7 Natural Ways To Lower Blood Pressure WITHOUT BP MEDS Today!

I'm Dr. Frita, and today I'm giving you 7 natural ways to lower blood pressure without medications. I am a board-certified kidney doctor and high blood pressure doctor. I help patients to manage their blood pressure every single day. I definitely do prescribe medications when necessary, but after being in practice for so many years, I've learned that there are many natural remedies to reduce blood pressure that don't require medications. When my patients actually implement some of these natural remedies, they're often able to reduce the amount of blood pressure medicines they're on, or in some cases, I can stop their meds altogether. That sounds pretty good, right?

Top Risk Factors For High Blood Pressure or Hypertension

So here's the big deal about high blood pressure. It's a leading cause of strokes and heart disease, and it's the second most common cause of kidney failure and me seeing patients on dialysis. It's really a big deal, and according to the CDC, nearly half of the adults in the United States have high blood pressure, yet only one out of every four has it under control. That's a problem, and here are some of the risk factors for high blood pressure. If you are older in age, or elderly, then that puts you at a higher risk.

Also, if you have a family history of high blood pressure, if you're a black person, yes, black people have a higher risk of having high blood pressure. Other risk factors include living with obesity, having diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, and being a cigarette smoker. Also, if you have a diet that is high in salt and low in potassium, low in vitamin D, ooh, and being a stressed-out person is a risk factor. Yes, high stress is a risk factor for high blood pressure. Am I talking to you?

Definition of High Blood Pressure

Here's the definition of high blood pressure. If your top number or your systolic blood pressure is 130 or greater, or if your diastolic blood pressure, that bottom number is 80 or greater, guess what? You have high blood pressure. But don't worry because today we're going to take action. I'm giving you seven natural ways to decrease your blood pressure numbers without medications using simple lifestyle changes.

7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure Without BP Meds

Getting that dreaded high blood pressure reading at your doctor's office? You're not alone. While the American Heart Association recommends maintaining numbers below 130/80, nearly half of all adults in the U.S. exceed these guidelines as mentioned above.  So now let's get into the seven natural ways to help manage high blood pressure without using medications.

1. Short Bursts of Exercise for 5 Minutes

How to do short bursts of exercise for 5 minutes: You want to climb the stairs, walk up a hill, or do jumping jacks for five minutes intensely. The key is that you want to exercise vigorously enough so that you are breathing heavily, but still be able to maintain a conversation.

Here's why it works. New research shows that short bursts of vigorous activity immediately cause an increase in blood vessel flexibility and compliance.  This triggers a nitric oxide release, which causes a decrease in blood pressure, naturally, for several hours in some cases. Be sure to watch my video on the top 10 best exercises to decrease blood pressure the natural way after you finish reading this article.

2. Practice Deep Breathing Techniques

How to do deep breathing techniques: You want to sit comfortably, breathe in slowly through your nostrils for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and then exhale through your mouth slowly for eight seconds. Repeat the cycle four times.

Here's why it works. Slow deep breathing actually activates your parasympathetic nervous system. This causes your heart rate to slow, blood vessels to dilate, stress hormones to decrease, and blood pressure to drop naturally.

Question, have you tried any natural remedies to reduce your blood pressure? If so, did it work? Tell us in the comments down below. 

3. Use Cold Water Therapy 

How to use cold water therapy (you want to consult your doctor before trying this one): Splash cold water on your face or immerse your face in cold water for 30 seconds. You want the water to be between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Repeat this cycle twice. You can also get in a cold shower.

Why it works? Cold water triggers the mammalian dive reflex, which immediately causes the heart rate to slow down and it can lower high blood pressure numbers by up to 10 to 20 points within minutes.

4. Try A Meditation App Session

How to do it? Open a meditation app like Calm and select a five-minute guided meditation session. Follow the instructions while sitting in a quiet space.

Why it works? Guided meditation immediately reduces cortisol levels activating the relaxation response, which leads to dropping your blood pressure numbers naturally. Now, I have a lot of patients who come to see me and when I talk to them about meditation, they kind of think it's some 'fufu medicine'. It's really something that you have to practice doing and be patient with yourself.

Meditating is not just sitting in a corner quietly while your mind is busy or thinking about your 'things-to-do list'. No, it really requires being in that focused space. So I want you to give it a try. I've definitely seen it work with my patients. Heck, I've seen it work to calm my nerves and decrease my cortisol levels. So yeah, doing some guided meditation is a definite way to lessen your blood pressure naturally.

To learn other ways to lower your blood pressure naturally, I want you to read my book Under Pressure: A Guide to Controlling High Blood Pressure. You know, I'm a medical doctor and I definitely have trained in traditional Western medicine. I trained at Meharry Medical College, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, and so I definitely do prescribe medicines. I understand the traditional ways, but in this book, I also integrate natural ways to reduce blood pressure. I show you holistic measures like using food as medicine, lifestyle as medicine, exercise as medicine, and a low-salt diet as medicine, and we put it all together to come up with a way that's best for you to manage your blood pressure at home. Get your copy today!

5. Go For A Walk In The Sunlight

How to do it? Take a 30-minute walk outside in the direct sunlight. Make sure you focus on deep breathing and maintaining a moderate pace while you're out there. Take the time to enjoy your surroundings, and completely get immersed in the outdoors. Focus on the sky, the clouds, the trees, leaves, flowers, etc.

Why it works. Sunlight exposure triggers vitamin D production and releases nitric oxide in the blood vessels. And of course, this helps to decrease your blood pressure naturally. In addition to vitamin D, helping to reduce your blood pressure, vitamin D also helps to promote good bone health because it allows more calcium to be absorbed in your intestines, and vitamin D helps to support a strong immune system. Also, the gentle movement of walking increases your circulation.

6. Practice The Hand Grip Exercise Technique

Here's how to practice the hand grip exercise technique to help lower BP. Grab a stress ball or a hand grip and squeeze at 30% maximum strength for 20 seconds. Relax for 10 seconds and repeat the cycle six times. Why it works to lower high blood pressure naturally? This isometric exercise triggers a vascular response that dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow regulation. As always, consult your doctor before trying any new exercise.

Question, what's the biggest challenge you face in trying to manage your blood pressure? Drop a comment down below, I'd love to hear it.

7. Laugh Out Loud!

Now this one is my favorite. Laugh out loud.

Here's how to do it. Go and and watch a video clip that makes you laugh or watch a really funny movie. Or just go into your memory bank and recall a situation that makes you laugh out loud. I'll tell you something that I do. I'll go through social media. You know how sometimes you just run through social media and every now and then there's a clip that cracks you up? I literally will go and save these clips so that when I need a laugh, I can go to them and I can just laugh out loud, even if I'm in public, I don't care!

Here's why it works, and this is interesting. Laughter stimulates nitric oxide production, which causes blood vessel walls to relax and it enhances blood flow. Genuine laughter also releases endorphins and reduces stress hormones, also causing the blood vessels to relax, and it causes an immediate reduction in blood pressure naturally.

Conclusion

There you have it. Those are seven of the ways that I help my patients to reduce their blood pressure naturally. Be sure that anytime you're trying a new remedy, even if it's a natural remedy, you consult with your doctor and remember that different techniques work for different people differently. So just because you're trying to reduce your blood pressure naturally, that doesn't mean for you to go and throw out all of your blood pressure medications. You may need some medications and some natural remedies.

Again, when you use these natural remedies, it may allow you to decrease the amount of blood pressure medications you're using, and in some cases, you may be able to come off of these BP meds altogether. The important thing to remember is that whatever you're doing to manage your blood pressure, you must do it under the supervision of a physician or your healthcare provider.

If you found the information in this article to be helpful and informative, please be sure to share it with the people you care about. It is always my pleasure to share evidence-based information with you and to give you different methods to reach your health goals. But again, what I give you is informational and it does not replace the advice of your healthcare provider.