Table of contents:
- Fasting can help lower high blood pressure
- Guidelines for dealing with high blood pressure while fasting
- 1. Check with the doctor regularly
- 2. Drink plenty of water
- 3. Avoid foods high in salt
- 4. Expand to eat vegetables and fruit
- 5. Balance exercise and adequate rest
For those of you who have hypertension (high blood pressure) problems, it is easier for you to feel dizzy and want to vomit. Especially when fasting, the body begins to reduce the production of certain hormones in the body which causes blood pressure to tend to rise. As a result, your fast days may be interrupted. So, is there a way to deal with high blood pressure during fasting? Check out the full review below.
Fasting can help lower high blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition when a person's blood pressure reaches 140/90 mmHg. Normally, blood pressure in healthy people ranges from 90/60 mmHg to 120/80 mmHg.
Even during fasting, you will very likely experience a spike in blood pressure. The reason is, the metabolic processes in the body run slower so that fat accumulation occurs more quickly.
This makes blood flow not smooth so that the body needs more pressure so that the blood that carries oxygen can immediately reach the body's organs. As a result, blood pressure increases.
Even so, according to a study published in the Journal of Hypertension in 2016, fasting can actually help lower blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. During fasting, there are changes in eating and sleeping patterns. This condition affects the sympathetic nervous system, the renin system, and antidiuretic hormones that make blood pressure decrease.
In addition, fasting also gives your body a chance to take a break from foods that trigger high blood pressure and emotional problems. As a result, blood pressure tends to be stable during fasting.
Guidelines for dealing with high blood pressure while fasting
1. Check with the doctor regularly
Prior to fasting, you are encouraged to do medical check up or regular check-ups to monitor your health condition. Here the doctor will determine whether you are allowed to fast or not by looking at the severity of your hypertension.
Usually, doctors will prescribe antihypertensive drugs to help control high blood pressure during fasting. Make sure you ask your doctor about the best time to take the drug and any side effects that may occur.
Don't forget to do regular blood pressure checks. So, once the blood pressure starts to spike, you can anticipate it.
2. Drink plenty of water
Without realizing it, lack of fluids in the body can affect your blood pressure. Therefore, the best key to controlling high blood pressure during fasting is to drink more water at dawn and break the fast.
Make sure to stay hydrated for at least eight glasses a day. This is useful for preventing dehydration while fasting which can develop the risk of complications of hypertension later in life.
Remember, you are not recommended to drink caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, or soft drinks. Because, caffeinated drinks are reported to increase blood pressure up to 10 mmHg.
3. Avoid foods high in salt
Foods high in salt are the biggest contributor to the increase in blood pressure. That is why it is recommended that you avoid foods high in salt, both at dawn and breaking the fast. For example salted peanuts, pickles, canned food, sausages, processed cheese, chips, and so on.
Reducing the salt level in the diet helps lower blood pressure by around 5-6 mmHg. This is certainly useful for improving heart health. Therefore, limit the amount of salt to at least 5 grams per day (2000 mg of sodium) or the equivalent of one teaspoon per day for adults. To be healthier, replace it with garlic or other spices that can give a savory sensation to your food.
4. Expand to eat vegetables and fruit
Make fruits and vegetables an important part of your diet at dawn or breaking the fast. The reason is, vegetables and fruits contain high potassium which can reduce the effect of sodium on the blood. Of course, this is useful for dealing with high blood pressure when fasting.
The habit of eating vegetables and fruit every day, including at dawn and breaking the fast, is believed to reduce blood pressure by up to 11 mmHg. Good sources of potassium are bananas, avocados, apples, melons, oranges, and mangoes. Choose green vegetables that are high in fiber and potassium such as spinach, mustard greens, and broccoli, which can balance sodium levels in the body.
5. Balance exercise and adequate rest
Regular exercise is the best way to control blood pressure. In fact, a study has shown that physical activity carried out by fasting people can help lower high blood pressure.
You don't need to do high-intensity exercise that makes you tired quickly. Choose a light intensity exercise such as jogging or cycling in the morning or evening. The most important thing is to try to exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes every day to reduce 5-8 mmHg in blood pressure.
In addition, balance it with adequate rest, at least 7 hours of sleep at night to maintain stamina when fasting. Make sure to always consult with your doctor about the type of exercise that is suitable for your body condition.
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