7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure down When it comes to preventing and treating high blood pressure, one often-overlooked strategy is managing stress. If you often find yourself tense and on-edge, try these seven ways to reduce stress. Get enough sleep. Inadequate or poor-quality sleep can negatively affect your mood, mental alertness, energy level, and physical health. Learn relaxation techniques. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and yoga are powerful relaxation techniques and stress-busters. Strengthen your social network. Connect with others by taking a class, joining an organization, or participating in a support group. Hone your time-management skills. The more efficiently you can juggle work and family demands, the lower your stress level. Try to resolve stressful situations if you can. Don't let stressful situations fester. Hold family problem-solving sessions and use negotiation skills at home and at work. Nurture yourself. Treat yourself to a massage. Truly savor an experience: for example, eat slowly and really focus on the taste and sensations of each bite. Take a walk or a nap, or listen to your favorite music. Ask for help. Don't be afraid to ask for help from your spouse, friends, and neighbors. If stress and anxiety persist, talk to your doctor. Get your copy of Controlling Your Blood Pressure   An alarming one in three American adults has high blood pressure. Known medically as hypertension, many people don't even know they have it, because high blood pressure has no symptoms or warning signs. But when elevated blood pressure is accompanied by abnormal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the damage to your arteries, kidneys, and heart accelerates exponentially. Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to detect and treat. In the Special Health Report, Controlling Your Blood Pressure, find out how to keep blood pressure in a healthy range simply by making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, increasing activity, and eating more healthfully. Along with these ways to reduce stress, add in a healthy lifestyle — maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, regular exercise, and a diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthful fats — and high blood pressure could be a thing of the past. For more information on lifestyle changes to treat high blood pressure and how to choose the right medication if needed, read Controlling Your Blood Pressure, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story:

5 ways to use less salt Salt is essential to the body. The sodium in salt helps transmit nerve impulses and contract muscle fibers. It also works with potassium to balance fluid levels in in the body. But you need only a tiny amount of salt to do this — less than one-tenth of a teaspoon per day. The average American gets nearly 20 times that much. The body can generally rid itself of excess sodium. In some people, though, consuming extra sodium makes the body hold on to water. This increases the amount of fluid flowing through blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure. Most of the salt that Americans consume comes from prepared and processed foods. The leading culprits include snack foods, sandwich meats, smoked and cured meats, canned juices, canned and dry soups, pizza and other fast foods, and many condiments, relishes, and sauces — for starters. But enough of it comes from the salt shaker at home that it's worth finding alternatives. Here are five ways to cut back on sodium when cooking or at the table: For more information on lifestyle changes that will help treat high blood pressure, read Controlling Your Blood Pressure, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Image: Bigstock Share this story:

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Controlling Your Blood Pressure Featured content: • Blood pressure basics • Types of high blood pressure • What puts you at risk for high blood pressure? • How high blood pressure harms your health • Diagnosing high blood pressure • Lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure • SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: Conquering your salt habit Click here to read more »