Eat a healthy, balanced diet that is lower in salt and saturated fat.Eat foods high in potassium such as fresh fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans and lentils - unless you are taking a medication that interacts with potassium.If you have high blood pressure, the recommendation is to eat less than 2000 mg of sodium per day. Heart & Stroke recommends that Canadians eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium (about 1 tsp / 5 mL of salt) a day total from processed foods and salt added during food preparation and at the table. Also try to limit your use of salt in cooking and at the table.

This includes fast foods, prepared meals, processed meats (such as hot dogs and lunch meats), canned and dried soups, bottled dressing, packaged sauces, condiments and salty snacks. High sources of sodium are found in highly processed foods. Follow these links to more information about medications for hypertension and heart disease or hypertension and stroke.

If your doctor has prescribed medication for hypertension, take it as directed.Have your blood pressure checked regularly as recommended by your healthcare provider.Throughout a woman’s life, factors like pregnancy, birth control and menopause can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Other factors, such as diet, exercise and smoking can be addressed through lifestyle changes to reduce your risk for high blood pressure.Īfter 65, women are more likely than men to get high blood pressure. You can't control some risk factors, such as age, ethnicity and gender. High blood pressure can be caused by many factors. What can I do to control my blood pressure?

Printable blank blood pressure chart