Blood Pressure Lowering Medicine Chest: Your Local Farmer’s Market!

By Janet Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN
NABBW’s Healthy Heart Lifestyle Expert

Spring is in the air, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the grass is getting green, green, green… all signs that summer is right around the corner.

The warm weather is also a signal that the cornucopia of locally grown fruits and vegetables is also just around the corner at the nearest farmer’s market.

Why favor farmers\’ markets over the grocery store?

There are several main reasons:

  • The food is fresher (healthier)
  • The food is seasonal
  • The food is locally grown (you support local farmers) and
  • You get a better variety of foods

Make sure you frequent your local farmer’s market often, the ultimate health food store!

Fruits and vegetablesFarmers\’ markets are also a veritable drugstore for blood pressure lowering superfoods.

When shopping for these superfoods, here are the three blood pressure lowering mineral superstars you need to keep in mind:

Potassium
Magnesium, and
Calcium

How do you choose the food highest in these minerals? Simple—I have included my “Mining for Minerals Charts” from my new book, Blood Pressure Down: The 10-Step Plan to Lower Your Blood Pressure in 4 Weeks–Without Prescription Drugs.

Cut them out and carry them to the Farmer’s Market and when you see these foods, buy them, eat them and watch your blood pressure drop!

               

      Mining for Minerals:

See it, Eat it Pocket Charts#

               POTASSIUM!

     Super-High*         Very High**

 

Cantaloupe

Casaba melon

Honeydew melon

Artichokes

Avocado

Beet greens

Cooked spinach

Swiss chard

White beans

Low sodium V8

Prunes

 

Apricots

Bananas

Dried fruits

Prunes

Brussels sprouts

Pumpkin

Cooked mushrooms

Chocolate (dark)

Squash

Potatoes

Kiwi

Pumpkin

*Each food contains over 400 mg potassium per ½ cup serving

** Each food contains over 250 mg potassium per ½ cup serving

 

               MAGNESIUM!

     Super-High*         Very High**

 

Cooked spinach

White beans

Corn

Swiss chard

Purslane

Dry-roasted,  

    unsalted almonds

Halibut

Quinoa

Brown rice

 

 

Brewed espresso

Clams

Brewed coffee

Prickly pear cactus

Peanut butter

     (low sodium)

Avocado

Fat free yogurt

Kidney and

   pinto beans

Peas

Dry roasted,  

   unsalted peanuts

Potato, baked, with

   skin

*Each food contains ~100 mg magnesium per typical

serving size.

  

                    CALCIUM!

     Super-High*         Very High**

 

Nonfat plain

    Yogurt

Soy milk,   

    Fortified

Fat free milk

Collard greens

Cheeses:

–Low sodium   

   Parmesan cheese, Swiss cheese and Light Mozzarella (low sodium)

Low sodium/fat cottage cheese

Part skim ricotta cheese (1/2 cup)

 

Tofu

 

Canned salmon

 

Edamame

 

Bok Choy

 

Blackstrap molasses

*Each food contains over 300 mg calcium per typical serving size

** Each food contains over 150 mg per typical serving size

# NOTE: These charts are excerpted from the book “Blood Pressure Down” by Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN; Published by Three Rivers Press; May 2013. Copyright © 2013 Janet Brill, Ph.D.To learn more about this book, please visit DrJanet.com.

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN is author of the new book, “Blood Pressure Down,” published by Three Rivers Press; May 2013;$15.00 US/$18.00 CAN; 978-0-307-98635-1 Copyright © 2013 and Prevent a Second Heart Attack, 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease” (Random House/Crown Publishing; 2011; $15.00), as well as “Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in 4 Weeks Without Prescription Drugs (Random House/Crown Publishing; 2006; $13.95) and an accompanying Android app. Dr. Brill is a leading diet and nutrition author, educator and practitioner. She consults for the health and fitness industry specializing in cardiovascular disease prevention. She is the nutrition expert for the national television show, The Balancing Act. For more info on her books, please visit: www.DrJanet.com.

Dr. Janet Brill Nutritionist and Author

Dr. Janet is a nationally recognized expert in the field of health, wellness and cardiovascular disease prevention and is frequently sought after by the media as a trusted source of nutrition and fitness information.

Janet holds master’s degrees in both nutrition and exercise physiology and a doctorate in exercise physiology. She is a registered dietitian and certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and Wellcoaches, Inc.