There’s no question that hypertension is an epidemic that leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. Dr. Marlene Merritt wrote in the Primal Labs publication, The Blood Pressure Solution, that hypertension is a primary or contributing factor for more than a thousand deaths in the United States every day. Because it’s asymptomatic, high blood pressure is often called a silent killer.

Primal Labs reviews the work of the leading medical researchers, doctors, and nutritionists in the world to provide its customers with the best information on how to prevent and maintain chronic health conditions that unfortunately afflict so many. Dr. Marlene Merritt wrote The Blood Pressure Solution to provide the general public with a better understanding of how hypertension is caused and what can be done to prevent, manage, and perhaps even reverse it.

She notes that dietary adjustments are a key component for managing hypertension. Here are a few things that she recommends in her book:

Rethink Fat: Dr. Merritt encourages people to change the way that they think about thought. She notes that the reliance on carbs and the switch from animal fats to vegetable oils high in Omega 6 fatty acids have had a negative impact on public health. They have led to the proliferation of diabetes and heart disease. Dr. Merritt suggests devoting 65% of your diet to healthy fats (lard, butter, avocados, coconut oil) as this will keep you fuller longer and protect your health.

Go Easy on the Fruit: Instead of fruits and vegetables, it really should be vegetables and fruits when it comes to diet. Dr. Merritt recommends eating twice as many vegetables than fruits and sticking with the smaller fruits and fruits that have less sugar. These include berries, avocados, and apples.

Avoid Processed Foods at All Costs: Although they may be convenient, processed foods are terrible for your body and a contributing factor to the development of hypertension