Stop high blood pressure in its tracks!

Onein three of us have high blood pressure, which, if left unchecked, can lead to heart attack, stroke and a host of other health concerns. Not to worry: Science has shown that a few simple tricks can turn it around in no time!

Squeeze it down!

Just squeezing an athletic gripper can trigger a 10% drop in both systolic (top number) and diastolic ( bottom number) blood pressure within four weeks, reports the journal Hypertension. “In some cases, the results were even better than doing full-body aerobic exercise,” says naturopath Michelle Schoffro Cook, PH.D., D.N.M., author of Be Your Own Herbalist. To do: Grab a hand gripper (such as Captains of Crush, $22.95 at Amazon.com) and squeeze for two minutes, then switch to the other side and repeat. Do six times a day, five days a week.

Try the COQ10 remedy!

A daily 120-mg. dose of coenzyme Q10 lowered blood pressure 17 points in three months, erasing hypertension for 50% of patients, a recent study found. Doctors say this super- charged antioxidant works by helping to keep artery walls relaxed 24/7.

Reduce your numbers in hours with beet juice!

“Drinking fresh beet juice can significantly reduce high blood pressure,” says Schoffro Cook. In fact, a recent study found that a single 8-oz. serving dropped systolic numbers 4 to 5 points on average within hours. Don’t like the taste? Dilute it with other fresh veggie juices like cucumber, apple and carrot.

Ignite a 9% drop with C!

Not only does taking 500 mg. of this potent antioxidant daily widen blood vessels so blood flows through them easily, it also shields them from the harmful effects of stress hormones, resulting in a 9% pressure drop in one month, The Lancet reports.

Soothe nerves with hugs!

Spending as little as a minute or two each day cuddling a loved one (pets count) could lower your blood pressure 30%, recent research suggests. “Our skin contains pressure receptors that feed tension- taming information to nerves in the brain, which, in turn, feed these signals back to the heart,” says Schoffro Cook.

KO woes by cutting sugar!

Surprise: Sugar is more of a blood pressure raiser than salt for most people! So cutting back can erase high blood pressure for almost eight in 10 of us within three months. “Not even blood pressure drugs can compete with stunning results like that!” says Schoffro Cook.

—Kallie E. Kristensen