High Blood Pressure + High Cholesterol: 3 Morning Habits to Avoid
The headline is a little misleading: there aren’t three specific things that everyone with high blood pressure and cholesterol must avoid every morning. What matters is your overall eating pattern and daily habits. Current American Heart Association guidance emphasizes less sodium, less saturated fat, more minimally processed foods, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats.
1. 🥓 Don’t start the day with salty processed foods
Breakfast meats such as bacon, sausage and heavily processed meats, along with salty packaged foods, can add substantial sodium. High sodium intake can make blood-pressure control more difficult. The AHA recommends limiting sodium to under 2,300 mg/day, moving toward 1,500 mg for many adults with hypertension.
Better: oatmeal, fruit, unsalted nuts, beans, whole-grain bread, or eggs with vegetables.
2. 🧈 Don’t make breakfast heavy in saturated fat
Large amounts of butter, fatty processed meats, cream and other foods high in saturated fat can work against LDL-cholesterol reduction. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats is associated with lower cardiovascular risk.
Better: use small amounts of olive, canola or sunflower oil and choose nuts, seeds, fish or other healthier protein sources.
3. 🥤 Don’t make sugary drinks your morning routine
Regular soft drinks, sweetened tea/coffee, energy drinks and other sugary beverages add substantial added sugar without providing much nutritional value. The AHA recommends minimizing added sugars as part of a heart-healthy diet.
Better: water, unsweetened tea, or unsweetened coffee.
☕ What about coffee?
You don’t necessarily have to give up coffee because you have high blood pressure. Unsweetened coffee can fit into a heart-healthy diet, although caffeine can temporarily raise blood pressure in some people.
