did you know that one in every three adults has high blood pressure? Are you one of them?

I had some good news the other day. It seems that all of my hard work trying to eat healthy and lose weight is finally paying off. For the first time in years my blood pressure is actually normal. Yaaay! This is just the kind of validation I was looking for when I began my journey of weight loss and healthy living.

If you have high blood pressure or know someone who does, here are some tips that can help lower blood pressure naturally.

Tip #1 – Lose 10 Pounds

Did you know that most Americans are overweight (66% are overweight or obese)? It’s true. It’s also true that losing as little as ten pounds can help reduce high blood pressure.

From The Science Blog…

People who find it hard to lose all the weight they want or that their doctors recommend should take heart, a North Carolina scientist says. New research suggests that losing even modest amounts of weight can pay off in better health. The study showed for the first time that shedding excess pounds decreases activity of a key enzyme known to play a central role in high blood pressure. Less body weight translates into lower blood pressure, the study found, and hence lower risks for cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease and other health problems.

Also See: Obesity On The Rise and Overweight Spouse – What Can You Do?

Tip #2 – Eat A Healthy Diet

Are you eating a heart healthy diet? Whether you are trying to lose weight or not, making healthy food choices is important for your heart health. The DASH Diet is a proven diet for lowering blood pressure…

Are you interested in lowering your blood pressure? Reducing your risk of heart disease? If so, you may want to consider the DASH Diet.

When compared to a typical America diet, women following a DASH diet were 24 percent less likely to have a heart attack, and 18 percent less likely to have a stroke. This is a pretty big deal, especially considering that the number one cause of death in women is heart disease.

Here is a post from Single Minded Women with Ten Great Foods for a Heart Smart Life…

In reality, good health begins with choosing good foods. And these ten foods are a great, heart smart place to start:

From Tina at Think Simple Now – Eating Our Way To Death, Literally…

What would you say if I told you that meat and dairy consumption are associated with heart disease, cancer and diabetes? Or if I told you that the meat industry kills more than 10 billion animals a year, in the US alone, and contributes more toward pollution than the exhaust from all the cars in the world?

Also see: What is heart healthy eating anyway?

Tip #3 – Get Regular Exercise – Start a healthy heart workout.

You can keep your heart healthy while reducing stress and burning calories. How? Try to get 10 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. Even a small amount of activity can have a large effect on your overall heart health. It’s not really important what you do to get yourself moving and your heart pumping, as long as you do something.

Tip #4 – Reduce Sodium Intake

From Liz at Looking Good (for a mom) – Cutting Salt to Cut Fat…

I think most of us are aware that we should try to limit our sodium intake. Perhaps you refrain from salting your food, or try not to eat high salt foods like canned soups and frozen meals. You might even be checking food labels, looking to see if salt is one of the major ingredients.

But did you know that a high sodium intake can actually affect your weight loss success? It’s true. Excess sodium intake actually causes your fat cells to grow larger, meaning that even with the same amount of fat, you will LOOK more flabby. Excess sodium can also increase fluid retention, keeping the scale from moving (while you feel frustrated) even as you exercise and reduce calories.

Tip #5 – Don’t Smoke (and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke).

From WebMD…

Did you know that smoking and heart disease are related? Or that smoking increases blood pressure? Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. But people who smoke are more also likely to develop hypertension and heart disease.

About 30% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. That’s because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease especially in younger people.

Tip #6 – Cut Back on Caffeine

Do you drink a lot of coffee, soda or energy drinks? If so, you may be getting way too much caffeine.

From The Mayo Clinic…

Caffeine is a mild stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate and many soft drinks. Too much caffeine can cause nervousness and jitters. It may also increase your blood pressure. The amount of caffeine in two to three cups of coffee can raise systolic pressure 3 to 14 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic pressure 4 to 13 mm Hg in people without high blood pressure.

Tip #7 – Avoid Stress

This may be the most difficult lifestyle change to make, especially in this stressful economy. Are you stressing over money?

Do you stress over money? I do. With the way the economy is going, if you’re not stressing over money now, you sure could be in the near future. Gas prices are going up, home values are going down, and what money we do have is buying less and less. The thing about stressing over money is…It doesn’t pay the bills. What it can do, is make you sick.

Yes, stressing over money (or anything for that matter) can and does make you sick.

Also See: Reading To Reduce Stress and Learn How To Reduce Stress With Positive Affirmations

It’s not easy, but all of us have the power to make lifestyle changes that can benefit our heart health. The question is…Why aren’t more of us making these changes? What do you think? Do you have any tips for reducing high blood pressure? Let me know in comments.