Today’s edition of HH101 focuses on the urban community’s silent killer
By Nakeasha Johnson

High blood pressure affects the Black community at rates incredibly disproportionate to other ethnicities. According to the CDC, 40% of men and 45.7% of woman develop HBP at earlier ages and more often than Caucasians and Mexicans. There are quite a few factors that play into HBP. An abundance of stress, the lack of exercise, diet, and weight can all affect your blood pressure levels. Ultimately, your health care professional to the best of their ability, can tell you the source of your high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, here are a few tips
* Use herbs and spice to replace salt. Keeping an eye on your sodium levels is super important
​* Cinnamon helps to prevent heart disease and diabetes.
​* Garlic has anti-hypertension properties.
​* Oregano contains carvacrol which has been demonstrated to be effective against HBP
​* Ginger can also be used in combination with other spices and also have an effect on HBP
* Increase your amount of physical activity
​* Take the time to exercise 3 to 4 days a week
​* You can start in 30 minute increments and increase that time by 10 minutes every other week based on your comfort levels
*Actively work on lowering your stress levels
​* Try to set aside 10 minutes a day to meditate
​* Take up meditative exercise styles like Yoga, walking, etc.
​* Set aside alone time for yourself to catch up on things and relax
These tips could help to lower your high blood pressure if you incorporate them into your daily activities. As noted previously, with high blood pressure take careful note of your salt or sodium intake. When dealing with HBP making your own meals, gives you greater control of your salt intake. Finding the right combination of herbs to suite your tastes will help greatly. Your diet is one of the greatest factors when dealing with HBP. Take a proactive approach to your health and reduce the risk.

-Nakeasha Johnson(@NakeashaJ)