blood pressure

If you're stressed out or overworked, it's not uncommon to miss an hour or two of sleep each night. It may be doing more harm than you think. Besides making you cranky in the morning, new research shows that missing sleep regularly can lead to high blood pressure. Adults in the study who missed an average of an hour of sleep each night over a five-year span increased their risk for developing hypertension by 37 percent. High blood pressure can put you at risk for cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke.

Adults typically need between seven and nine hours of sleep, but on average, most only get about six hours. Aside from high blood pressure, not getting your quota of Zs has also been associated with weight gain, an increased risk of heart disease, and a compromised immune system, which means you'll get sick more often. So for your health's sake, not just your sanity, make getting a good night's sleep a priority. How many hours do you typically sleep in a night?

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We hear the claims that whole grains are good for our hearts all the time. But are all grains created equal? According to RealAge, there are three grains that are especially good a lowering blood pressure: whole wheat, barley, and brown rice. So while it's good to incorporate all types of whole grains into your diet, look for these on labels and in grocery stores to reap the heart healthy benefits.

Have any recipes featuring those grains that you would like to share? Add them to the Lite'n It Up — Healthy Recipe Group.

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You probably don't give your blood pressure much thought, except when your doctor wraps that velcro cuff around your arm, and pumps it full of air until you feel like your bicep is about to explode. The the doc will tell you it's low, or normal, or if your blood pressure is high, they'll tell you to keep an eye on it. Then you leave, and don't think about it until the next time you have it checked, right? I am hear to tell you that it is never to early to think about your blood pressure. High blood pressure from your young years 20s, 30s, and 40s can cause a slew of health issues such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure later in life. Since you're all such health-conscious folks, here are so simple things you can do to maintain a healthy blood pressure:

1. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Your shooting for the top number (Systolic) to be 120 or less, and the lower number (Diastolic) to be 80 or less. Normal blood pressure is read as 120 over 80, but as soon as those numbers start to increase, you're on your way to high blood pressure.
2. Think about your diet. I'm with you when it comes to craving salty foods, but too much sodium is no good. Shoot for a total of 2,300 mg or less (that's equal to 1 teaspoon of salt). Be on the lookout for pre-packaged foods, soups, sauces, and cheese (they have obnoxiously high amounts of sodium). Instead of sprinkling mountains of salt on your food, add flavor with herbs, spices, lemon juice, garlic, or ginger instead.

Your heart wants to know what else you should do so read more

When the world is buzzing around you and you feel the tension coming on, it is time to chill out. Stress can adversely affect your health. Aside from deep breathing and heading outside for a walk, new research shows that listening to music for a half hour a day may significantly lower blood pressure, a byproduct of stress. Not just any music will do; I'm afraid Taking Back Sunday's Louder Now is out, as is anything by Arctic Monkeys or System of a Down. The music should be "rhythmically homogeneous," like classical, Celtic, or raga (Indian classical) music, and accompanied by controlled breathing exercises.

Music just may become a drug-free approach to dealing with blood pressure. Next time you feel the stress coming on and your blood pressure rising, put on some tunes and chill out. What music do you listen to when you need to calm down? Tell me in the comment section below.

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If you're looking to lower your blood pressure then you just may want to tie the knot. Just make sure, though, that he's the right one.

Overall, research has found that happily married people scored four points lower on the blood pressure readings than single adults. The study also found that blood pressure among married people — especially those in happy marriages — dipped more during sleep than in single people. Here's the kicker though. The study also found that unhappily married adults have higher blood pressure than both happily married and single adults.

So if you're walking down the aisle in the near future (or if you're already married), keep your marriage healthy by encouraging eating a healthy diet and having regular doctors visits for you and your spouse.

For more wedding planning fun, check out IDoSugar.

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If you have ever suffered from lack of sleep, you know how vital getting your Zs can be. It can even affect your ability to lose weight. We know that the quality of your sleep is important to your health, but it looks like more than just having a bad mattress can put your health at risk during slumber.

Ambient light during nighttime sleeping could raise your risk for breast cancer. A new study supports the theory that too much light at night interferes with the production of melatonin and increases the risk of breast cancer. Melatonin is a hormone that helps to control the sleep wake cycle and the exact reason dips in this hormone affect cancer rates is still to be determined. Researchers said that nighttime light is not by any means the sole factor in developing breast cancers, but the breast cancer rate in areas with average night lighting was found to be 37 percent higher than in areas with the lowest amount of light.

To see how noise affects your shut-eye, just read more