Hypertension Strategy
So, you have been diagnosed with hypertension, or in layman's parlance, high blood pressure.
Maybe you have not been diagnosed with actual high blood pressure but with what they call prehypertension, which is borderline high blood pressure.
In this case they won't yet put you on medication but you have been warned to get it under control or medicine is the next option.
In either case, what can you do? There are some things that you can do, but understand that while in some people they can narrow down the probable cause of high blood pressure, in others they cannot.
There are people who appear thin and fit who have it.
There are overweight and obese people who have it.
There are people who are obese who have it but still have it when they lose the weight.
You just do not know.
If you are obese you should figure out how to lose the weight for a variety of reasons, not just high blood pressure.
Also, if you do manage to get to a healthy weight, in the majority of cases it resolves and you can ditch the medicines, with a doctor's help.
A quick note here is that you should NEVER go off blood pressure medicines cold turkey.
They must be carefully phased out or you could be setting yourself up for a heart attack or stroke, so don't risk it if you don't know what you are doing, and most physicians would say that you do not know what you are doing without them being involved in the matter.
The first thing, after the obvious matter of weight control, is diet.
The first thing they look for in diet is sodium intake.
While the debate is on as to whether sodium is as important as once thought in blood pressure control, in at least some people who are salt sensitive it does play a role.
Most people have no idea how much sodium they really take in on a daily basis.
This is because even if they do not add salt to their food, they are clueless to the amount of sodium in most of today's packaged and convenience foods.
It is an eye opening experience to realize this once you start investigating.
There are some convenience foods that will supply you with over 9000mg of sodium in one sitting, and the daily limit is only set at around 2500mg.
That is almost four times the daily limit in one fast food meal, and what person who eats like that really stops at one? Excess sodium causes the body to hold onto more water, and this increases blood volume and hence raises blood pressure.
For basic health sake it is good to cut down on convenience, packaged, and fast foods.
You will be getting less sodium, less cancer causing chemicals, and a general lack of nutrition which goes hand in hand with such false foods.
Eat fresh food, learn how to cook and prepare food, and stop relying on corporate food giants to poison you.
Stop being lazy when it comes to food and food preparation.
You are not too busy to do this, and if you think you are, then I am here to tell you that you are not.
Make the time because your health is worth it.
Along with healthier eating comes better nutrition.
When you eat fresh fruits and produce, and use it in your food preparation, you will get more of the blood pressure regulating minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
Not enough potassium can also result in excess sodium in the body.
If you take in enough potassium then you might not have to watch sodium as much, but again if you are choosing healthy foods the overabundance of dietary sodium will naturally correct itself.
Supplementation with the minerals magnesium is also a safe way to try to lower blood pressure.
Magnesium oxide is a good absorbable form, and please do not go over 400mg per day or you can end up with loose stools and intestinal discomfort.
Remember that you also get magnesium in your food if you eat healthy, so you will be getting more than 400mg anyway.
Do not worry about the amount you get from your food.
If you are not susceptible to overindulgence of alcoholic beverages, one 5 ounce glass of red wine with meals is perfectly acceptable.
It can relax you and it provides polyphenols and antioxidants that relax blood vessels and contribute to heart and circulatory health.
Remember more is not better and stick to one or two 5 ounce glasses per day that that is it.
If the wine is aged then it contains ellagic acid from oak wood barrels, and this is also a potent antioxidant and blood vessel relaxer.
There are other things that many people will tell you helps lower blood pressure.
These things range from adding more garlic to your diet to taking supplements or teas of hawthorn berries or nitric oxide.
These things can help, but you should start with weight and diet management first, and add some light exercise like walking, and work from there.
This is a sensible approach and it might save your life.
Maybe you have not been diagnosed with actual high blood pressure but with what they call prehypertension, which is borderline high blood pressure.
In this case they won't yet put you on medication but you have been warned to get it under control or medicine is the next option.
In either case, what can you do? There are some things that you can do, but understand that while in some people they can narrow down the probable cause of high blood pressure, in others they cannot.
There are people who appear thin and fit who have it.
There are overweight and obese people who have it.
There are people who are obese who have it but still have it when they lose the weight.
You just do not know.
If you are obese you should figure out how to lose the weight for a variety of reasons, not just high blood pressure.
Also, if you do manage to get to a healthy weight, in the majority of cases it resolves and you can ditch the medicines, with a doctor's help.
A quick note here is that you should NEVER go off blood pressure medicines cold turkey.
They must be carefully phased out or you could be setting yourself up for a heart attack or stroke, so don't risk it if you don't know what you are doing, and most physicians would say that you do not know what you are doing without them being involved in the matter.
The first thing, after the obvious matter of weight control, is diet.
The first thing they look for in diet is sodium intake.
While the debate is on as to whether sodium is as important as once thought in blood pressure control, in at least some people who are salt sensitive it does play a role.
Most people have no idea how much sodium they really take in on a daily basis.
This is because even if they do not add salt to their food, they are clueless to the amount of sodium in most of today's packaged and convenience foods.
It is an eye opening experience to realize this once you start investigating.
There are some convenience foods that will supply you with over 9000mg of sodium in one sitting, and the daily limit is only set at around 2500mg.
That is almost four times the daily limit in one fast food meal, and what person who eats like that really stops at one? Excess sodium causes the body to hold onto more water, and this increases blood volume and hence raises blood pressure.
For basic health sake it is good to cut down on convenience, packaged, and fast foods.
You will be getting less sodium, less cancer causing chemicals, and a general lack of nutrition which goes hand in hand with such false foods.
Eat fresh food, learn how to cook and prepare food, and stop relying on corporate food giants to poison you.
Stop being lazy when it comes to food and food preparation.
You are not too busy to do this, and if you think you are, then I am here to tell you that you are not.
Make the time because your health is worth it.
Along with healthier eating comes better nutrition.
When you eat fresh fruits and produce, and use it in your food preparation, you will get more of the blood pressure regulating minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
Not enough potassium can also result in excess sodium in the body.
If you take in enough potassium then you might not have to watch sodium as much, but again if you are choosing healthy foods the overabundance of dietary sodium will naturally correct itself.
Supplementation with the minerals magnesium is also a safe way to try to lower blood pressure.
Magnesium oxide is a good absorbable form, and please do not go over 400mg per day or you can end up with loose stools and intestinal discomfort.
Remember that you also get magnesium in your food if you eat healthy, so you will be getting more than 400mg anyway.
Do not worry about the amount you get from your food.
If you are not susceptible to overindulgence of alcoholic beverages, one 5 ounce glass of red wine with meals is perfectly acceptable.
It can relax you and it provides polyphenols and antioxidants that relax blood vessels and contribute to heart and circulatory health.
Remember more is not better and stick to one or two 5 ounce glasses per day that that is it.
If the wine is aged then it contains ellagic acid from oak wood barrels, and this is also a potent antioxidant and blood vessel relaxer.
There are other things that many people will tell you helps lower blood pressure.
These things range from adding more garlic to your diet to taking supplements or teas of hawthorn berries or nitric oxide.
These things can help, but you should start with weight and diet management first, and add some light exercise like walking, and work from there.
This is a sensible approach and it might save your life.