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Who would have thought that knowing yourself could lead to healthier food choices that promote cardiovascular health. With this method you will calm the mind while regulating the blood pressure
By focusing more on observing ourselves and listening to his needs, we know better what is ultimately good for him. This is how we could interpret the results of a newer study, which found that practicing mindfulness with a focus on healthy eating improves heart function.
The practice of mindfulness (mindfulness) enhances our self-awareness and is associated with multiple other benefits, such as stress relief, as previous research efforts have concluded.
The current study, published in JAMA Network Open, involved people with hypertension who followed an eight-week program of mindfulness practices. Upon its completion, they had managed to significantly improve their adherence to a heart-healthy diet and improve blood pressure values.
«Positive changes in self-awareness, i.e. how we feel after eating certain foods, how our body feels, as well as our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations around eating healthy and unhealthy foods, can influence the dietary choices of people” notes lead study author Eric B. Loucks, associate professor of epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences and director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University.
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According to him, the research helps explain the mechanism by which an individualized mindfulness training program tailored to improve nutrition can affect blood pressure.
Heart function and self-knowledge
The mindfulness-based blood pressure-lowering program used in the study, developed by Dr Loucks in 2014, trains participants in skills such as meditation, yoga, self-awareness, attention control and emotion regulation. What makes the program unique is that participants learn how to direct these skills toward behaviors known to lower blood pressure.
The program sessions were conducted by specialized trainers for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Of the 201 participants, 101 attended eight weekly 2.5-hour group sessions and attended a full-day retreat, while practicing at home for 45 minutes, six days a week. The rest received educational pamphlets on high blood pressure control. Both groups received a home blood pressure monitor.
The researchers’ focus was on participants’ adherence to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) program, a balanced eating plan rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy that aims to create a heart-healthy eating style for whole life.
After six months, the mindfulness group showed an improvement of 0.34 points on the DASH diet score. In addition, it also showed an improvement of 0.71 points in its mean mental awareness score (which is the process of perceiving and interpreting signals from our own body) compared to six months earlier, which outperformed the control group by 0.54 units.
«Participants showed a significant improvement in adherence to the DASH diet, which significantly contributes to blood pressure regulation, but also a significant improvement in self-awareness, which appears to influence healthy eating habitsconcludes Dr. Eric B. Loucks.