Obesity and high blood pressure (hypertension) are both risk factors for developing coronary heart disease.  Carrying excess weight and having hypertension puts more strain on the heart and can lead to either a heart attack or a stroke. 

Hypertension causes the heart to work harder than normal, putting more stress on the heart muscle and the cardiovascular system.  If the condition is not treated, the heart may have to work harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to all the body’s organs and tissues.   When the heart is forced to work harder than normal for a prolonged period of time it tends to enlarge and weaken. 

Hypertension also damages the inside layer of the arteries.  The result of this is that the arteries eventually become scarred, hardened and less elastic.  If a person with hypertension has high cholesterol, the deteriorating condition of the artery walls creates rough spots where circulating fats can cling to.  As fats collect and form plaque, they can break free and lodge in a vessel in the heart or brain.  By cutting off the flow of oxygenated blood this can lead to a heart attack or stroke. 

GUIDELINES
1.  Eat small regular meals.
2.  Reduce total fat in the diet.  Limit foods high in saturated fat and/or cholesterol.

• Cut away all visible fat from meat before cooking.
• Remove the skin from chicken before cooking.
• Tinned fish in brine should be used rather than in oil.
• Avoid using processed meats e.g. vienna’s, frankfurters, polony, etc.
• Instead of eating meat, try to eat legumes, fish or chicken at least three times per week.
• Use low fat milk such as skim- or 2% fat-milk.
• Use low fat cheeses such as ricotta, mozzarella, or cottage cheese.
• Bake, grill, steam, stew, poach, boil or microwave instead of frying.
• Substitute salad dressing with low fat yoghurt.
• Substitute sour cream or butter on potatoes with cottage cheese blended with a little low fat milk and herbs.
• Limit the use of butter/margarine in vegetables.
• When making a white sauce, use corn flour to thicken the sauce instead of flour and butter.
• When making stir-fry, use very little oil to brown the meat and onions, add vegetables and then some liquid to steam the dish.  Add more liquid and NOT oil if the ingredients start sticking to the pan.
• Avoid eating convenience or fast foods.

3.   Increase the intake of fibre.  Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day.  Also include foods like whole grains,        oats, oat bran, wheat bran, dried peas, beans, and lentils.
4.  When eating carbohydrates, choose carbohydrates with a low GI.
5.  Avoid too much salt

• Use very little salt in preparation.
• Avoid flavoured salt and salty foods.
• Sodium is used as a preservative in a wide variety of processed/ canned/ bottled and packaged products.
• Always read labels and choose foods low in sodium.
• Use fresh products rather than commercially processed foods.
• If salt is listed in the first five ingredients, the product is probably too high in salt.
• Be careful with olives and foods in brine.
• Avoid foods with these words on the labels: salt, sodium, sodium chloride, sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, sodium sulfite and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
• DO NOT ADD EXTRA SALT TO FOOD.

6.  Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day.
7.  Use alcohol moderately.
8.  Get regular moderate exercise.
9.  Take time to relax and control your stress.