Kate B. Forsyth of Be Healthy Today writes…
In this day and age, having high blood pressure is a common thing. A lot if things can lead to this, like the food you eat, the environment, stress, alcohol abuse, etc. Luckily, there are plenty of ways that can help you with this predicament. Drinking specific healthy green smoothies is one way to combat high blood pressure.
There are plenty of smoothie recipes out there that specifically target the lowering of blood pressure. Most of the ingredients used in these smoothies are fruits and vegetables, and just about every kind of each has a positive effect in lowering high blood pressure.
It’s best if you look for recipes that contain ingredients with high potassium content. What potassium does is it lessens the effects of sodium. That means the more food rich in potassium you eat, the more unhealthy sodium you eliminate through urination. Potassium also helps ease the tension in the blood vessel walls. This further helps lower high blood pressure.
For the average adult, the recommended potassium intake per day is 4,700 mg. Some examples of fruits and vegetables rich in potassium are apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, bananas, papaya, strawberries, kiwi, carrots, chard, beet greens, lima beans, spinach, and of course, kale.
Along with potassium, there are other elements that naturally lower blood pressure. Some examples are vitamin D, magnesium, anthocyanins, omega-3 fatty acids, melatonin, and acetyl-L-carnitine.
To get you started on your journey to a regulated blood pressure, here are some examples of easy-to-make green smoothies great for lowering high blood pressure. And bonus: they taste amazing too!
The Blood Pressure Regulator
The banana and spinach used in this helpful smoothie take center stage in beating away high blood pressure.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces pomegranate juice
- 1 banana, peeled
- 1 apple, cored
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- ice cubes
Directions:
Put the pomegranate juice in the blender first. Next, add in the banana and apple. Blend until somewhat smooth. Add the spinach last. Continue blending. Put in ice cubes gradually until desired thickness is achieved.
Tomato-Cucumber-Carrot Smoothie
The antioxidant properties as well as the cleansing capabilities of this yummy smoothie promote the elimination of the accumulated toxins from the body. The parsley is a big help in getting rid of the excess sodium and retained fluids in the body that can affect your blood pressure.
Ingredients:
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- a handful of parsley, minced
- ½ cup water
- ice cubes
Directions:
Place all the ingredients (except the ice cubes) in a high-power blender. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the ice cubes for desired consistency.
Green Heart-Healthy Smoothie
Practically all the ingredients used for this drink help in lowering high blood pressure. You definitely won’t go wrong with this smoothie.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 frozen banana, sliced
- ¼ cup raw beets, chopped
- 1 cup greens of choice (kale or spinach are best)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, minced
- ½ cup frozen berries
- honey to taste
Directions:
Put in the milk and beets. It’s best to blend the beets first as it requires more blending time. Once beet root and milk mixture is somewhat smooth, add the rest of the ingredients except for the honey. If it lacks some sweetness, that’s when you can put in the honey, but gradually.
Avocado-Kiwi-Melon Madness
Now this is a smoothie that’s super potassium packed. It contains close to a whopping 1,000 mg of potassium per serving. Now that’s one powerful blend.
Ingredients:
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 kiwi, sliced
- 1 cup honeydew melon, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ice cubes
Directions:
Blend together the avocado, kiwi, and melon slices. Wait until smooth. Add in the spinach last. Continue blending. Taste the drink to see if sweetness is needed. If so, slowly add in the honey. Put in the ice cubes and continue blending until desired consistency is reached.
Green Smoothie for High Blood Pressure
Here’s another smoothie recipe whose ingredients greatly help in lowering blood pressure naturally.
Ingredients:
- 2 green apples, chopped
- 8-10 ribs of celery, chopped
- a handful of spinach
- a handful of cilantro
- 1 lime
- ice cubes
Directions:
Put in the apples, celery, cilantro, and juice from the lime in a high-speed blender. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the spinach. Resume blending. For the desired thickness, gradually add in the ice cubes.
Pineapple-Grapefruit-Spinach Smoothie
Pineapple and grapefruit are some of the most effective natural diuretics that combat fluid retention, lower high blood pressure, and also cleanse the kidneys. Due to their high water content and low calorie count, both are also ideal in any type of diet.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup grapefruit juice
- 2 slices pineapple
- 1 handful spinach leaves
- ice cubes
Directions:
Blend the grapefruit juice and pineapple slices in a high-powered blender. As with other recipes using spinach, add in the spinach last. Resume blending until the mixture is lump-free. Add in the ice one by one for desired consistency.
Spinach and Carrot Smoothie
Not only will this smoothie positively impact blood pressure, it will also provide your body with that extra kick to increase your physical performance.
Ingredients:
- 5 carrots, sliced
- a handful of spinach
- a handful of parsley
- 2 celery stalks
- ice cubes
Directions:
Put in the carrot slices, parsley, and celery stalks first and blend until lump-free. Add in a little water for moisture, then the spinach. Continue blending until smooth. You can slowly add the ice for a little thickness.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kate B. Forsyth is a writer for Be Healthy Today, who specializes in health and nutrition. Her passion is to help people get an overall transformation of health that lasts a lifetime. In her blog posts, she goes beyond research by providing health-concerned citizens doable and simple tricks to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
Sources:
https://www.healthambition.com/10-surprising-banana-benefits/
http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/green-smoothies/5-green-smoothies-to-lower-high-blood-pressure/
https://steptohealth.com/top-4-green-smoothies-treat-high-blood-pressure/
https://www.healthysmoothiehq.com/lower-high-blood-pressure-with-smoothies
http://juicing-for-health.com/lowering-blood-pressure-naturally
http://www.suesnutritionbuzz.com/2012/07/18/potassium-packed-smoothies-to-lower-your-blood-pressure/
