Why is it important to reduce high blood pressure?    Elevated blood pressure can increase the risk of developing certain conditions such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. By decreasing your blood pressure, you can reduce the risk of developing these conditions.

What are the risk factors?    Studies have found a number of risk factors that increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Some factors such as age, sex and ethnicity cannot be changed. But there are a number of risk factors that can be changed. These include:

• Being overweight
• Eating a diet high in salt
• Being physically inactive
• Smoking
• Drinking too much alcohol

• Fruit (2 serves per day): 1 serve = 1 whole medium fruit (banana, apple) or 2 small fruits (apricots or kiwi fruit) or 4 dried apricots or 1 cup of tinned fruit in natural juice drained.
• Vegetables (5-7 serves per day): 1 serve= 1 medium potato or ½ cup of leafy green vegetables (cabbage, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower) or 1 cup salad vegetables or ½ cup of legumes (lentils, chickpeas, dried beans)
• Breads and Cereal Products (4-7 serves per day): 1 serve= 2 slices of wholegrain bread or 1 cup of cooked basmati rice, pasta or noodles or 1 cup of wholegrain breakfast cereal. Whole grain breads and cereals break down slower in the gut and therefore may assist in controlling blood glucose levels.
• Meat, fish or poultry (1-2 serves per day): 1 serve=65-100g cooked lean meat/ chicken or 2 small eggs or 80-120g cooked fish fillet. Any type of fish in the diet is beneficial. If using tinned fish, buy fish in water rather than brine as brine is higher in salt.
• Dairy Foods (2-3 serves per day): 1 serve= glass of milk (250mL) or 2 slices of cheese (40g) or 1 individual tub of yoghurt (200g). Low fat dairy products are a good choice especially if you have diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease.
  It is important to eat less:
  
• Salt (also known as sodium): A large amount of sodium in food is added during processing. Best results for lowering salt intake can be achieved by:
        Not adding salt to food while cooking or at the table
        Buying fresh food
        Buying salt-free or salt-reduced products
  
• Fat: A reduced fat diet is important when trying to lose weight as fat is a high source of calories. It is important to limit saturated fat in the diet especially in people who have diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol. This type of fat is found in many foods such as meat, fried food, pastries, cream and butter. Choose lean meat and remove all visible fat before cooking. If using added fat in the diet, use small amounts of mono or polyunsaturated types (eg. olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil or safflower oil). These types of fat are healthier for the heart.
• Drink alcohol in moderation: It is suggested to limit alcohol intake to two standard drinks per day for men and one standard drink per day for women with two alcohol free days a week. A standard drink is equal to
        285mL of regular beer or 425mL of light beer
        100mL of wine
        60mL of sherry/port
        30mL of spirits

Examples of salt content in food    The recommended daily intake of sodium in the diet is 900-2400mg per day. Here are some examples of foods low and high in salt

High salt Canned peas (1/2 cup) slice of ham (30g) 1 plain hamburger Soy sauce (1 tablespoon) Canned Baked beans (1 cup) Corn flakes (1 cup) Potato crisps (50g)

mg 180 380 1120 1510 1100 355 450

Low Salt Frozen Peas (1/2 cup) Fresh peas (1/2 cup) Cold roast beef ¼ BBQ chicken (no skin) Canned Baked beans (No added salt, 1 cup) Bran flakes (1 cup) Plain pop corn (unsalted)

mg 2 0 16 400 140 160 0