Control High Blood Pressure With This Tasty Morning Smoothie

High blood pressure, if left untreated, can lead to damage to the heart, kidneys, blood vessels and other parts of your body. It’s important to keep it in check and modify your diet and lifestyle.

For you to be able to control your high blood pressure or hypertension, start your day with this healthy and tasty potassium-packed smoothie. Even if you don’t suffer from high blood pressure, you can enjoy this smoothie’s overall health benefits.

According to experts, people with high blood pressure should restrict sodium intake, eat a balance and nutritious food, cut back on caffeine, watch their waistline, limit alcohol intake, reduce stress, and exercise regularly.

Consume more foods rich in vitamin C and potassium as several studies found that these nutrients can help lower blood pressure. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, relax the blood vessel walls, and removes excess water and sodium from the body. Potassium helps in increasing the excretion of sodium.

Included in this smoothie are fresh strawberries and kiwi for a healthy dose of vitamin C. Strawberries plus some bananas are good sources of potassium. Ground flaxseeds were also added because of its fiber content.

This recipe includes low-fat yogurt and skimmed milk as it can add to the health benefits of this smoothie. In a study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, researchers found that consumption of at least three servings of dairy products a day can lower blood pressure and the risk for heart disease.

If you want to enhance the smoothie’s flavor, you can add garden cress. This herb is rich in vitamins A, C, and K and offers cardiovascular benefits.

How To Make A Healthy Breakfast Smoothie For High Blood Pressure

Things you will need:

Low-fat yogurt
Skim milk
A Kiwi
A banana
Strawberries
Garden cress (optional)
Ground flaxseed
Measuring cups
A knife
A blender

Steps:

In a blender, pour ½ cup of skim milk and ½ cup of low-fat yogurt. Toss in 1 sliced banana, ½ cup sliced strawberries, and 1 peeled kiwi, cut into chunks. Add a spoonful of ground flaxseeds and blend the mixture for a couple of minutes. Optionally, you can chop and add a little garden cress and then blend again. Pour the smoothie into a glass.

Drink this smoothie daily or several times a week to enjoy its benefits.

Additional Tips:

If you don’t have flaxseeds, you can use 1 tablespoon of chia seeds soaked in water.

Instead of skim milk, you can use coconut milk to add more nutrition.

Adding a handful of spinach and ½ cup of cooked beets will make this smoothie healthier and aid detoxification. Both these vegetables are rich in iron, magnesium, nitrates, and vitamins A and C. Nitrates are converted into nitric acid which helps open up blood vessels and lower blood pressure.