Irina Gonzalez with Mamás Latinas has great tips to lower your blood pressure by eating yogurt.

From Mamás Latinas:

1. Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream: One of my absolute FAVORITE tips, that I actually learned from food blogger Alejandra Ramos of Always Order Dessert, is to use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. This cuts the fat (Greek yogurt has 5g of fat while sour cream has 20g of fat, per 100g) and adds more protein with less calories but retains all of the flavor and, to be honest, you’ll NEVER notice the difference!

2. Use it for a sweet batido (smoothie): Love making batidos in the morning? Well, why not try adding in plain yogurt instead of milk? It makes it creamier and smoother, plus some more of those healthy proteins. I love loading it up with plenty of fruits, like bananas, strawberries, coconut, and pineapple for a delicious treat any time of day.

Photo: ABCNews

3. It’s great for a flavorful breakfast: I’m actually quite addicted to plain Greek yogurt. I always buy plain because the flavored varieties have WAY too much sugar to make it worth it, but I like to spice things up by adding some extras: cinnamon and honey, raspberries and nuts, or, a new favorite, roasted pepitas and allspice. The extra flavor makes the yogurt a winner every single time.

4. Have it as your mid-afternoon sweet treat: You know what I crave in the afternoon? Chocolate! And you know what’s even BETTER than chocolate? Yogurt with chocolate! Take some plain yogurt, add in some cocoa powder, some coconut flakes, a couple of raspberries, a drizzle of honey, and a dash of cinnamon–and you have THE most delicious dessert snack, ever!

5. Make a really easy & healthy party dip: A few companies have recently released dry seasoning mixes. They’re typically used to make salad dressings with sour cream but I really love adding them into my Greek yogurt for a heart-healthy party dip. My current favorite? Hidden Valley Ranch’s Spicy Ranch Mix. Now when’s Goya going to make some?!

Visit Irina’s Tumblr page for more healthy Latina eating recipes and information.

 More about High Blood Pressure

On Hispanic Business: “Uncontrolled Blood Pressure Highest Among Hispanics, Prompting New Hypertension Project in Miami” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that Hispanics with hypertension are less likely to be aware of their condition. Among Mexican American adults with hypertension, only about half (49.8%) are aware of their condition and are less likely to have their hypertension under control (17.3%) compared to non-Hispanic blacks (29.8%) and non-Hispanic whites (29.8%) with high blood pressure.

While hypertension rates are lower among Mexican Americans, research from the Institute of Medicine and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is raising concern that rates may increase after the first generation as Hispanics adopt unhealthy habits, including dietary practices. According to CDC, the age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension is 40.5% among non-Hispanic blacks, 27.4% for non-Hispanic whites, and 25.1% among Mexican Americans.

On Atlantamedcenter.com: “What’s Race Got to Do with High Blood Pressure?“

High blood pressure is an important risk factor for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. All races are represented among the estimated 50 million Americans who have high blood pressure — defined as a systolic pressure of 140 or higher or a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher.  But some races — African-Americans in particular — suffer disproportionately from high blood pressure.

The rate of high blood pressure for African-Americans in the U.S. ranks among the highest in the world, according to the American Heart Association. More than 36% of African-American men have high blood pressure, compared to 25.2% for white men and 24.2% for Hispanic men.  The comparative rates for women are similar.