INPUT ARTICLE: Article: That stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" diet, which is exactly what you should be looking for. It means piling on the whole foods/grains, fruits and veggies, low-fat dairy and skipping the sugar, saturated fat and cholesterol. This diet has been shown to significantly reduce high blood pressure. Basically, you'll be cutting out red meat, junk food, and white carbs (including "white" sugar, flour, noodles and potatoes,...). You don't have to go cold turkey, but the foods mentioned above should make up the vast majority of your diet. Limit your sodium to about 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. If you don't feel like you eat a ton of salt, it may just be an issue of not knowing what's in the food you eat. An easy way to cut out the salt is to skip on the processed foods; when you prepare your own food, you know just what goes into it. Start cooking!  Don't add salt to your foods! If that's an issue for you, start cutting back gradually. Believe it or not, your palate will adjust. Salt is often a hidden food, so you may not realize that you are eating it until you start looking for it. Try cooking with a sea salt. Remember, a little goes a long way! These three nutrients have been linked to low levels of blood pressure in multiple studies. While calcium and magnesium aren't linked to technically lowering high blood pressure (like potassium is), they are linked to maintaining low blood pressure in general.  Potassium (the most potent of the three) is found in fruits, like bananas, veggies, dairy, and fish. Calcium is found in dairy products (go for the low-fat kind) and magnesium is found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and dry peas and beans. It's best to talk to a dietitian or your healthcare provider before trying to add nutrients to your diet. If you have a healthy diet, you don't need to take a supplement. Having extra isn't beneficial to your system. There are a few foods on this planet that are recognized for their beneficial properties. For high blood pressure, those are garlic, dark chocolate, and fish oil. Not all at once, of course!  Fatty fish, like mackerel and salmon, contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Just grill up some salmon a few times a week (with a bit of olive oil to keep it healthy)!  Garlic can be used for everything from lowering blood pressure to eliminating ear aches. It's been linked to combating cancer and cholesterol, too! Just make sure what you're adding it to isn't pizza, creamy sauces, or fatty oils!  Dark chocolate that's at least 70% cocoa can lower blood pressure, according to a recent study. Have just half an ounce daily to reap the benefits. Yum! Hibiscus tea can lower high blood pressure by as much as 7 points. This is because of the phytochemicals present in hibiscus. If you enjoy herbal teas, you can find many blends that contain hibiscus. For the best results, choose a blend that lists hibiscus as one of the top ingredients. Since caffeine can constrict your blood vessels and worsen high blood pressure, it's a good idea to avoid herbal teas that contain caffeine.

SUMMARY: Start the DASH diet. Reduce your sodium intake. Up your potassium, magnesium, and calcium levels. Work in the wonder foods. Sip on hibiscus tea.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Make a column of times on the left side of the page and a row of days of the week at the top. Begin with those activities that need to be done at a certain time every day. Based on your assessment above, slot in tasks based on the time you think it makes the most sense to tackle them. Also be sure to give yourself a break or several throughout the day. Hourly time frames are generally large enough. However, it can take time to get into the flow state required by some tasks so you may need 90 minute or even two hour blocks. Don’t forget to schedule in 30 minute tasks as well. Be careful of the tendency to wedge yourself in too tight. To create bigger blocks of time, you can merge cells together. It's difficult to predict how long each activity will take. So make sure your schedule can bend easily in one direction or another when need be. You also want to factor in a small buffer of time for unexpected delays. Also, don't fall into the trap of using your relaxation time as a "buffer" zone. Relaxation time should not be seen as a luxury; it should be treated as important as any other activity. It is generally helpful to print multiple copies -- put one on your refrigerator, one in your bedroom and one in the bathroom. Underline or highlight important activities. Use a different color marker for the separate areas in your life. You could use yellow for work, red for exercise, blue for school and so on. This way you’ll get a good sense of how your day is planned just by glancing at it. If there’s a lot of blue, for instance, you’ll know that you’re overloaded with school right now.

SUMMARY:
Open Microsoft Excel or a similar spreadsheet program. Match up tasks with times. Organize activities in larger increments of time. Keep it flexible. Print out your spreadsheet. Color code different areas.