High blood pressure has been associated with heart attack and stroke. Many people take medication to lower their blood pressure, but all medicines have a risk of side effects. Fortunately there are a number of natural ways to prevent high blood pressure, or lower it if it has crept up beyond the optimal level of 120/80. Try these and see what a difference they can make to your readings!

1. Stop smoking

Every time you light up, you are raising your pressure.

2. Slim down

The heavier you are, the higher your blood pressure.

3. Watch your waist

Carrying too many pounds around your middle, known as waist roundness, has been associated with high blood pressure and diabetes.

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4. Keep moving

Physical activity can keep blood pressure down long term and also help with your weight loss goals. Try walking, swimming and yoga.

5. Avoid alcohol

Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points and has been associated with a range of illnesses, including diabetes, heart issues and even cancer.  The one exception is 2 to 6 ounces of red wine per might for heart-healthy resveratrol but you can get this from grapes or grape juice too.

6. Steer clear of caffeine

It can raise blood pressure significantly with each cup of coffee or soda.

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7. Deal with your stress

Stress increases blood pressure. Adopt stress relief strategies like meditation, a warm bath, listing to music, and other things you enjoy that will help you relax each day

8. Watch your salt intake

You may think you don’t eat a lot of salt because you never touch the shaker, but the truth is that if you don’t cook from scratch yourself and don’t read food labels, you are probably consuming far more salt (sodium) than your recommended daily allowance.

9. Discover the DASH diet

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (the clinical name for high blood pressure). It was developed to help lower blood pressure naturally through diet alone. There are many free resources online to help you get started.

10. Monitor your blood pressure regularly

If your pressure is high, consider investing in a home blood pressure monitor to help you keep track and see if one or all of these strategies helps you lower your blood pressure. Here is’a great resource on understanding the numbers.

Use one or more of these ten tried and tested ways to lower your blood pressure naturally and see what a difference they can make to your health.