Good nutrition for maintaining healthy blood pressure

Although fish, skinless poultry, and low-fat dairy products can be part of a heart-healthy diet, plant foods should be the mainstay of your meals if you want to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruits are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium — a crucial fact, since research has shown that it's not simply how much sodium you eat that affects blood pressure, but the ratio of sodium to potassium.

Plant foods also provide antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and a vast array of phytochemicals, specialized compounds that protect plants from the harsh realities of their environments — and confer health benefits when eaten. To mention just a few examples:

• Flavonoids, found in onions, citrus fruits, and berries, strengthen blood vessels and connective tissue.
  
  
• Allicin, found in garlic, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and enhances immune activity.
  
  
• Celery contains a compound called 3-n-butyl-phthalide, which can lower blood pressure by as much as 14 percent.

Eliminate high-fat dairy (cheese, sour cream, butter, whole milk) from your diet and relegate meat to side dish status a few times a week. Also avoid trans fatty acids, which are found in margarine, processed oils, fried foods and most commercially baked goods. These unnatural fats have been linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, infertility, obesity and immune dysfunction.

To reduce your sodium intake, start by throwing away your salt shaker. Keep in mind, though, that about 80 percent of the sodium we consume comes from processed foods, so learn to read labels and shop carefully.

Make sure you're getting enough of the good fats—omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids—which are considered essential because they can only be obtained through foods or supplements. Fresh raw nuts and seeds are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, while cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna and trout) and flax are the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. I recommend eating salmon or other cold-water fish several times a week, and having one to two tablespoons of flax oil, or up to one-quarter cup of freshly ground flax seed daily. Flax oil should never be heated, as its EFAs are destroyed by high temperatures. For cooking, use extra-virgin olive oil.

Contradictory as it may sound, water is a natural diuretic — and far safer than the prescription variety — so be sure to drink plenty of pure water throughout the day. Aim for at least 10 to 12 eight-ounce glasses per day. Build up to this amount slowly, and consult with your doctor beforehand if you have kidney disease or congestive heart disease.