High blood pressure dietary taboos and recipes

Daily salt intake should not exceed 5g, strictly control excessive intake of free sugar and saturated fat, and avoid alcohol altogether.； Suitable daily recipes are based on high potassium, high dietary fiber, and appropriate amounts of high-quality protein. The combination is very flexible, and there is no need to eat boiled vegetables every time.

Don’t think that sodium restriction just means adding less salt in cooking. Last week, I treated the 62-year-old Uncle Zhang, who used a salt-restricting spoon while cooking. As a result, his blood pressure remained stuck at 150/90 for three consecutive weeks. After careful questioning, I found that the pickled radish he eats for porridge every day and the soda crackers he eats in the afternoon are both high in hidden sodium - just two ordinary soda crackers contain nearly 1g of salt. He eats 4 pieces of salt with pickled radish added every day, and he has unknowingly exceeded the amount of salt. Of course, here is a different point of view from the academic community: not everyone should strictly follow the 5g standard of salt. People who sweat a lot while doing heavy work outdoors for a long time, or patients with renal insufficiency or hyponatremia, should appropriately relax their sodium intake. Blind sodium restriction may cause fatigue and electrolyte disorders. Don't listen to others who say that salt restriction means you dare not touch even a sip of salt.

There are also many people who believe that people with high blood pressure must go vegetarian. I met an aunt two years ago. She heard that eating meat can raise blood pressure and she even stopped eating eggs. She ate vegetables with white rice every day. After half a year, my blood pressure did not drop much. Instead, I felt dizzy and was diagnosed with severe anemia. In fact, the iron in red meat and the high-quality protein in white meat are both necessary for the body. It is perfectly fine to eat 50-75g of lean pork, beef, fish and shrimp every day, as long as you don't touch fat and don't eat smoked and processed meat products. In addition, don’t miss the invisible killer of free sugar. Many people think that sugar has nothing to do with blood pressure. In fact, the blood pressure-boosting effect of a cup of full-sugar milk tea may be more obvious than adding an extra spoonful of salt. Especially for hypertensive patients with abdominal obesity, sugar control is even a higher priority than salt restriction. As for the previously reported "drinking a small amount of red wine to soften blood vessels", large sample studies in the past two years have long overturned this conclusion. No matter what kind of wine, as long as it is consumed, it will increase blood pressure. Even a sip is not good for blood vessels. Those who have a drinking habit can quit as much as possible.

To be honest, there is no need to search for "7-day antihypertensive meal plan" and copy it. Just eat whatever suits your appetite and comply with the core principles. The meals I arrange for the elderly at home who suffer from high blood pressure are very casual. Get up early in the morning and steam a beibei pumpkin, boil an egg, beat a cup of unsweetened soy milk, and have cold purple cabbage sprinkled with a little light soy sauce and sesame oil. It can be done in 10 minutes ； If you're in a hurry, you can buy unsweetened corn and pair it with tea eggs from a convenience store (just don't use the marinade), and it's perfectly acceptable.

When cooking at home at noon, just cook two rice (rice mixed with millet or quinoa), stir-fry celery, stir-fry beef, and stew winter melon and shrimp soup. Add less salt and it will be very fresh. No need to add chicken essence and MSG at all.； If it is inconvenient to bring rice to work, just cook the brown rice balls in advance, fry a piece of Longli fish, put a small box of cooked broccoli and sprinkle some black pepper, without adding any additional seasonings. Don’t panic when eating out. Don’t order braised or stewed dishes. Choose stir-fried or steamed dishes. Rinse the oil and salt on the surface with free boiled water before eating. I do this all the time when I go out to socialize, and no one finds it strange. On the contrary, many of my friends follow suit.

In the evening, it’s even easier. I cook a small bowl of millet porridge, steam a piece of chicken breast, and mix it with kelp tofu. If I’m craving for food, I’ll make some cold tomatoes without sugar as an after-meal fruit. After eating, I go downstairs for a 20-minute walk. My blood pressure is very stable. That’s not to say that you can’t eat spicy food at all. My elderly family loves hot pot, and we eat it once a month. We choose a pot with clear soup. We only use vinegar, minced garlic, and a little coriander as dipping sauces. We don’t use sesame sauce and tea sauce that are high in salt and oil. We cook more spinach, baby cabbage, and mushrooms, and add a small amount of lean beef and fresh shrimps. We don’t eat processed meatballs or hot pot soup. It’s perfectly fine to eat until you’re seven-tenths full. There’s no need to be insulated from good food just because you have high blood pressure.

In fact, the diet for high blood pressure has never been a cold prohibition of "you can't eat this, you can't eat that." The core is the word "moderate amount." If you occasionally get craving for a pickle or drink half a cup of milk tea, you don't have to feel guilty, as long as the overall diet structure does not deviate. Everyone’s body tolerance is different. Some people’s blood pressure will skyrocket if they eat an extra bite of salt. Some people will have no effect if they eat something sweet. Check your blood pressure more often and pay more attention to blood pressure changes after eating. The eating rules you slowly figure out are more effective than copying anyone else’s recipes.