Health Tips # 16 – 17

contents:

• Health Tip # 16 — Do the following to lower your blood pressure level.
• Health Tip # 17 — The best teas for Diabetics.

Health Tip # 16 — Do the following to lower your blood pressure level.

High blood   pressure is a disease which never goes away. The patient has to take medications to lower his/her high blood pressure level. Beside the medication, there are some ways which help to lower high  blood pressure .

#1 = Eat heart healthy foods

These foods have the complete parts of heart – healthy diet:

• Vegetables , such as spinach, carrots and broccoli.
• Fruits, such as oranges, apples and bananas.
• Fish, especially those rich in omega 3 fatty acid.
• Lean cuts of beef.
• Skinless chicken or turkey.
• Eggs.
• Fat free dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
• Brown rice, and whole grain bread.
• Beans and nuts.

# 2 : Reduce/limit saturated fats.

• It is highly recommended not to eat foods that are high in saturated /tans fats. Hot dogs, fast foods and frozen foods are one of them. Eating olive oil, avocados, canola oil and nuts are recommended.
• Sodium is main  cause to increase blood pressure levels. Try to reduce daily intake  1000 mg or less  of sodium in a day.
• Eat more Potassium.. Potassium lower the blood pressure levels. Potassium is found in bananas, spinach and tomatoes. If you are diabetic and have muscle cramps during night, you must consult your doctor before you start eating above items. Eating above items may worsen your muscle cramps, as potassium  makes the muscle more weak.
• Cut down Caffeine.  Caffeine raises the blood pressure. It is a good practice not to drink coffee before any exercise.
• Cut back/Reduce on Alcohol: . Drinking excess alcohol is another cause of high blood pressure. Experts recommend two drink a day for men and one drink a day for women is near to be  safe.
• Minimize Sugar intake: You should avoid to eat foods with added sugar and sweeteners. Sugar will add more calories to your diet. Soft drinks, candies and cakes  are the foods you should avoid to eat.
• Chocolate:  Chocolate are the favorite of all ages, A study in 2010 shows that dark  chocolate can slightly reduce blood pressure, It does not mean that all types of chocolates are allowed to eat.
• It is a common practice that usually people pick the foods without knowing its ingredients, quantity of sugar mixed in food, the quantity of calories, sodium or fats. Do read carefully the food labels on canned foods.
• Lose weight: Losing a little bit of weight can  help a lot to lower blood pressure. Experts explain that every two pounds of weight loss will lower  approximately 1 mmHg  blood pressure.
• A large waistline has link between heart diseases. Experts recommend for male to keep their waistline up to 40 inches , and 35 inches for females, to reduce the risk of  heart diseases .
• Reduce stress : Stress is another cause to raise blood pressure. Deep breathing can help to reduce stress.
• Quit  smoking: It is medically proved  that smoking  raise the blood pressure. Nicotine in the cigarettes/tobacco  can damaged/injured the walls of blood vessels.
• Stay active: There are many ways to make you active or healthy. Some of them are: walking, cycling, running or jogging, swimming etc. A 30 minutes daily  exercise will keep you physically fit and active for whole day.
• Garlic is a simple medicine to lower blood pressure levels.
• Monitor your blood pressure at home: Monitoring your blood pressure at home will help to know if your heart treatment is working well or not.
• Drink a glass of cold water if you feel your blood pressure is high. Take rest for a while.
• Talk to your Doctor. Let him/her know the present situation of your blood pressure. Follow your Doctor’ s advise. Take medication regularly as prescribed by your Doctor.

May Al-mighty Allah bless all of us with good health.

Health Tip # 17. — The best teas for Diabetics.

Food experts have shown that certain teas have anti – inflammatory effects on our body.  Beside  that  some teas lower blood sugar level, and trigger the Insulin sensitivity . Question arises what type of tea is beneficial for a Diabetic person ?

We mention below some teas that are the best option for a Diabetic  person.

Green Tea:

• Green tea offers many health benefits . Some of them have direct link with Diabetes.  Drinking green tea may help reduce cellular damage, decrease inflammation and optimize blood sugar control.
• The result of 17 studies of 1,133 people with and without Diabetes ,found that green tea drinking significantly reduce fasting blood sugar levels and hemoglobin  A 1C. The hemoglobin A 1C , known as HbA1c is a blood test which shows average blood sugar level  for past  3 months.
•  More, studies shows that drinking green tees  reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
• It is generally advised to drink at least 3-4  cups of green tea to have the above benefits.

Black Tea:

• Black Tea contain powerful plant compounds. These compounds have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and blood sugar lowering effects.
• A study of 24 people , some of them had   prediabetes, was carried out . And the  result was very interesting. Researchers  found that drinking black tea along with sugary drinks significantly decreased blood sugar levs compared with a control group.
• Another benefit of drinking black tea is, it may help to encourage healthy insulin storage  and protect the insulin storage cell of pancreas.
• The food experts recommend 3-4 cup of black tea per day to have notable benefits.

Hibiscus tea.

• Hibiscus tea known as sour tea is a brightly  ruby  coloured tart tea. This tea is made from the petals of the Hibiscus Sabdariffa plants. This plant has a variety of beneficial polyphenol antioxidants, including Organic Acids and anthocyanins.
• Drinking Hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure levels and reduce inflammation.
• Studies show that Hibiscus tea may reduce insulin  resistance.
• Please note that Hibiscus tea may interact with the high blood pressure medication.

Cinnamon Tea.

• Cinnamon is a popular spice that has antidiabetic properties.
• It may reduce blood sugar levels by slowing the release of sugar into the bloods. It will also promote insulin sensitivity.
• Although Cinnamon has significantly benefit fasting blood sugar  levels and lipid levels, it does not seem effective for controlling average blood sugar at HbA1C.

Turmeric Tea.

• Turmeric is  a  vibrant orange spice , well known for its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• The main active component in Turmeric is Curcumin, has blood sugar lowering properties. Curcumin can promote healthy blood sugar level by improving insulin sensitivity , and increasing glucose uptake in tissues.
• A 2020 review of human and animal study   shows that taking Curcumin  has effects in reducing blood sugar and blood lipid levels.
• The above review noted that curcumin intake helped to reduce  cellular damage  . It decrease levels of pro-inflammatory compounds, and increased kidney function.
• Please note that piperine, a major compound of black pepper, increases curcumin bioavailability . So don not forget to add a sprinkle of black pepper to your turmeric tea for maximum benefits.

Lemon Balm Tea.

Lemon Balm Tea is being drunk as a herbal  tea. Being a part of mint family, it has a bright lemony scent. According to the researchers, lemon balm oil helps to take glucose and inhibit the  glucose process in the body, and decrease blood sugar.

In a study , 62 people with  type 2  diabetes were given 700 mg of lemon balm extract capsules daily for 12 weeks. The result was fantastic . Fasting blood sugar was reduced. Blood pressure, HbA1c,  and triglyceride level were also reduced.

source: healthline