Tag: lower blood pressure

Barley Tea, a Refreshing Caffeine-Free Summer Drink

It’s the middle of June, and that means for many parts of the United States, the weather is getting hotter and hotter! There are so many delicious cold drinks that are popular: beer, soda, lemonade, and more! However, when it comes to the journey to lower blood pressure naturally, it’s good to be mindful of how that refreshing cold drink might affect you! My goal is usually to avoid excessive sugar, caffeine and artificial ingredients. Oh how I miss a good bottle of Coca-Cola! BUT I want to prioritize my heart health on a daily basis. What can I drink other than cold water?

My personal favorite is barley tea! It’s very popular in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China. It can be served cold in the summer and hot in the winter.

Barley tea is a not a “tea” in the sense that it was brewed from tea leaves like green or black tea. It is brewed just from barley and contains no caffeine! Woohoo! Barley tea also has a lot of antioxidants that can potentially help protect you from heart attacks, cancer and other diseases.

In addition, it’s my personal preference to avoid caffeine, because I want to avoid the spike in blood pressure. In my journey to lower blood pressure naturally, it just doesn’t make sense to me to add a beverage that will elevate my blood pressure more.

You can buy barley tea bags on Amazon or from local Asian supermarkets, or if you’d rather just pick up a bottle of barley tea, and you’re in the United States, I’ll share one of my favorite products from Trader Joe’s:

Here it is! I hope you get the chance to try it. Please let me know how you like it! Oh and by the way, definitely put it in the refrigerator; it tastes best when very cold!

  • Barley tea from Trader Joe’s is refreshing and naturally caffeine FREE!
    (Picture taken by Diana of Heart Happy Adventures)

References:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-barley-tea#1

Meditative Drawing on a Difficult Day

I went through a painful medical procedure yesterday and am waiting for biopsy results to rule out cancer. Phew. That was difficult and emotional to write. It’s hard to focus today, and I’m worried my blood pressure has been higher than normal due to anxiety. I appreciate having this space to be vulnerable and, thank you for taking the time to read this.

It took some motivation to get off the couch, but I decided to do some meditative drawing to take my mind away from all the negative, unproductive thoughts. For me, when drawing, I focus on making sure my breathing is slow and deep. Also, my drawings tend to have a patterned, repetitive quality to encourage relaxation.

I do feel a bit calmer and centered now. It’s important to have a toolkit of strategies to turn to in times of anxiety. Meditation can be a great way to lower anxiety-induced high blood pressure naturally.

I’ll share my art work below! I was inspired by the beautiful coral in Hawaii from my recent vacation.

What do you do to calm yourself on days when you feel anxious about the future?

Meditative drawing to lower anxiety and blood pressure
Meditative drawing on a stressful day

Artwork by Diana of Heart Happy Adventures. Please credit if used. Thank you!

Discovering Macadamia Nuts, A Heart Healthy Snack

During my vacation in Honululu, Hawaii, I wanted to see if I could find local treats that are heart healthy for those of us with high blood pressure. Wandering around in the supermarkets and gift shops, I quickly found that macadamia nuts are a local grown tree nut (apparently they were first grown in Australia). The most common brand in touristy areas seems to be Mauna Loa, and there are many flavor options including Smoked BBQ, Maui Onion and Garlic, Milk Chocolate Covered and so much more!

Of course I personally think it’s okay to sample small amounts of the flavored options, but I was so glad to find that they have a dry roasted and unsalted option! The only ingredient listed is “dry roasted macadamia nuts”! Yay! Why is this important to me? Well, the flavored options often have a lot of added ingredients including salt that wouldn’t be helpful in my low blood pressure journey.

With the unsalted, dry roasted one, I can be more certain that I will be getting the nutritional benefits of the macadamia nut with out worrying about hiking up my blood pressure from a ton of salt! I usually take out a spoonful and then drizzle it very lightly with maple syrup! YUMMMM!

Ok so what are some health benefits for macadamia nuts?!

  • Lowers total and LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein or casually known as “bad cholesterol”)
  • Lowers inflammation and oxidative stress (this protects your cells)
  • Lowers high blood pressure
  • Lowers triglycerides (excess fat from foods we eat that are stored in our fat cells)
  • Helps to improve control of blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics. This is important because over time high blood sugar can damage blood vessels.
  • Improves digestive health because of its fiber content

Phew! Impressive list, isn’t it?! There are more health benefits, but I’ll stop here for now, so I don’t overwhelm anyone with giant blocks of text!

Be mindful that: although macadamia nuts are healthy, they are high in calories so consume in moderation! I don’t go over a single serving in a day which is about 10 to 12 macadamia nuts.

Next time you travel to Hawaii or you see macadamia nuts on your local supermarket shelves, give them a try! Don’t forget to look for unsalted and dry roasted if possible. Enjoy!

  • Enjoying some dry roasted unsalted macadamia nuts with the view of Waikiki Beach in the background!

Picture taken by Diana of Heart Happy Adventures

References:

  1. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-macadamia-nuts#1
  2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17583-triglycerides–heart-health

Delicious Seafood Salad in Honolulu

If you’ve visited Honolulu before, you know how many incredible food options there are. From delicious poke (raw fish salad) to big plates of garlic shrimp, the variety is endless! Unfortunately, when it comes to dining out, it’s very difficult to maintain a low sodium diet! I love exploring local cuisine, and I still want to keep an eye on my blood pressure. OH the woes of life with hypertension. In my journey to lower blood pressure naturally, I know it’s essential I am still careful even on vacation!

One way I find some balance while still enjoying travel adventures is to come up with a system. I usually let go a bit for lunch and eat what’s more convenient or desired. That way I can sample some of the local cuisine! Then for dinner, I search for something that is low in salt and fat. It’s not a perfect system, but for me, it’s better than both lunch and dinner being unhealthy!

On a side note, in a previous post, I introduced some tips on reducing salt when eating out. It’s a quick and helpful read for traveling and every day dining out as well.

So for today’s low sodium, low fat, heart healthy meal, I was so thrilled to find a seafood salad from a restaurant in Honolulu called Paia Fish Market Waikiki!!

I ordered the seafood garden salad (see picture below) which had cucumbers, carrots, sprouts, salad greens, shrimp, and a choice of fish. I chose the mahi mahi.

Some modifications I made for a low salt diet:

  • I asked for no salt to be added to the mahi mahi during grilling to minimize sodium.
  • I asked for the dressing on the side, so I could control how much I used. The papaya dressing is delicious and a little goes a long way!
  • The meal came with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce on the side for the fish and the shrimp. I only dipped once or twice to enjoy the flavor.

If you have high blood pressure and are looking to eat low salt while traveling, I’m sure you know how exciting it is to find a restaurant willing to make some accommodations for health. I will definitely be returning to this restaurant in the future.

Oh and just to clarify, the restaurant did not ask me to write this post. I found it all on my own from Yelp! What a find!

Seafood salad in Waikiki Beach for lower blood pressure naturally
Seafood Garden Salad with Mahi Mahi and shrimp from Paia Fish Market Waikiki

Photo taken by Diana of Heart Happy Adventures

Start Walking for Lower Blood Pressure

Starting a walking program doesn’t have to be daunting or complicated. I’m a big fan of simplicity when it comes to exercising for heart health, because keeping it simple means there’s a higher chance you’ll stick to it! While one giant 3 hour hike in the mountains over the weekend is fun and great exercise, to lower blood pressure long term with walking: it’s important to walk at least 3 to 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. There are still benefits to walking less than 30 minutes, but at least 30 is ideal.

3 Tips to Start Walking for Lower Blood Pressure

1. Invest in a Fitness or Activity Monitor: This could be a watch that monitors distance walked, measures your heart rate, among other features. If that’s out of your price range, a simple pedometer will do too! These devices help track your progress. They are great motivational tools to encourage you to stay consistent with daily walking. If it integrates with a cellphone app, you can also easily view how much walking you’ve accomplished each week.

2. Always Wear Proper Shoes: Good walking shoes are super important! Definitely avoid flip flops or high heels. You’re laughing, but I’ve seen people trip over their flip flops while walking their dog. Better safe than sorry! Proper shoewear allows you to walk with good posture and alignment all the way from your feet up to your neck!

3. Start with a Short Walk and Build Up: If you are usually a pretty sedentary person, (meaning you don’t get a lot of physical activity), don’t feel pressure to dive right into 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 times a week. Work up to it! Let’s say you start walking for 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week to ease in and then slowly increase until you meet your goals. Ramping up exercise allows your body to adjust to this increase in activity with a lower risk of injury. Also, if you don’t feel good when you exercise, such as you experience shortness of breath or pain, please seek medical care. Don’t just push on!

Congratulations on starting a walking program! I’m cheering you on!

This morning I dragged myself out of bed and went for a brisk 35 minute walk. It takes a lot for me to be motivated, but afterwards I feel good because I’ve taken steps in the right direction of a more heart healthy life. Thanks for joining me!

Do you walk for exercise? Would love to hear about your experience!

Enjoying a slice of nature during my daily walk to lower blood pressure
Views from my walk today

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