Simple steps to keep your blood pressure under control - Part 3

- Alcohol alert — While it does provide some health benefits, alcohol can also be bad for your health. If consumed in small amounts, it can help prevent heart attacks and coronary artery disease. But, more than one or two drinks and the benefits are gone. Keep a check on your drinking patterns and if you're a heavy drinker, start reducing slowly. Never indulge in binge drinking. Consuming four or five drinks in a row can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure. 

- Tea benefits — Herbal teas are the way to go. In a study conducted, those who sipped on hibiscus tea daily lowered their blood pressure. Many herbal teas contain hibiscus or you can always opt for green tea. The effects of caffeine are still debatable. Drinking caffeinated beverages can temporarily increase pressure. The solution is to check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee to determine if it works for your body. 

- Reduce work and relax — Reducing the number of hours you spend in office can help lower hypertension. Working overtime makes it hard to exercise and eat healthy. Ensure that you get out of office at a decent hour. Learning to relax by listening to soothing music (Classical, Oriental or Indian instrumental) can help.

Concluded 

Major Facts For Stress - Part 1

STRESS is already a part of daily living. You may never know it but you are already affected by this issue. You shout at your kids or nag your partner about something. You seem to raise an issue out of a particular event even if it is not true. You also tend to be suspicious at some points. All these are due to stress.

Scientifically, stress is a state of high tension or pressure, resulting from an accident or injury or a psychological reaction of heightened emotional response. Certain occupations are particularly stressful, such as acting, advertising, controlling air traffic, politics, investing and gambling. As an effect of stressful emotions such as panic attacks, fear and anger, the blood pressure rises, the pulse beats faster, breathing is accelerated, digestion stops, and the adrenal glands become overactive.

MAJOR FACTS FOR STRESS:

1. It can be caused by many factors. Fear and anxiety are the greatest causes of psychological stress. In modern times people are constantly beset by the threat of calamities. They fear depression and inflation, unemployment, cancer and heart failure, missiles and bombs and famine. At home they may be confronted with marital incompatibility, quarrels, family illness, or financial troubles.

2. It can also cause something. Many illnesses are caused by mental stress, including ulcers, spastic constipation, diarrhea, high blood pressure and migraine headaches. Sometimes latent mental disorders are precipitated by stressful circumstances, as in the case of manic-depressive psychosis, schizophrenia, hysteria and neurasthenia.

3. It can worsen through time. When a person is subjected to repeated stresses, she is likely to develop what people call nervous breakdown, an unscientific but expressive term. The stress produced by the problems of everyday living has led to the widespread use of tranquilizers, a last resort when there seems to be no escape from a difficult situation.

4. It happens in daily living. Stress exists in almost every human activity and is not the same as nerve tension. Some stress is beneficial since it may stimulate action.

To Be Continued.....

Image Credit : Funzug.com

Source : Indian Express