• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Couple eating lunch

Eating to Manage High Blood Pressure During COVID-19

Nov 22, 2021 |
By Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Based on what we know right now, people with coronary heart disease or hypertension (high blood pressure) may be more susceptible to COVID-19 and are at a greater risk of developing more severe symptoms if they contract the virus.

This means that it’s more important than ever before for people with hypertension to be proactive about keeping their blood pressure well-controlled and maintaining good health and nutrition.

In addition to continuing to take your medications as prescribed, incorporating regular exercise into your lifestyle and keeping follow-up appointments (either in person or virtually), it’s essential to be mindful of your diet.

The DASH Diet

The DASH diet is often recommended for people with hypertension. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and has been shown to reduce blood pressure in as little as two weeks.

The DASH diet is simple and consists of the following five key components:

  • Potassium-rich foods: vegetables (fresh or frozen), whole fruits and low-fat dairy products
  • Emphasis on plant-based fats (such as avocado, nuts, olive oil); limiting animal fats and trans fats
  • Lean proteins such as fish and poultry
  • Whole grains in place of white, refined starches
  • Cut back on sugar, sodium, sugary drinks and red meat

If you haven’t started following the DASH diet, you can do so now by making gradual changes. One of the biggest improvements we can make is to cut out any sugar-sweetened drinks including soft drinks, sports drinks, sugary coffee drinks, fruity drinks, lemonade and sweet tea. Replace these with water or if you’re looking for flavor, try water with a squeeze of lemon or lime, flavored sparkling water or herbal teas.

To dial back on sodium, start with trading in the salt shaker, adding flavor instead with spices, fresh or dried herbs, and low- and no-salt seasoning blends.

To schedule a virtual nutrition consultation, call 985-898-7050 or email [email protected].

It’s important to know that an estimated 77% of our sodium intake comes from processed foods and restaurant foods, so it can be challenging limit our sodium intake unless we’re preparing foods at home. Consider checking out the Eat Fit Cookbook for heart-healthy recipes you can make in your own kitchen. The Eat Fit app can also guide you in preparing nutritious dishes and locating Eat Fit-approved restaurants near you. Download it via the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store.

More Tips for Eating for Heart Health

The following tips will help keep you on track as you aim to improve your eating habits.

  • Top sneaky sodium culprits include salad dressing, breads and cheese, as well as not-so-stealthy sodium bombs like deli meats, breakfast cereals, broths and soups, and fast food. Avoid these when possible, or look for low-sodium varieties of these foods.
  • Add at least one cup of vegetables to lunch and dinner, and add a cup fruit as part of a snack.
  • Note that most canned and dried fruits are high in sugar, but frozen fruit can be just as nutritious as fresh; just check the label to confirm no added sugar.
  • Limit alcohol and caffeine intake, or cut it out completely. Try replacing them with these refreshing low- and no-sugar mocktails or herbal tea.
  • Limit red meat to once or twice a week and try making some meals vegetarian. (See these tips for going meatless or eating meat less during the quarantine.)
  • Instead of snacking on chips or sweets, reach for 2% low-fat Greek yogurt topped with fruit, raw or grilled veggies dipped into creamy dip made with Greek yogurt in place of mayo or sour cream, or apple slices or whole grain crackers topped with peanut butter or almond butter.
  • Be aware that not all “natural” supplements and home remedies are safe, and some may interact with medications. Licorice, for example, can raise blood pressure. Always consult your doctor before consuming any new supplements or herbs.

For more tips on how to maintain a heart-healthy diet, check out my segment on WGNO or my FUELED podcast interview with Ochsner’s Dr. Milani.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on April, 23, 2020.

The information in this blog post is accurate as of November, 22, 2021. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to change, it's possible that information has changed since being published. While Ochsner Health is trying to keep our blog posts as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations by using the CDC website.

Tags
high blood pressure
hypertension
coronavirus

You may also be interested in:

Southern Recipe Cooking Swaps
Food & Fitness
February 27, 2018

Heart-Healthy Southern Recipe Swaps

Simple recipe swaps you can make to enjoy your favorite Southern dishes while being kind to your heart.
By Michael Castine, MD
Healthy recipes mediterannean diet
Food & Fitness
February 15, 2021

Mediterranean Diet: 12 Tips For A Heart-Healthy Diet

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
By Pavan Malur, MD
Heart Healthy Foods Every Meal
Food & Fitness
November 20, 2021

Heart-Healthy Foods for Every Meal

Delicious and flavorful ingredients that can lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help reduce and control weight.
By Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637
Follow us: Facebook Visit Ochsner Health on Facebook Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok
Sign up for our free health and wellness newsletters delivered straight to your inbox.
SIGN UP

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide