4. Reduce salt and sodium in your diet

Even a little less sodium in the diet can improve heart health and blood pressure. Sodium's effect on blood pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to 2,300 mg a day or less. But for most adults, it's ideal to limit sodium to 1,500 mg a day or less. Doing that may lower high blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg.

To lower sodium in the diet:

• Read food labels. Look for low-sodium versions of foods and drinks.
• Eat fewer processed foods. Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. Most sodium is added during processing.
• Don't add table salt. Use herbs or spices to add flavor to food.
• Cook. Cooking lets you control the amount of sodium in the food.