How to Lower Blood Pressure

3 easy ways to lower your blood pressure

I think we can all agree that the world looks vastly different right now than it did a year ago. Maybe even vastly different than it did last week. The one sure thing is that our world is constantly changing and it is causing an overall spike in stress. 

An article by Mayo Clinic explains what happens to your body under acute stress scenarios. "Your body produces a surge of hormones when you're in a stressful situation. These hormones temporarily increase your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow."

Things that may be causing stress on the body:

1. Overwhelm
2. Noise Pollution
3. Food / Lifestyle Habits

So what can I do?

1. Get outside in nature!

Plants can help you. Phytoncides, specifically, are plant derived essences that help the plant fight disease and since we have evolved harmoniously with trees, they help us fight disease too. "Phytoncides are antibacterial, they ​reduce stress fifty-three percent and lower blood pressure five to seven percent." - Florence Williams

Visiting or live in the Asheville area? Come reduce stress and lower blood pressure with us on one of our guided Mindfulness Hikes

2. Breathe

Studies have shown that having a regular breath-work practice can help to lower your blood pressure. Developing a meditation or breath-work routine is a great way to keep focus on your breath. As you develop this practice you will be more equipped to call on these routines in times of stress or anxiety. This will help you to minimize the amounts of high blood pressure spikes throughout stressful climates. 

Breath work and Meditation Class

Personalized Private Yoga Class

3. Eat wholesome foods

Eating whole, plant based foods is one of our best defenses against hypertension and illness in general. Foods and habits that cause oxidative stress are meat, dairy, processed foods, certain oils, alcohol consumption, and environmental toxins such as smoke inhalation. When we provide our bodies with foods that are easy to digest and minimize the oxidative stress in our bodies, we are more equipped to handle the other stressors that happen in life.  The best foods to combat oxidative stress and free radicals are non-synthetic antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables. 

Learn more about plant based nutrition coaching

Having a community that supports you and your wellness goals is a key to sustainable success. Leave any questions or comments below. We are here for you and want to help you on your journey! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more related topics, info on events, recipes and more!