According to the most recent estimates, about one in three Americans has high blood pressure (or hypertension), which can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other forms of heart disease. If you’re among this group, you’ll need to make some lifestyle adjustments to avoid the worst-case scenarios, but fret not—as serious as a diagnosis of high blood pressure can be, you can still make room in your life for a little fun. In fact, given that stress is one of the major contributors to hypertension, taking a vacation could be one of the best ways to help your heart.
So if you’re away from home and more prone to letting loose and surrendering to the temptations that surround you, how can you ensure that your holiday is easy on your blood pressure? Simply employ a modicum of restraint—and keep the following tips in mind.
Get to know your salt table.
Reducing your sodium intake to less than 1,500 milligrams a day is one of the first steps you can take in lowering your blood pressure. Unfortunately, sodium is everywhere, and not only in the usual suspects such as packaged and processed foods, meats, and dairy products. Who would have thought that even raw carrots contain 100 milligrams per serving?
By familiarizing yourself with the sodium content of your favorite foods, you can keep tabs on how much you consume in a day, even when you’re on the road. Refer to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s sodium chart for general guidelines.
Fear the Fast Food.
Steer clear of fast food, all-you-can-eat buffets, and happy hours. Fast food is convenient and familiar, but it’s notoriously salty too. At one of the world’s most popular drive-through destinations, even the hot caramel sundae packs 160 milligrams of sodium—never mind the double quarter pounder with cheese, which has almost a day’s worth.
As for all-you-can-eat buffets, most are not only open invitations to overeat; they’re also likely to offer food that contains vast amounts of fat, calories, and sodium. And happy hours harbor similar dangers, enticing you to drink more than the recommended one to two alcoholic beverages a day. Also, remember that just three to four ounces of 80-proof liquor can raise blood pressure.
Go on an action-packed vacation.
Moderate exercise has shown to be very effective in decreasing blood pressure, so while you’re on holiday stick to the experts’ recommendation of working out at least 30 minutes every day by making sure your vacation plans include aerobic activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, golfing, tennis, skiing, or even whitewater rafting.
