Far too many “doctors” are more talented at scribbling prescriptions than finding real answers. Far too many patients are all too happy to choose pills over real lifestyle changes. For those of us who know that real health solutions don’t come in bottles, here are 12 all-natural ways to lower blood pressure:

1) Stop smoking. Tobacco hardens your arteries and the walls of your blood vessels. If you don’t have the willpower to quit cold turkey, ask your doctor for help in developing a plan. Plus, let’s face is… smoking is so… last century.

2) Time to get some exercise – normally an average of at least 30 minutes a day. You don’t have to join a health club and start grunting in the weight room – even moderate walking is great.

Ask your doctor to help you develop a plan that’s right for your needs. Exercise is a habit just like any other, once you get in the swing, you’ll get addicted to feeling great.

3) Watch the salt (sodium). You’ve probably heard this advice before, and it’s true, but not for everyone. Around 58% of people with high blood pressure are “salt sensitive.”

If you are salt sensitive, it’s best to keep sodium intake to no more than 2,400 milligrams a day, or ideally under 1,500 mg a day. Processed and fast foods are packed with sodium. If you keep a “salt log” for a single day you’ll be amazed at just how much is in our diets. You can easily exceed the entire days recommended amount in a single fast food meal.

4) Eat your potassium. Most people eat a sodium to potassium ratio of 2:1 – we eat twice as much sodium as we do potassium. Many physicians feel that the ideal ratio for blood pressure control is 1:5 – we should be eating five times more potassium than sodium. Ask your doctor about how much potassium makes the most sense for your diet.

Excellent foods rich in potassium include: apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew, kiwis, lima beans, milk, oranges and OJ, potatoes, prunes, spinach, tomatoes and squash.

5) No more “Heavy Metal”. Now, we’re not talking about the music here – we’re talking about lead, cadmium and mercury – all of which are linked to hypertension. For example, if you live in an old house with lead pipes, you might have lead poisoning – which can impair the liver and cause high blood pressure. Smoker? Cigarette smoke contains cadmium. Dental fillings? Many, but not all, contain mercury.

You can find out if you have unhealthy levels of heavy metals in your body through a simple test called ‘hair mineral analysis.’

6) Time to get your weight on target. Do you know what your ideal weight is? Most people don’t. Simple solution: ask your doctor. Added pounds make your heart work overtime.


In nearly all cases, high blood pressure is reduced or eliminated along with unwanted weight. Losing weight isn’t one size fits all (no pun intended), everyone is different. Ask your doctor to help you develop a custom plan that’s right for you.

7) Avoid refined carbohydrates (sugar). Sugar is a key factor in atherosclerosis (a condition in which fatty material collects along the walls of the arteries). Sugar causes spikes of the hormone insulin. Elevated insulin, in turn, is associated with increased triglycerides, cholesterol, higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and… high blood pressure.

8) Time to watch that alcohol. No more than one drink per day for women and two for men. Watching your alcohol is also clinically proven to prevent cocktail party gaffes.

9) Avoid Caffeine. In some, but not all people, caffeine triggers blood pressure spikes.

10) Eat fresh, eat healthy. Check out the DASH Diet (DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) for an overview of the fruits, veggies, whole grains and “low-fat, high-protein” smart options.

People who followed this diet in a clinical study had average blood pressure reductions of 11.4 systolic and 5.5 diastolic. You know the all too true old cliche – You are what you eat.

11) Get enough sleep. Emerging research suggests that sleep deprivation and high blood pressure are linked. What’s more important – that last hour of late night TV or waking refreshed and feeling great?

12) Manage your stress. We live in a time when people are exposed to more stress than frankly our bodies were designed to handle. Just like you wouldn’t skip a shower, or brushing your teeth, or not eat for a whole day, you need to make time every day for some DEEP relaxation. TV time and surfing the net don’t count – those are the potato chips of the relaxation world.

What does count is deep relaxation techniques such as Guided Breathing – it’s clinically proven to permanently lower blood pressure as much as 36 points systolic and 20 points diastolic. Guided Breathing is one of the most powerful ways known to lower blood pressure naturally without drugs.

Your health care needs are unique. Ask your physician how any of these ideas might help you reduce or eliminate your “need” for high blood pressure pills.

To learn more about Guided Breathing and other natural ways to control your blood pressure without drugs, visit: http://www.LowerBloodPressureDrugFree.com.

Andy Krals is the creator of the Breathtaking Nature Method and founder of Lower Blood Pressure Drug Free.

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