Hypertension Behavioral Objectives After Reading

Hypertension

Behavioral Objectives

After reading my paper the reader should be able to lower sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day by identifying which foods to enjoy (fresh fruits and vegetables plus whole grains) and which foods to shun (processed foods and fast food).

Why? According to the Mayo Clinic (2010), " limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day will have a more dramatic effect on your blood pressure. While you can reduce the amount of salt you eat by putting down the saltshaker, you should also pay attention to the amount of salt that's in the processed foods you eat, such as canned soups or frozen dinners."

After reading my paper the reader should be able to consume 1000mg of calcium per day by either increasing the consumption of dairy products, non-dairy food items containing calcium such as sesame seeds and sardines, or by taking dietary supplements.

Why? According to Anderson, Young & Long (2008), "People with a low calcium intake seem to be at increased risk for hypertension. Everyone should meet the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for calcium every day. For adults, this is 1,000 mg per day. For adults over 50, 1,200 mg is recommended."

3. After reading my paper the reader should observe a dramatic and healthy decrease in blood pressure after a time period of six to eight weeks.

Why? Anderson, et al. (2008) claim, "Researchers found that in just eight weeks, people following the DASH diet saw their blood pressure decrease."

Paper

Technically, "blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body," (Zieve & Eltz 2011). High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can lead to severe health complications including cardiac arrest (heart attack), aneurysm, and heart failure (MayoClinic 2010). While diet is not the only factor implicated in hypertension, research clearly shows that dietary changes can significantly reduce blood pressure.

In some cases, hypertension can be managed exclusively via making lifestyle changes. Dietary regulation can be a matter of life or death for those prone to high blood pressure. One of the primary factors impacting blood pressure is "how much water and salt you have in your body," (Zieve & Eltz 2011). There is a direct relationship between salt intake and high blood pressure. Therefore, reducing sodium intake in the diet is one of the key ways in lowering the potential for hypertension.

Because obesity is also linked to high blood pressure, it is important that patients with hypertension also make sure to lose weight. This generally entails lowering caloric intake as well as reducing overall sodium intake. Losing weight not only reduces the likelihood of complications due to high blood pressure; losing weight usually entails dietary changes that will also reduce hypertension. For example, eating fewer processed foods will both help a person lose weight and reduce sodium intake. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and no trans-fats ensures good overall health. Therefore, the first step towards reducing high blood pressure is learning how to identify foods that are healthy. Reading product labels is one way to keep track of sodium intake. In general, persons with high blood pressure should avoid all processed and fast foods, which contain exorbitant amounts of salt.

In addition to paying attention to their sodium intake, individuals with high blood pressure or who are prone to it need to pay attention to their calcium intake. Low calcium intake is linked to high blood pressure (Anderson et al. 2008). Therefore, persons with high blood pressure should learn to identify foods that are high in calcium such as dairy products, leafy green vegetables, sesame seeds, and small fish with edible bones. The consumption of dietary calcium may be insufficient for vegans and those with allergic reactions to dairy products. In this case, individuals can supplement their diet with a calcium pill. Calcium is best absorbed when consumed in conjunction with other nutrients such as Vitamin D Potassium is also an important dietary mineral that helps "prevent and control high blood pressure," (Mayo Clinic 2010). Ideally, all persons should focus their diet on fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fresh fish, whole grains, and healthy fats such as olive oil. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains naturally contain the vitamins and minerals essential for healthy heart functioning.