Category: Diet & Nutrition

30 Tiny Diet Changes That Can Help You Lose Weight Pt. 4

Balance your meals

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Cutting out food groups is not the healthiest weight loss solution. “When you eliminate either fats or carbohydrates, you’re probably eating way too much of what’s left over,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. For example, if you cut out fat, you could overdo it on carbohydrates or vice versa. Instead, Kirkpatrick recommends balancing your meals and having one whole grain carbohydrate at each meal and opting for low-fat dairy products and lean meats. 

Use a large fork

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It might seem counterintuitive to eat with a large fork, but a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that restaurant diners who used big forks ate significantly less than those eating with small forks. Researchers believe using a big fork gives people the idea that they are filling up since larger forks hold more food, CBS News reports.

Or eat with your hands

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Eating finger foods takes more time leading to a more satisfying experience, Amy Gorin, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in Jersey City, New Jersey says. “I’ll often include finger foods in my clients’ meal plans, as it’s not just kids who love to eat with their hands,” she says. Some good options include lightly salted edamame, hummus, whole-grain crackers, sliced mushrooms, and sliced bell peppers.

Splurge for the pre-chopped and pre-washed produce

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If taking the time to slice and dice vegetables holds you back from eating them, then invest in the pre-chopped or pre-washed vegetables. Rene Ficek, RD, the lead nutrition expert at Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating says fresh produce is the cornerstone of healthy nutrition—and using pre-chopped vegetables could cut your cooking time in half. “Plus, keeping sliced veggies and prepared dips like hummus are great to have on hand at all times,” Fieck adds.

Always keep healthy snacks on hand

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Eating healthy is easier if you prepare for the expected and the unexpected. That’s why Lara Felton, RDN, head of the dietary team at mobile nutrition app ShopWell recommends preparing filling snacks for work or school. “I find that people often make poor food choices because they get so hungry, they just grab whatever is close,” she says. “If you have something healthy already tucked in your bag or briefcase, you’ll save yourself the extra calories and eater’s remorse.” She recommends packing snacks that have a balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fat to keep your energy levels up and hunger at bay, but nothing too perishable or fragile.

For more, see Part 5

30 Tiny Diet Changes That Can Help You Lose Weight Pt. 3

Use smaller dishes or plates

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Opt for smaller bowls instead of large dinner plates, suggests Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS, a senior bariatric psychologist at the Bellevue Center for Obesity & Weight Management. Similarly, a study in the journal Appetite found that people ate more candy when the bowl of sweets was closer to their desk. Try plating dinner away from the table instead of serving family-style to combat overeating or mindless grazing. Don’t miss these tips for getting over a weight loss plateau.

Pack your lunch the night before

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Portion control is a big part of losing weight and keeping it off, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pre-packing your lunch could help. “Learn about portions and embrace the idea, not just because they help you lose weight, but because it’s great to know the right size for your own body and activity level,” Dr. Bazilian says. Portioning out your lunches also takes the guesswork out of eating out and could help you save money. These are the tips a weight loss coach won’t tell you.

Log what you eat

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Keeping a food journal could help you reach your weight loss goals. Best Health reports a recent study found participants who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. Colleen Cannon, a clinical psychologist in Canada who specializes in helping people deal with the emotional side of eating, says the act of writing down what we eat helps us become more aware.

Or photograph your food

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If writing down your meals seems like too big of a task, try snapping pictures instead. Visually seeing your food could highlight bad habits stalling your weight loss. Doing so also helps you pay more attention to future choices. Here are other weight loss tricks that have nothing to do with diet or exercise.

Skip foods marked “sugar-free” or “fat-free”

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It might seem like swapping regular products for “sugar-free,” “fat-free,” or “diet foods” is an easy fix. But they could do more harm than good. In fact, artificial sweeteners they could even cause weight gain, according to research published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. As for fat-free foods, choosing the full-fat option will keep you fuller longer, according to Pashko. Steering clear of ravenous hunger will ensure you don’t overeat later.

Part 4 Coming soon.

30 Tiny Diet Changes That Can Help You Lose Weight Pt. 2

Only eat in designated areas

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Another tactic that helps eliminate distractions while eating is eating only in designated areas. One study even found that families who eat dinner at the kitchen table tend to have lower BMI. Sitting down at the table means you are more likely to focus, rather than be distracted and overeat.

Eat your vegetables at the beginning of the meal

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Andrew James Pierce, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, inventor of the SugarChecked app suggests prioritizing vegetables and serving them at the beginning of the meal. This ensures that nutrient-dense veggies fill you up first. Eating them could help curb your appetite before moving onto the next portion of the meal. Give these other 11 natural appetite suppressants a try.

Add a vegetable to every meal

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Likewise, try including a vegetable in every meal. The combination of water and fiber will add volume without adding lots of calories. You’ll also be fuller longer making it easier to eat less. Plus, vegetables are natural sources of vital nutrients that your body needs.

Display healthy foods—and keep tempting options hidden

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Keeping fruits and vegetables in your line of sight could encourage you to eat more of them—rather than other high-calorie snack options. On the other hand, research shows that when unhealthy options are in full view, hunger and cravings may increase. One study published in Health Education & Behavior specifically found that when high-calorie foods are more visible at home, the residents are more likely to weight more, compared to people who only keep a bowl of fruit out. These are the superfoods that could help you lose weight.

Eat protein in the morning to prevent nighttime sugar cravings

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Consuming protein in the morning will stabilize blood sugar, Sharon Collison, RD, sports dietitian and clinical instructor at the University of Delaware says. “Make sure to have an excellent source of protein with every breakfast such as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or two to three eggs,” she says. Eating more protein earlier in the day could also help reduce sugar cravings in the late afternoon, Collison adds.

To be continued…

Changing your diet could add up to 13 years to your life

Changing what you eat could add up to 13 years to your life, according to a newly published study, especially if you start when you are young.

The study created a model of what might happen to a man or woman’s longevity if they replaced a “typical Western diet” focused on red meat and processed foods with an “optimized diet” focused on eating less red and processed meat and more fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.

If a woman began eating optimally at age 20, she could increase her lifespan by just over 10 years, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine. A man eating the healthier diet from age 20 could add 13 years to his life.

Focusing on a healthier diet could also lengthen the lives of older adults, the study said. By starting at age 60, a woman could still increase her lifespan by eight years. Men starting a healthier diet at age 60 might add nearly nine years to their lives.

A plant-based eating style could even benefit 80-year-olds, the study said: Men and women could gain about 3.5 years of extra life from dietary changes.

A model of longer life

To model the future impact of a person’s change of diet, researchers from Norway used existing meta-analyses and data from the Global Burden of Disease study, a database that tracks 286 causes of death, 369 diseases and injuries, and 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories around the world.

The largest gains in longevity were found from eating more legumes, which include beans, peas and lentils; whole grains, which are the entire seed of a plant; and nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pecans and pistachios, the study found.

It may sound simple to add more plants and grains to your diet, but statistics show that Americans struggle to do so. A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found few Americans eat close to their daily recommendations of fruits and vegetables.

The CDC study found that only 12% of adults consume 1½ to 2 cups of fruit each day, which is the amount recommended by the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Only 10% of Americans eat the recommended 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day, including legumes.

About 50% of grain consumption should be whole grains, yet over 95% of Americans fail to meet that goal, according to the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, instead eating processed grains, which have been milled to remove the grain, bran and many nutrients, including fiber.

Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains contain more than just protein. They include healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidant “phytochemicals” that have been associated with lower risk of chronic diseases.

Red and processed meats

Eating less red and processed meat such as bacon, sausage and preserved deli meats was also linked to longer life.

That makes good sense: Red and processed meats have been linked to significant health risks, including coronary heart disease and bowel cancer.

Replacing red and processed meats with lean poultry, fish and plant proteins is one way to improve a diet quickly, experts say.

Plant proteins include soybeans (edamame), chickpeas, lentils and other legumes, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, and whole grains like quinoa. Some vegetables, like broccoli, also contain higher levels of protein.

A 2020 study which tracked more than 37,000 middle-aged Americans found those who ate the most plant protein were 27% less likely to die of any cause and 29% less likely to die of coronary heart disease than people who ate the least amount of plant protein.

How to improve your diet

One way to incorporate more plants into your diet and consume less red meat is with the Mediterranean diet, which has won best diet five years in a row, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Tied for silver was the DASH diet, which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and the Flexitarian diet, which encourages being a vegetarian most of the time. All of these diets focus on meals full of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

An easy way to start eating the Mediterranean way is to cook one meal each week based on beans, whole grains and vegetables, using herbs and spices to add punch. When one night a week is a breeze, add two, and build from there.

Article By Sandee LaMotte, CNN Photo by © Adobe Stock

These Foods Can Trigger Kidney Stones

1. Chocolate

Eat high-oxalate foods in moderation to better prevent kidney stones. A prime example is reducing chocolate intake—the sweet treat is high in oxalates and sugar, and too much of it can cause trouble down the road.

2. Red Meat

There are different kinds of kidney stones, however, which means further reduction of certain foods. For example, red meat like pork and beef is best left to a minimum, less consumption wards off multiple kinds of stones.

3. Excessive Sodium

In general, less salt is a good move for your kidneys. A lower-sodium diet helps prevent kidney stones and keeps cholesterol down, which is important for proper kidney function.

4. Fast Food

Fast food is not only highly processed, but it’s also loaded with sodium—two things that can lead to kidney stone formation. To make matters worse, it’s packed with empty calories, grease, and high levels of fat. It’s best to keep away altogether.

5. Nuts

It’s a good idea to enjoy certain nuts in moderation. Walnuts, Brazil nuts, and almonds are all pretty high in oxalates, so while they don’t need to be cut out entirely, they shouldn’t be consumed regularly.

6. Soda

Hydration is crucial for kidney stone prevention, but mind what you drink. Studies show that some sodas lead to an increased risk of kidney stones, particularly due to ingredients like caffeine and high fructose corn syrup.

7. Beets

Beets are high in oxalates, so sufferers of calcium oxalate kidney stones should veer away from them. They’re an especially bad idea if you or someone in your family already has a history of kidney stones.

8. Spinach

Spinach is another veggie well-known for its oxalate content. However, it’s also loaded with vitamins and fiber, so you may not have to nix it entirely (unless a doctor says otherwise). Be mindful of how much you eat and what else is in your diet.

9. Soy Foods

Some soy foods contain ingredients that encourage various stones, so consume them with caution. This means that things like soybean or soy milk should only be consumed in moderation, if at all depending on what your doctor recommends.

10. Rhubarb

Rhubarb has a higher amount of oxalates, so it might be a good idea to limit your intake. If you’ve already struggled with calcium oxalate stones, rhubarb may only exacerbate the problem. Make sure you speak with your doctor to find out whether it should be kept off your diet altogether. 

Source: The Spicy Chefs©

Photo credit: ©Andriyko Podilnyk, © Chuttersnap on Unsplash

Why Dietitians Love Zoodles with Meat and Grain Sauce

Zucchini noodles called zoodles

This nutrient-packed dinner idea comes from Jenna Volpe, RDN, an Austin-based registered dietitian. She recommends swapping out traditional pasta noodles for noodles made from zucchini as a way to sneak in more veggies.

And no pasta dish is complete without a hearty sauce, so Volpe recommends whipping up a tomato-based sauce packed with protein-rich ground turkey and complex carbohydrate-rich quinoa.

How to Make This Meal

This meal comes together in three simple steps, and there are plenty of shortcuts (like using store-bought sauce and zoodles) that’ll help speed up your prep time.

  1. Use a vegetable spiralizer to make your own zoodles or buy them pre-cut. You can either enjoy them raw or warm them up.
  2. Combine tomatoes, cooked ground turkey and cooked quinoa for the sauce. You can make a batch of homemade sauce or purchase a store-bought spaghetti sauce, such as Rao’s.
  3. Combine zoodles and sauce together and serve.

1. It’s High in Protein

2. It’s a Good Source of Vegetables

3. It’s Lower in Saturated Fat

4. It’s Rich in Dietary Fiber

This meal puts vegetables at the center of the plate in an appetizing way, that this recipe is also customizable. If you enjoy regular spaghetti noodles, you can use those instead of zoodles — just up the veggies in other ways. Alternatively, you can swap out noodles for whole-grain pasta, which is typically high in fiber and other nutrients.

You likely already have a jar of spaghetti sauce on hand, so pick up some zucchini, ground turkey and quinoa on your next grocery run to make this wholesome dinner.

Source: livestrong.com©

Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

What Happens to Your Body When You Go Keto

As with any diet shift, putting your body through a keto regimen has pros and cons. Here’s what you need to know about what happens to your body when you go keto.

  1. You may experience the keto flu.
  2. You may experience the ‘whoosh.’
  3. You may lose weight easily.
  4. You won’t get ‘hangry’ anymore.
  5. You’ll decrease inflammation.
  6. You could experience hydration or kidney issues.
  7. You may have gut issues.

 There are various levels of strictness but generally speaking, when you go keto you switch your body from getting energy from carbohydrates to sourcing energy from fat.

Source: eatthis.com©

If You are Craving some Foods, Eat these Instead

Food cravings are the dieter’s worst enemy. These are intense or uncontrollable desires for specific foods, stronger than normal hunger.

The types of foods that people crave are highly variable, but these are often processed junk foods that are high in sugar. Cravings are one of the biggest reasons why people have problems losing weight and keeping it off.

Try this first: Drink some water.

Thirst is often confused with hunger or food cravings.

If you feel a sudden urge for a specific food, try drinking a large glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that the craving fades away, because your body was actually just thirsty.

However, if the craving persists, then call on the suggestions in the chart below.

Food cravings aren’t bad; how you respond to them may make a difference. Giving in to cravings may lead to overeating and consuming more calories than your body needs. This can contribute to weight gain and other health issues.

However, completely ignoring food cravings or trying to suppress them can also be harmful. This may cause feelings of deprivation and ultimately lead to binge eating or unhealthy restrictive behaviors around food.

Believing that your cravings are bad may also create a negative attitude toward food and eating, which can further impact your relationship with food. It’s okay to eat the foods you crave. If you feel as if your cravings are excessive or out of control, take a look at your overall diet and make sure it isn’t too restrictive and that you’re eating enough. Talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns.

Source: Angie Barnett (Pinterest); healthline.com; betterme.world

Photo credit: evucenter.com

Weight loss: Gain control of emotional eating

Find out how emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts and get tips to get control of your eating habits.

Sometimes the strongest food cravings hit when you’re at your weakest point emotionally. You may turn to food for comfort — consciously or unconsciously — when facing a difficult problem, feeling stressed or even feeling bored.

Emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. It often leads to eating too much — especially too much of high-calorie, sweet and fatty foods. The good news is that if you’re prone to emotional eating, you can take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals.

How the mood-food-weight loss cycle works

Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness and loneliness. Major life events or, more commonly, the hassles of daily life can trigger negative emotions that lead to emotional eating and disrupt your weight-loss efforts. These triggers might include:

  • Relationship conflicts
  • Work or other stressors
  • Fatigue
  • Financial pressures
  • Health problems

Although some people eat less in the face of strong emotions, if you’re in emotional distress you might turn to impulsive or binge eating, quickly consuming whatever’s convenient without enjoyment.

In fact, your emotions can become so tied to your eating habits that you automatically reach for a treat whenever you’re angry or stressed without thinking about what you’re doing.

Food also serves as a distraction. If you’re worried about an upcoming event or stewing over a conflict, for instance, you may focus on eating comfort food instead of dealing with the painful situation.

Whatever emotions drive you to overeat, the end result is often the same. The effect is temporary, the emotions return and you likely then bear the additional burden of guilt about setting back your weight-loss goal. This can also lead to an unhealthy cycle — your emotions trigger you to overeat, you beat yourself up for getting off your weight-loss track, you feel bad and you overeat again.

How do you get back on track?

When negative emotions threaten to trigger emotional eating, you can take steps to control cravings. To help stop emotional eating, try these tips:

  • Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you’re feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you might see patterns that reveal the connection between mood and food.
  • Tame your stress. If stress contributes to your emotional eating, try a stress management technique, such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing.
  • Have a hunger reality check. Is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago and don’t have a rumbling stomach, you’re probably not hungry. Give the craving time to pass.
  • Get support. You’re more likely to give in to emotional eating if you lack a good support network. Lean on family and friends or consider joining a support group.
  • Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you’re not hungry, distract yourself and substitute a healthier behavior. Take a walk, watch a movie, play with your cat, listen to music, read, surf the internet or call a friend.
  • Take away temptation. Don’t keep hard-to-resist comfort foods in your home. And if you feel angry or blue, postpone your trip to the grocery store until you have your emotions in check.
  • Don’t deprive yourself. When trying to lose weight, you might limit calories too much, eat the same foods repeatedly and banish treats. This may just serve to increase your food cravings, especially in response to emotions. Eat satisfying amounts of healthier foods, enjoy an occasional treat and get plenty of variety to help curb cravings.
  • Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a healthy snack, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with low-fat dip, nuts or unbuttered popcorn. Or try lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.
  • Learn from setbacks. If you have an episode of emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn from the experience and make a plan for how you can prevent it in the future. Focus on the positive changes you’re making in your eating habits and give yourself credit for making changes that’ll lead to better health.

When to seek professional help

If you’ve tried self-help options but you still can’t control emotional eating, consider therapy with a mental health professional. Therapy can help you understand why you eat emotionally and learn coping skills. Therapy can also help you discover whether you have an eating disorder, which can be connected to emotional eating.

Source: mayoclinic.org

Photo credit: lifecanyon.com

Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

One in five U.S. adults with high blood pressure don’t know they have it, per the CDC. If you haven’t had your numbers checked in at least two years, see a doctor. Anything above 130/80 mmHg is considered high. (Systolic blood pressure is the top number; diastolic, the bottom.)

Having high blood pressure is a serious health risk—it boosts the chances of leading killers such as heart attack and stroke, as well as aneurysms, cognitive decline, and kidney failure. What’s more, high blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of death for nearly 500,000 people in 2018, per the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Although medication can lower blood pressure, it may cause side effects such as leg cramps, dizziness, and insomnia. The good news is that most people can bring their numbers down naturally, without using drugs. “Lifestyle changes are an important part of prevention and treatment of high blood pressure,” says Brandie D. Williams, M.D., a cardiologist at Texas Health Stephenville and Texas Health Physicians Group.

You’ve quit smoking. You’re paying attention to your weight. Now, try these natural ways to lower your blood pressure—no pills necessary.

1. Get more exercise.

Regular exercise, even as simple as walking, seems to be just as effective at lowering blood pressure as commonly used BP drugs, according to a 2018 meta-analysis of hundreds of studies. Exercise strengthens the heart, meaning it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood. Dr. Williams recommends shooting for 30 minutes of cardio on most days. Over time, you can keep challenging your ticker by increasing speed, upping distance, or adding weights. Losing even a little weight will also help ease hypertension.

2. Let yourself relax.

Our bodies react to stress by releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can raise your heart rate and constrict blood vessels, causing your blood pressure to spike. But breathing exercises and practices like meditation, yoga, and tai chi can help keep stress hormones—and your blood pressure—in check, Dr. Williams says. Start with five minutes of calming breathing or mindfulness in the morning and five minutes at night, then build up from there.

3. Cut down on salt.

Although not everyone’s blood pressure is particularly salt-sensitive, everyone could benefit from cutting back, says Eva Obarzanek, Ph.D., research nutritionist at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The American Heart Association recommends aiming for 1,500 mg of sodium in a day, and certainly no more than 2,300 mg (about a teaspoon). Obarzanek suggests treading with caution around packaged and processed foods, including secret salt bombs like bread, pizza, poultry, soup, and sandwiches.

4. Pick potassium-rich foods.

Getting 2,000 to 4,000 mg of potassium a day can help lower blood pressure, says Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. (The nutrient encourages the kidneys to excrete more sodium through urination.) We all know about the potassium in bananas, but foods like potatoes, spinach, and beans actually pack more potassium than the fruit. Tomatoes, avocados, edamame, watermelon, and dried fruits are other great sources.

5. Adopt the DASH diet.

Alongside the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is consistently ranked as one of the absolute healthiest eating plans—and it was developed specifically to lower blood pressure without medication. The diet emphasizes veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy, capping daily sodium intake at 2,300 mg, with an ideal limit at that all-important 1,500 mg. Research shows DASH can reduce BP in just four weeks and even aid weight loss.

6. Indulge in dark chocolate.

The sweet is rich in flavanols, which relax blood vessels and boost blood flow, and research suggests that regular dark chocolate consumption could lower your blood pressure. Experts haven’t determined an ideal percentage of cocoa, says Vivian Mo, M.D., clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, but the higher you go, the more benefits you’ll get. Chocolate can’t be your main strategy for managing blood pressure, Mo says—but when you’re craving a treat, it’s a healthy choice.

7. Drink wisely.

Too much booze is known to raise blood pressure—but having just a little bit could do the opposite. Light-to-moderate drinking (one drink or fewer per day) is associated with a lower risk for hypertension in women, per a study following nearly 30,000 women. One drink means 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits. “High levels of alcohol are clearly detrimental,” Obarzanek says, “but moderate alcohol is protective of the heart. If you are going to drink, drink moderately.”

8. Switch to decaf.

A 2016 meta-analysis of 34 studies revealed that the amount of caffeine in one or two cups of coffee raises both systolic and diastolic blood pressure for up to three hours, tightening blood vessels and magnifying the effects of stress. “When you’re under stress, your heart starts pumping a lot more blood, boosting blood pressure,” says James Lane, Ph.D., a Duke University researcher who studies caffeine and cardiovascular health. “And caffeine exaggerates that effect.” Decaf has the same flavor without the side effects.

9. Take up tea.

It turns out that lowering high blood pressure is as easy as one, two, tea. Adults with mildly high blood pressure who sipped three cups of naturally caffeine-free hibiscus tea daily lowered their systolic BP by seven points in six weeks, a 2009 study reported. And a 2014 meta-analysis found that consuming both caffeinated and decaf green tea is associated with significantly lowering BP over time. Tea’s polyphenols and phytochemicals (nutrients found only in fruits and veggies) could be behind its benefits.

10. Work less.

Putting in more than 40 hours per week at the office raises your risk of hypertension by 17%, according to a study of more than 24,000 California residents. Working overtime takes away time for exercise and healthy cooking, says Haiou Yang, Ph.D., the study’s lead researcher. Not everyone can clock out early, but if you work a 9 to 5, try to log off at a decent hour so you can work out, cook, and relax. (To get in this habit, set an end-of-day reminder on your work computer and peace out as soon as you can.)

11. Sit less, too.

In the age of working from home, it’s easier than ever to accidentally sit at your desk all day. Study after study after study has shown that interrupting prolonged sitting time at work can reduce hypertension, working in tandem with other practices like exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep. Simply get up for a bit every 20 to 30 minutes, and at least every hour—even non-exercise activities like standing and light walking really can lower BP over time, especially if you start to sit less and less.

12. Relax with music.

The right tunes (and a few deep breaths) can help bring your blood pressure down, according to research out of Italy. Researchers asked 29 adults who were already taking BP medication to listen to soothing classical, Celtic, or Indian music for 30 minutes daily while breathing slowly. When they followed up with the subjects six months later, their blood pressure had dropped significantly. Louder, faster music probably won’t do the trick, but there’s no harm in blissing out to an ambient track or two.

13. Try fermented foods.

A 2020 meta-analysis of over 2,000 patients found that eating fermented foods—specifically supplements made from fermented milk—was associated with a moderate reduction in blood pressure in the short term. The culprit could be the bacteria living in these foods, which might produce certain chemicals that lower hypertension when they reach the blood. Other fermented foods, including kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut, haven’t been studied in the same way, but they probably can’t hurt.

14. Seek help for snoring.

Loud, incessant snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder that causes brief but dangerous breathing interruptions. Up to half of sleep apnea patients also live with hypertension, possibly due to high levels of aldosterone, a hormone that can boost blood pressure. Fixing sleep apnea could be helpful for improving BP, says Robert Greenfield, M.D., medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology & Cardiac Rehabilitation at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute.

15. Focus on protein.

Replacing refined carbohydrates (like white flour and sweets) with foods high in soy or milk protein (like tofu and low-fat dairy) can bring down systolic blood pressure in those with hypertension, findings suggest. “Some patients get inflammation from refined carbohydrates,” says Matthew J. Budoff, M.D., F.A.C.C., professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine and director of cardiac CT at the Division of Cardiology at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, “which will increase blood pressure.”

Source: Prevention©