Ways to prevent high blood pressure during Tet (Lunar New Year)

Eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, and limiting alcohol consumption can help stabilize blood pressure and prevent spikes during the Tet holiday.

During the long Tet holiday, everyone spends time gathering with family and friends, having fun, and eating. Traditional Tet dishes often contain a lot of sugar and salt. Drinks like alcohol, beer, and carbonated soft drinks negatively impact blood pressure. In addition, disrupted routines, irregular rest, lack of exercise, and stress during this time can all contribute to elevated blood pressure.

Dr. Tran Vu Minh Thu, Head of Cardiology Department 2, Cardiovascular Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, provides guidance on how to control high blood pressure during the Tet holiday.

Maintain a healthy diet.

Sticky rice cakes (Bánh chưng, Bánh tét), pork sausage (Giò chả), jam, pickled onions, sweets... are typical dishes of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, but they can cause high blood pressure.

People with high blood pressure should limit their intake of foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and those prepared with a lot of salt. The recommended total salt intake for people with high blood pressure is less than 1,500 mg per day (about 3/4 teaspoon of salt). Prioritize green vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish, fruits, and low-fat dairy. Supplementing with potassium from bananas, avocados, watermelon, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin can help reduce the impact of sodium on blood pressure and lower blood pressure readings.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables helps control blood pressure during the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: Freepik

Limit alcohol consumption.

Drinking too much alcohol increases blood pressure. People with high blood pressure should avoid alcohol altogether, or if they do drink, they should do so in moderation, equivalent to 360 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine, or 30 ml of spirits. Drinking water, green tea, low-sugar juices, and low-fat milk is better for health. People at risk of high blood pressure should limit their consumption of coffee and sugary soft drinks.

Stress management

When stressed, the body releases hormones that cause blood pressure to rise. Maintaining a cheerful and relaxed state of mind can also help prevent high blood pressure. When stressed, you should sit down, rest, and take deep breaths to calm yourself down.

Monitor blood pressure

People with risk factors for hypertension or a history of the condition should have a home blood pressure monitor for convenient health tracking.

Take your medication regularly.

Patients should remember to take their blood pressure medication as prescribed by their doctor during the holiday season. Dr. Thu noted that cold and flu medications containing decongestants, such as oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, and pseudoephedrine, can increase blood pressure.

Increase physical activity.

Maintaining good physical activity is beneficial for health and helps connect people during the New Year. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, or 30 minutes per day.

My Dung

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