Eat high blood pressure away

  • Published
  • By Col. Kim Neiman
  • IMA to the 60th Medical Group Chief Nurse
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month. It’s time to take action to find out what your blood pressure numbers are, what they mean and what you need to do to prevent or control this all too common condition. This year’s theme is “Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure: Mission Possible.” 

“High blood pressure is a dangerous condition,” said Lt. Col. Connie Pockett, 60th Medical Group chief nurse. “You usually don’t have any symptoms, so you may not even know you have it. And it can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, the first, third, and ninth leading causes of death in the United States.” 

According to Colonel Pockett, the good news is that it is possible to prevent and control high blood pressure by making some fairly simple lifestyle changes: 

-- Lose weight, if necessary, and maintaining a healthy weight 

-- Be physically active 

-- Follow a healthy eating plan 

-- Eat less salt and sodium 

-- Limit your alcohol consumption 

“One step that you can get started on right away is to gradually start eating more healthfully,” said Lt. Col. Pennie Pavlisin, 60th Medical Operations Squadron director of population health. “Research has shown that a healthy eating plan called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension can reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure and lower your blood pressure if it’s already high.” 

The DASH eating plan emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy products. It is moderate in total fat and low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It also includes whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts. 

“Starting on the DASH eating plan is fairly easy,” said Colonel Pavlisin. “It requires no special foods and has no hard-to-follow recipes.” 

Here are some tips to help Travis members get started: 

-- Make gradual changes like adding a serving of fruit or vegetables at lunch and dinner 

-- Gradually increase use of fat-free and low-fat dairy products to three servings a day 

-- Gradually decrease the amount of butter, margarine or salad dressing consumed by 50 percent 

-- Those who eat large portions of meat can cut them back by a half or a third at each meal 

-- Try two or more vegetarian-style [meatless] meals each week 

-- Try casseroles and pasta and stir-fry dishes, which have less meat and more vegetables, grains and dry beans 

-- Try fresh or dried fruits, raw vegetables, or low-fat and fat-free yogurt for snacks 

So join the mission and start eating more healthfully today. It can save your life. 

To learn more about the DASH eating plan, tips for getting started, sample meal plans and recipes, visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s “Your Guide to Controlling High Blood Pressure” Web site at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/index.html and click on Prevention. 

For more information, contact the David Grant USAF Medical Center HOLDSS clinic at 423-7867.