Processed and cured meats
Bacon and sausage are cured meats and cold cuts and they tend to be high in saturated fat. Low-fat products are high in salt, taking in consideration that a few slices of deli meat contain half the daily recommended level of sodium. “The majority of people should be on a salt-restricted diet because of sodium’s link to high blood pressure,” says Dr. Laxmi Mehta, director of the Woman’s Cardiovascular Health Program at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Not everyone needs medication to make big strides, she says. “Sometimes my patients with elevated blood pressure are able to make significant improvements just by adjusting their diet.”
