4) If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation

Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure. It may also lead to the development of high blood pressure. So to help prevent high blood pressure, if you drink alcohol, limit how much you drink to no more than 2 drinks a day. The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" recommended that for overall health women should limit their alcohol to no more than 1 drink a day. This is what counts as a drink:

· 1-1/2 ounces of 80-proof or 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey,

· 5 ounces of wine, or

· 12 ounces of beer (regular or light).

You may have heard that some alcohol is good for your heart health. Some news reports suggest that people who consume a drink or two a day have lower blood pressure and live longer than those who consume no alcohol or those who consume excessive amounts of alcohol. Others note that wine raises the "good" blood cholesterol that prevents the build up of fats in the arteries. While these news stories may be correct they don’t tell the whole story: Too much alcohol contributes to a host of other health problems, such as motor vehicle accidents, diseases of the liver and pancreas, damage to the brain an heart, an increased risk of many cancers, and fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol is also high in calories. So you should limit how much you drink.