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The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that you get your blood pressure checked at least once every year by a healthcare provider.

Healthy lifestyle habits can reduce your chance of getting high blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, these same habits will help control your high blood pressure and reduce your risk of future health problems.

Changes in your lifestyle will definitely help to lower blood pressure. Sometimes these changes are not enough. Many people with high blood pressure need to take 2 or more pills along with making lifestyle changes.

If you require medication, it is important to take it as prescribed.  Here are some tips to help you remember to take your medication:

1. Place your medication out in the open where you can see it – that might be next to where you eat or next to your toothbrush (but away from children and pets).
2. Use a pill organizer. They have a separate spot for you to put your pills for each day. Some have spots for different times of the day. A quick look can tell you if you have forgotten a pill or need to take one.
3. Ask your pharmacist if you can get your medication in blister packs, also called bubble packs. Some pharmacies will make these for you with enough medication for a week or more.
4. Take your medication at the same time every day. Ask your healthcare provider what time is best.
5. Put a daily reminder alarm on your watch, cellphone, tablet or computer.

Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canda

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Managing Your Blood Pressure

Download this resource from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada for more details about managing your blood pressure.

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The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that you get your blood pressure checked at least once every year by a healthcare provider.

Healthy lifestyle habits can reduce your chance of getting high blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, these same habits will help control your high blood pressure and reduce your risk of future health problems.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (or other related conditions), your doctor may recommend that you get it checked more often. Be sure to ask your doctor how often you should have your blood pressure checked.

Additional actions you can take to control your blood pressure include:

1. Monitor your blood pressure.
2. Take medication as directed.
3. Eat less salt.
4. Eat foods high in potassium.
5. Follow a healthy, balanced diet with lots of vegetables and fruit.
6. Aim for a healthy weight.
7. Eat less Salt
8. Keep active.
9. If you smoke or chew tobacco, quit.
10. If you drink alcohol, drink less.
11. Manage your stress.

Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

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Managing Your Blood Pressure

Download this resource from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada for more details about taking control of your blood pressure - check out pages 7-11.

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The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that you get your blood pressure checked at least once every year by a healthcare provider.

There are certain factors that can increase the chances of a person getting high blood pressure.

There are factors you can’t change such as your age and family history of high blood pressure.

There are other factors that you can do something about such as your weight, eating habits, activity level and lifestyle.

Healthy lifestyle habits can reduce your chance of getting high blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, these same habits will help control your high blood pressure and reduce your risk of future health problems.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (or other related conditions), your doctor may recommend that you get it checked more often. Be sure to ask your doctor how often you should have your blood pressure checked.

Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

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Managing Your Blood Pressure

Download this resource from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada for more information about managing your blood pressure.

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The risk of developing dementia appears to increase as a result of conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels, particularly when these occur at mid-life.

These conditions include:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity

Source:  5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer’s Australia.

What about smoking?

Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other diseases.

Studies have shown that current smokers have a greater chance of developing dementia than people who don’t smoke.

There is no safe level of smoking. If you do smoke, seek medical advice on ways to help you quit.

Source:  5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer’s Australia.

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Heads up for Healthier Brains

Read this brochure/handout to learn more about managing your risks.

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Source: Alzheimer Society of Canada

The risk of developing dementia appears to increase as a result of conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels, particularly when these occur at mid-life.

These conditions include:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity

Source:  5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer’s Australia.

What does the research say?

Research indicates that having diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and not treating them effectively, can damage the blood vessels in the brain, affecting brain function and thinking skills. Obesity is associated with increased risk for dementia, and other conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and vascular disease.

Untreated high blood pressure, specifically in mid-life has been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Promisingly, treatment of mid-life high blood pressure has been found to reduce dementia risk. High blood pressure in old age is not seen to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease but is undesirable at any age.

Treatment of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity is necessary for good heart health and is likely also to protect brain health.

They are all conditions that are easily identified and treatable. It’s important to have regular health checks and follow the advice of your health professional.

Source:  5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer’s Australia.

What about smoking?

Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other diseases.

Studies have shown that current smokers have a greater chance of developing dementia than people who don’t smoke.

There is no safe level of smoking. If you do smoke, seek medical advice on ways to help you quit. Source:

Source:  5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer’s Australia.

Additional Reading

Heads Up for Healthier Brains

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Heads Up for Healthier Living

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Taking care of your general health and paying attention to your "health numbers" are practical actions you can take to improve your brain health. By making healthy lifestyle choices, you may be able to reduce your risk and improve your brain's ability to sustain long-term health. Will healthy lifestyle choices prevent Alzheimer's disease? There are no guarantees, but evidence suggests that healthy lifestyles help the brain maintain connections and even build new ones. That means that a healthy brain can withstand illness better.  So take action today. Sessions 5 to 8 of this program touch on the following four important lifestyle choices:

• Be physically active
• Make healthy food choices
• Know your heath numbers
• Reduce stress

Watch this video and listen to host Liana Shannon, as she provides a brief overview of these four topics.  When you complete this session, take some time to work through session 8 -- and if you haven't already done so, return to sessions 5 and 6. ,

Brain Health - Choose a Healthy Lifestyle

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Additional Reading

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Heads Up for Healthier Brains

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Heads Up for Healthier Living

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Completing a personal action plan can greatly enhance your motivation and keep you focused on what you can confidently achieve. It’s important that you succeed!

Take some time to think about what you will do to continue to maintain or improve your brain health.

Download and print a copy of the activity sheet My Personal Action Plan below.  Reflect on and answer the statements in both columns.  Then circle the number between 0 and 10 that represents your confidence level.

If you rate your confidence below a 7, you might want to look at the barriers and consider reworking your action plan so that it’s something you are confident that you can accomplish.

Source: Lorig, K. et al. (2007). Living a healthy life with chronic conditions (Canadian 3rd ed.) Boulder, CO: Bull Publishing Company.

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My Personal Action Plan Brain Health

Download the activity sheet My Personal Action Plan:

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Alzheimer’s disease develops when the risk factors for the disease combine and reach a level that overwhelms the brain’s ability to maintain and repair itself. So, reducing as many of the risk factors as you can makes good sense.

Some risk factors you can’t control, such as your genetic makeup and growing older, but there is a lot you can do that may help reduce your risk of getting the disease.

Source: Alzheimer Society of Canada

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Research Risk Factors

Download this resource from the Alzheimer Society of Canada for more information about reducing risk where you can:

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You can add fruits and herbs to your hot or cold water for flavour. Here are some ideas to try:

1. blackberries + mint
2. raspberries + cucumber
3. strawberries + fresh basil
4. chopped apples + a cinnamon stick
5. pear slices + a drop of vanilla extract

To release the most flavour:

• crush the berries
• chop or tear herbs
• cut fruit into cubes

If you like some fizz in your drink, try carbonated water.

Click here for more ideas from Health Canada about making water your drink of choice.

Source: Health Canada

Part of the enjoyment of eating is choosing healthy foods that reflect your preferences. Your preferences and eating habits can be shaped by many things, including cultures and food traditions.

Including cultures and food traditions as part of healthy eating can help you:

• choose foods that you enjoy
• grow your skills and knowledge
• learn about cultures and food traditions
• create a sense of community and foster connections
• keep your cultural roots and food traditions alive by sharing them across generations and with others

Try these ideas to include cultures and food traditions:

1. Attend a community event that celebrates with cultural food.
2. Grow, harvest, fish, hunt and prepare food in traditional ways.
3. Choose recipes that explore different ways to prepare and cook foods.
4. Shop in places that sell the ingredients you need to make traditional foods.
5. Talk with others about where the foods you eat come from and where you get them.
6. Preserve and share family recipes. Recipes and food traditions are a part of family history.
7. Host a potluck where everyone brings a traditional dish and recipe from their family background. Spend time sharing the meaning of these foods.
8. Celebrate occasions and special holidays with cultural food traditions.

Click here for more ideas from Health Canada about cultures and food traditions in healthy eating.

Source: Health Canada