Eat more garlic. One clove a day over 12 weeks has been shown in studies to effectively lower blood pressure dramatically.

Add saffron to your foods. The chemical crocetin in saffron has been shown to reduce blood pressure levels.

Take Valerian root when you need to calm down. Valerian root is natures Valium and can help when you’re in a nervous or agitated state.

Eat more fruits and vegetables for the calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C and potassium. These include broccoli, bananas, pumpkins, potatoes, legumes and leafy greens.

Replace red meats with leaner meats such as chicken.

Add soy to your diet.

Treating high blood pressure usually includes medication prescribed by a doctor and a change in lifestyle. The actual treatment you are put on will depend on several factors. Among them are preexisting health conditions, existing medication, overall status of your health and medical history. Here are a few suggestions on how to lower blood pressure through lifestyle modifications:

• Discontinue consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• Begin exercising even if you are not overweight.
• Lose the extra pounds.
• Avoid unhealthy foods. This includes junk food, high sodium foods, certain condiments and prepared foods.
• Cut back on the caffeine you consume. Try drinking caffeine free beverages.
• Increase your daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Quit smoking if you smoke. If you do not smoke avoid locations that you will be subjected second hand smoke.

What does alcohol have to do with blood pressure?

Generally, alcohol will increase the blood pressure drastically. There are a few people that can drink without causing their blood pressure to rise. So basically, you will have to figure out if your blood pressure is effected by the consumption of alcohol. If there is not a change in your blood pressure it should be safe to consume no more than one beverage per day. However, you should have the prior approval of your doctor.

Do I need to exercise and lose weight?

It is important that you exercise regularly for your overall health as well as your blood pressure. You can begin slowly by taking brisk walks twice a day and gradually increase your exercise as it is deemed fit by your doctor. Losing weight will depend on the individual. If you are overweight then yes you should lose weight. The extra weight causes your heart to be overworked and over a period of time the heart is unable to meet the demands of the body. However, if you are at an ideal weight then you only need to exercise and continue to eat healthy foods.

How much sodium is safe?

This is another question that needs to be answered specifically for each person as an individual instead of classifying everyone together. Some people do not have a change in their blood pressure when they consume sodium and others have a drastic change. Generally speaking, if you have high blood pressure you should consider only consuming 2,400 mg or less of sodium daily.