Safest way to normalise high Blood Pressure 2

[UPDEHSOI]

On 3/10/2018 at 6:39 PM, laislica said:

As has been said, Moderation.

As Robert Service once said, "even moderation in moderation."

[laislica]

6 minutes ago, UPDEHSOI said:

From the research I have done, and because I used to spend many many hours of my younger years in the sun,  ( lived on a beach in Mexico ) I have discovered it is good to sunbathe...BUT... not a lot. And best done in early morn or in the afternoon. ( and not at all if you are in the Chiang Mai area at the moment, unless you want a smoke tan ) One needs to indulge in a good sauna four to seven times a week for it to be most effective. I take a sauna seven days a week. Twenty minutes in, cold ( I mean COLD ) shower for five or six minutes. I do this at least three times. On my last heart check up, six hours at a cost of sixteen hundred bucks, ( Gov't paid for it...thank you Gov't ) the Doc said whatever I was doing...keep on doing it. He said I have the heart of a thirty year old. Maybe he was trying to make me feel good. I also do HIIT for about thirty five to forty five minutes four times a week....usually. I also walk barefoot on the grass for twenty to forty minutes every evening....rain or shine. Yeah, my life is a bit boring I guess, but what the heck, I grew allergic to hard work and cold weather the same day...about twenty one years ago.

The ONLY salt I use is Himalayan Crystal salt. You can buy it in chunks, coarse or fine ground. It contains about forty minerals, whereas white table salt, when tested has been known to contain ground glass ( true story ) and sand. Ground glass will eventually scratch up yer arteries, and cause all sorts of problems. You can also make SOLE ( so lay ) from himalayan crystal salt. Take a teaspoon full every day in a glass of water....good for yer health. AND...you can use a bit more of the himalayan crystal salt without doing damage to yer health.

 

Excellent.

 

Until 2010 I had n infra red sauna and Jacuzzi but they got left behind when we split and yes, I miss them.

 

There are no spa's within easy reach of where we live in Thailand and not having my own transport, I can only use the one at the local temple on a Sunday morning, when it's actually open....

I walk barefoot indoors, but it's all tiles, same in Spain. But in Spain I often spend time walking in the shallows along the beach, if not swimming.

 

I have pink Himalayan salt in Spain and locally made sea salt in Thailand and it is the only thing that is added to my food.

 

Although I am fair skin, I have always loved sun bathing so I don't burn, just get tanned.

I used to have a multi gym and an excellent static exercise bike but when we bought our place in Spain, they had to go.

We have been in Chiang Mai at this time of year so I know what you mean, not a nice environment at all.

There were times that you couldn't see across the street.

 

As soon as I got married, (2012) life changed and I tended not to have time or inclination to continue the exercise.

Bad idea, I know, but there it is.

I use a no gears push bike in Thailand, everywhere is flat but it can be windy or depending on the tides peddling 2 Km through a foot deep stream!

 

In Spain I have a 5 gear folding bike and I use it often.

We live about 1.5 miles from the beach and going home is all up hill and makes me puff a bit!

We also walk quite a lot too.

I've been retired 18 years.....

 

Since increasing salt the other day, my weight has jumped up (as expected).

BP is still normal and last night only three trips to pee.

Needs time to settle before I can draw any conclusions.

I also changed taking Saw Palmetto to evenings before bed.

 

At least I'm on no meds at all and I research and tweek my lifestyle here and there for better health.

 

 

 

 

[UPDEHSOI]

5 minutes ago, laislica said:

BP is still normal and last night only three trips to pee.

Needs time to settle before I can draw any conclusions.

Have you tried taking Beta-sitosterol for your prostate? From the research I have done, one would have to take a ton of saw palmetto for it to do any good. I have been taking Beta-Sitosterol for years and years...the only thing I take. ( that and exercise. A bulging belly will put a strain on your prostate ) I hit the sack, sleep like a baby throughout the night, and wake up every morning with a pssy rdon ( true story )

Don't know the cost of electricity in you area, but it is very easy to construct a NEAR INFRARED sauna fairly cheaply. If you're not sure how to go about it, you can find instructions on the net. I built one for my apartment in Canada. Works fine, but not as good as the big comercial jobbys. But it does save me a trip to the local gym.

Don't know where to find beta-Sitosterol in Thailand if you would like to try it. Many companies in Canada and the Usa will ship worldwide. But I have NO idea of the cost...duties, etc.

[UPDEHSOI]

On 3/10/2018 at 7:50 AM, laislica said:

I don't like to go out early or late unless covered with DEET.

GOOD GRIEF!! So DEET does not bother you? About 25 years ago I tried using it, and it actually melted my nylon fishing line. And my fishing buddy almost fainted when he sprayed some on his face. Haven't used it since.

[laislica]

1 hour ago, UPDEHSOI said:

Have you tried taking Beta-sitosterol for your prostate? From the research I have done, one would have to take a ton of saw palmetto for it to do any good. I have been taking Beta-Sitosterol for years and years...the only thing I take. ( that and exercise. A bulging belly will put a strain on your prostate ) I hit the sack, sleep like a baby throughout the night, and wake up every morning with a pssy rdon ( true story )

Don't know the cost of electricity in you area, but it is very easy to construct a NEAR INFRARED sauna fairly cheaply. If you're not sure how to go about it, you can find instructions on the net. I built one for my apartment in Canada. Works fine, but not as good as the big comercial jobbys. But it does save me a trip to the local gym.

Don't know where to find beta-Sitosterol in Thailand if you would like to try it. Many companies in Canada and the Usa will ship worldwide. But I have NO idea of the cost...duties, etc.

I tried Lopress for the prostate for a couple of years but I was on BP meds and they made the BP meds work harder.

First time I took it I passed out due to low BP.

It took ages to mess with the dose till I eventually got used to it.

I persevered for a three years but gave up late last year because my nightly trips were not reduced, even on 2mg, 3 times a day.

I just read on the web that a dose of 185mg would help

Then I found a list of foods containing Beta-sitosterol .

So I can start here soon, a couple of avos would do it.

I love avo and with a mixed salad, what could be better!

Avos are plentiful and not expensive in Spain..

 

This is Office 2007 Excel

Foods containing Beta-sitosterol.xlsx

 

Yes, the DEET is terrible, but what else is there?

Lemon grass essential oil doesn't work for me.

It's so strong that I cannot put it on my skin.so it can go on my clothes.

End result, I don't go out much in Thailand.

Spain is semi-dessert and few if any mozzies.

 

 

34 minutes ago, UPDEHSOI said:

GOOD GRIEF!! So DEET does not bother you? About 25 years ago I tried using it, and it actually melted my nylon fishing line. And my fishing buddy almost fainted when he sprayed some on his face. Haven't used it since.

 

[lvr181]

9 hours ago, UPDEHSOI said:

The ONLY salt I use is Himalayan Crystal salt. You can buy it in chunks, coarse or fine ground. It contains about forty minerals, whereas white table salt, when tested has been known to contain ground glass ( true story ) and sand. Ground glass will eventually scratch up yer arteries, and cause all sorts of problems. You can also make SOLE ( so lay ) from himalayan crystal salt. Take a teaspoon full every day in a glass of water....good for yer health. AND...you can use a bit more of the himalayan crystal salt without doing damage to yer health.

Is Himalayan salt any better or cheaper than harvested sea salt?  Aren't they both still sodium chloride? I am sure you could get the forty minerals from other less damaging sources and are those forty minerals (in Himalayan Crystal salt) of an effective amount? Or maybe they are just traces of.

 

Ground glass in your table salt? From which country?

 

I use a table salt that is 33% potassium chloride. Many people are lacking pottasium chloride in their diet.

[lvr181]

6 hours ago, laislica said:

  7 hours ago, UPDEHSOI said:

GOOD GRIEF!! So DEET does not bother you? About 25 years ago I tried using it, and it actually melted my nylon fishing line. And my fishing buddy almost fainted when he sprayed some on his face. Haven't used it since.

Well "coke" (the drinking one not the burning one nor the 'drug') used to clean verdigris off copper also. The formulation has probably changed a little since those days as has, probably, the DEET based products.

 

FWIW, DEET is the only mosquito repellent that works for me and I have tried many! I certainly would not visit any area where the malaria carrying mosquitoes abound without it.

 

 

[Hardie]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned hibiscus, the deep red flower, in its dried form, as most of my research indicates that this is THE best natural remedy for high blood pressure. Also known internationally as 'rosa jamaica', it should be the main ingredient for the bright red drink known on the streets in Thailand as 'nam krajiap', unless my taste buds are fooling me.  The flowers, at least in nature, seem to be called 'dork ch'baa, but I can't find them in the markets, or haven't yet anyway. If I can't find them in a boutique food store with fancy teas (it's a second ingredient in many blends, apparently), then I guess I'll have to start quizzing the 'nam krajiap' vendors, oh boy. Does anybody have any ideas? My blood pressure has surged precipitously since Nov. 2016, but I'd like to avoid the meds, if possible... thx

 

Does the garlic have to be raw? It's almost intolerable for me that way, though any level of steaming works fine. BTW the hibiscus flower, in Thai, in case your wife is an herbalist, should be  ดอกชบา...

[lvr181]

4 minutes ago, Hardie said:

My blood pressure has surged precipitously since Nov. 2016, but I'd like to avoid the meds, if possible... thx

Increase your physical activity. A minimum one hour walk per day would be a starter.

[Hardie]

3 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

Increase your physical activity. A minimum one hour walk per day would be a starter.

I work out every day, thx, no alcohol, tobacco or added salt. I'm looking for hibiscus...

 

[lvr181]

2 minutes ago, Hardie said:

I work out every day, thx, no alcohol, tobacco or added salt. I'm looking for hibiscus...

 

I understand and that is good but also look at your dietary intake as well. Cut down on saturated fat and transfat foods and also, perhaps lower your carbohydrate intake. 

HTH

 

Some want to grow old gracefully but others of us want to fight it all the way. 

[lvr181]

14 minutes ago, Hardie said:

I work out every day, thx, no alcohol, tobacco or added salt. I'm looking for hibiscus...

 

Here are some websites that may provide some help - if you have not already read them:

 

www.drdavidwilliams.com/foods-that-lower-blood-pressure  (note the specific hibiscus variety)

www.dietvsdisease.org/18-foods-to-lower-blood-pressure/

www.peoplespharmacy.com/2016/09/05/how-to-lower-blood-pressure-with-hibiscus-tea/

www.livestrong.com/article/401437-how-much-hibiscus-to-lower-blood-pressure/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roselle_(plant)

 

 

 

[laislica]

2 hours ago, Hardie said:

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned hibiscus, the deep red flower, in its dried form, as most of my research indicates that this is THE best natural remedy for high blood pressure. Also known internationally as 'rosa jamaica', it should be the main ingredient for the bright red drink known on the streets in Thailand as 'nam krajiap', unless my taste buds are fooling me.  The flowers, at least in nature, seem to be called 'dork ch'baa, but I can't find them in the markets, or haven't yet anyway. If I can't find them in a boutique food store with fancy teas (it's a second ingredient in many blends, apparently), then I guess I'll have to start quizzing the 'nam krajiap' vendors, oh boy. Does anybody have any ideas? My blood pressure has surged precipitously since Nov. 2016, but I'd like to avoid the meds, if possible... thx

 

Does the garlic have to be raw? It's almost intolerable for me that way, though any level of steaming works fine. BTW the hibiscus flower, in Thai, in case your wife is an herbalist, should be  ดอกชบา...

Yes the garlic has to be raw.

When I first started it burn't my mouth.

So I crushed it in a simple hand held garlic crusher.

That way it was easier to incorporate into food without the burning.

 

After a while I found I didn;t need to do that.

Then I got to love it and now food without garlic is tasetless LOL

 

I just takes a little time and perseverance.

 

Currently, medical thinking has seen that anything that artificially reduces BP numbers doesn't help the heart disease but the numbers look good (Atenalol as an example)

 

My personal experience, which I've shared in detail in this thread and the thread that was closed is simple.

I was overweight, loads of belly fat as well as general body fat and I had high BP.and was on meds.

 

Finally I repeated what I did in 96, I got slim.

In 96 it was a juice fast, needed an expensive machine.

Took two hours to prepare a day's juice and clean up.

Lots of veggie shopping and still had cravings.

It was a struggle, but it worked.

Lost the fat, lost the high BP naturally.

 

However, this time:

I changed my eating habits to plant based foods, coconut oil, avos if I could get em but no dairy.

Lotsa raw garlic too.

I ate over a limited period, at first mid day to 8 pm.

Then 2 till 6 or thereabouts.

Things got easier as time passed.

Lost cravings and this now seems to be a sustainable lifestyle.

EDIT

Forgot to mention that I have given up dairy, and I love cheese.....

Also gave up bread, in fact, given up anything with white flour.

I get loads of carbs from the veggies, protein from eggs and general nutrition is overall at optimal levels.

I use this website to monitor what I consume:

 

https://cronometer.com/

 

Fin edit

 

Lately I learned that in the 50's the sugar industry funded two scientists and their was to find anything other than sugar

as the reason for hyper tension, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Ancel Keys did his number on fat as the cause for most of it  and time has proven his science was wrong, he had carefully cherry picked data to show a desired conclusion.

 

Lewis Dahl did his number on salt (the DASH Study), blaming salt for hypertension.

If you didn't add erroneous data and looked at only the 48 civilised countries:

There was actually a reduction of blood pressure as salt intake increased.

But that didn’t get highlighted.

What actually got highlighted was the reduction in blood pressure as salt intake was lowered,

but only if you included those four primitive cultures that also ate a ton of potassium, a ton of magnesium, t

hey exercise more than us, they’re lean, they don’t drink alcohol, they don’t consume sugar.

But when you remove those cultures, we actually found the opposite.

The more salt we consume and inner salt, actually there was a reduction in blood pressure.

 

The Scientific American has this to say and you may do more research and then draw your own conclusions.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/

 

 

Anyway, I recently started to increase the sea salt in my veggies.

BP stays the same but lost the leg cramps, especially at night.

 

One thing though, low salt means my kidneys have to work harder to retain salt and they need insulin to help them do that.

Just what I don;t want, more insulin because that messes with triglycerides and cholesterol and causes weight gain in general....

 

As has been said, Moderation.

So I am not heaping on salt, just having a little more.

 

So this is what I'm doing and you should note that my only meds were for BP and I was happy to monitor BP (I have a suitable machine at home)

 

If you choose to make a radical change to your lifestyle, perhaps you should see your Dr first, especially since you mentioned that BP spiked recently.

There may be something else going on?

Also, you have given no details about yourself.

General health, other conditions chronic or acute, age, height, weight, waist measurement etc. etc.

The Dr. would get lots of that info by looking at you in his office and asking a few questions whilst bunging you on the scales......

The Dr. could even know something about your mental state by listening to the words you use and how you answer his questions.

 

Without the proper info, IMHO, no one should attempt to offer you guidance other than see a medical professional.

 

So, try to stay calm, stress makes things worse, and see your Dr.

 

Let's know what happens and good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hardie]

10 hours ago, Hardie said:

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned hibiscus, the deep red flower, in its dried form, as most of my research indicates that this is THE best natural remedy for high blood pressure. Also known internationally as 'rosa jamaica', it should be the main ingredient for the bright red drink known on the streets in Thailand as 'nam krajiap', unless my taste buds are fooling me.  The flowers, at least in nature, seem to be called 'dork ch'baa, but I can't find them in the markets, or haven't yet anyway. If I can't find them in a boutique food store with fancy teas (it's a second ingredient in many blends, apparently), then I guess I'll have to start quizzing the 'nam krajiap' vendors, oh boy. Does anybody have any ideas? My blood pressure has surged precipitously since Nov. 2016, but I'd like to avoid the meds, if possible... thx

 

Does the garlic have to be raw? It's almost intolerable for me that way, though any level of steaming works fine. BTW the hibiscus flower, in Thai, in case your wife is an herbalist, should be  ดอกชบา...

Thanks to those of you who responded to this post. I'm no closer to finding hibiscus in Thailand, but there was some good info in the links, mostly encouragement that natural remedies are very viable alternatives to the typical meds. I gave up on that long ago with my gout condition. So I'm holding out hope of finding beetroot in Thailand, at least, and will begin scrutinizing 'nam krajiap' closely for telltale flowers at the bottom of the barrel. If nothing else, I can always buy a year's supply in LA in the Mexican groceries quite easily, I guess, just have to powder it for transport. It's funny that all the best natural remedies for blood pressure are things so red in color: hibiscus, beetroot, pomegranate, etc...

[elnet1]

Sodium. Reduce salt and be mindful of foods high in sodium. Also, eat bananas for the potassium.

 

http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/microsites/salt/Home/Howtoeatmorepotassium

[UPDEHSOI]

On 3/13/2018 at 11:31 AM, laislica said:

Anyway, I recently started to increase the sea salt in my veggies.

Have you done any research on sea salt? I have read ( and watched videos ) so so much bad press on the way ALL sea salt is contaminated...micro plastics etc. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. But that's just me....just sayin'....but worth a look though I think.

[lvr181]

On 3/13/2018 at 10:09 PM, Hardie said:

that natural remedies are very viable alternatives to the typical meds.

Natural remedies can be but beware of those who make "claims" that can often be of an anecdotal nature rather than empirical evidence based. Even logical evidence is better than anecdotal. 

 

Some reading and sources of the tea.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3593772/

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030881461400692X

 

www.thaiorganiclife.com/product/roselle-hibiscus-tea/

www.farmhousedirect.com.au/australianteahouse/hibiscus-tea-bags 

Note that these suppliers make a direct reference to the required hibiscus variety. Beware some suppliers maybe on the "bandwagon" trying to sell hibiscus tea not using the accepted correct variety!

 

HTH

[Sheryl]

Of all the various "natural treatments" the OP has mentioned, what probably made the main difference was weight loss.

 

It is well known that weight loss will reduce blood pressure and for many people that alone will get them into desirable range. Nothing "alternative" about this, it is well recognized by main stream medicine and any responsible doctor will advise it.

 

The problem is that it can be quite hard to achieve.

 

Various publications on "natural" cures do nto highlight this as much as they should, or make it sound like a host of special foods and supplements are at least as important. They are not. But there is no profit to be made in people loosing weight, whereas the nutritional supplement/health food industry is a multi billion dollar one.

 

Which is not to say there is no place for supplements, they can have a role to play for some people,  and most of the foods being touted are healthy ones.

[laislica]

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Of all the various "natural treatments" the OP has mentioned, what probably made the main difference was weight loss.

 

It is well known that weight loss will reduce blood pressure and for many people that alone will get them into desirable range. Nothing "alternative" about this, it is well recognized by main stream medicine and any responsible doctor will advise it.

 

The problem is that it can be quite hard to achieve.

 

Various publications on "natural" cures do nto highlight this as much as they should, or make it sound like a host of special foods and supplements are at least as important. They are not. But there is no profit to be made in people loosing weight, whereas the nutritional supplement/health food industry is a multi billion dollar one.

 

Which is not to say there is no place for supplements, they can have a role to play for some people,  and most of the foods being touted are healthy ones.

 

Sheryl, do you have any ideas re the question I raised in post #5:

<Snip>

It makes me wonder if an organ was to blame, like kidneys clamping down and causing back pressure?

I say this because the change in my body has been rapid, just a few weeks.

Although "The truth about food" a BBC documentary showed that eating 4 cloves of raw garlic could fix ED in 6 weeks....

 

As always, there are too many variables to actually pinpoint the actual real cause of the change.

<Snip>

The weight loss was little and gradual but suddenly, BP became normal, strange - but I like it LOL

 

Also the difference dropped from about 60 to 40, would that suggest that arteries are flexible again?

 

[laislica]

I tried to add this to the previous post but the edit failed....
(Shouldda been quicker LOL)

EDIT

You said: "Of all the various "natural treatments" the OP has mentioned, what probably made the main difference was weight loss."

I rather agree with that, but:

Would you agree to the word "Complementary" instead of "Alternative"?

 

You see, I feel that food is the medicine and the alternative is perhaps a chemical, but that's just my thinking that the food we choose to eat is what contributes greatly to and illnesses we have and to specific genes being expressed.

 

I feel that  food and chemical drugs are complementary, one cannot be an alternative to the other.

That is we could not live on drugs alone,

neither is food always enough.

As we have discussed, modern food may not be as nutritious as it was even 50 years ago and also as we age, our ability to absorb some nutrients may be severely impacted so some supplementation would be in order in those cases.

 

We are after all, a combination of mind, body and spirit and for us to be really healthy, all these things must be in good order and well balanced.

Stress is a well known killer.....

 

[laislica]

On 3/12/2018 at 11:33 PM, UPDEHSOI said:

Have you tried taking Beta-sitosterol for your prostate? From the research I have done, one would have to take a ton of saw palmetto for it to do any good. I have been taking Beta-Sitosterol for years and years...the only thing I take. ( that and exercise. A bulging belly will put a strain on your prostate ) I hit the sack, sleep like a baby throughout the night, and wake up every morning with a pssy rdon ( true story )

Don't know the cost of electricity in you area, but it is very easy to construct a NEAR INFRARED sauna fairly cheaply. If you're not sure how to go about it, you can find instructions on the net. I built one for my apartment in Canada. Works fine, but not as good as the big comercial jobbys. But it does save me a trip to the local gym.

Don't know where to find beta-Sitosterol in Thailand if you would like to try it. Many companies in Canada and the Usa will ship worldwide. But I have NO idea of the cost...duties, etc.

 

OK started taking Beta Sitosterols 320 mg in a combination pill with zinc, D3, E, C, thiamine, etc. But I also did a 5 day water fast, weight was about 73Kg before the fast, dipped to about 68 Kg at the end (empty gut) and now

at about 69 Kg, so about 4Kg lost in 5 days. See the graph, the top graph is calories consumed.

Trips to the loo during the night are halved or better!

 

Too many variables to decide what is responsible.

 

I have also had a regular sauna on Sunday mornings.

I've done a lot of very sweaty sunbathing as well so I have also detoxed (I guess)

I'm still eating during a smaller time window, skipping breakfast and eating mid afternoon, then a mini fast till next day.

Also restricting calories but ensuring that my nutrition is good.

I'm using cronometer.com to monitor nutrition, bio-metrics, exercise etc.

 

[MuntyC0re]

The first thing you need to do is remove all grains and sugars from your diet, particularly fructose, until both your weight and your blood pressure have normalized. Eating sugars and grains -including any type of bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, or rice - will cause your insulin levels and your blood pressure to remain elevated.

[Kohsamida]

Nutrition is ket to controlling blood pressure; not meds.

My MD read me the riot act and put me on medication when it turned out my blood pressure was at 180/110.  Scared the hell out of me; I had no idea! 

 

He put me on meds but didn't provide any advice whatsoever on diet or lifestyle.  I took the meds as prescribed and bought a BP cuff so I could measure daily.  I saw no significant improvement form the meds alone.

 

So I started to read all I could on the subject and gradually I realized on my own that diet was absolutely key.  I cut out ALL processed sugar and salt and gravitated away from animal protein.  Just from those dietary changes, my blood pressure began to drop significantly, and in only a matter of weeks!

 

Against my doctor's advice I discontinued the meds just to see how that would affect my BP.  Astonishingly, my BP stayed in a healthy range and it continues to stay there, at around 120/80.  Probably should be lower, but sure is better than 180/110!

 

The takeaway, at least for me, is that meds are NOT the answer.  Honestly I am shocked that my (former) doctor did not consul me at all with regard to diet, other than to say that I should reduce calories and loose some weight. 

 

I now realize that nutrition is absolutely the determining factor for many people when it comes to controlling high blood pressure, and most other inflammatory issues such as diabetes.  What's more, it's not so much an issue of how much you eat as it is "what you eat"

 

Though opinions can vary, in my opinion, processed sugar and excessive amounts of salt are "poison".  Animal proteins are also highly problematic.  I still consume some animal protein but am gravitating more towards a more "plant based" (Vegan) diet, and feel much more healthy for it.  FYI, I live in Chiang Mai so following a Vegan lifestyle is not difficult at all, with over 200 Vegan restaurants in town from which to choose!

 

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth ?  Take it for what you will.

[lvr181]

31 minutes ago, Kohsamida said:

My MD read me the riot act and put me on medication when it turned out my blood pressure was at 180/110.  Scared the hell out of me; I had no idea!

My Dr tells me that BPR should be below 140/90. The 90 should be as close as reasonably possible to 60. But any 'risk' should take into account your chloesterol levels also, particularly LDL (the bad one).

 

[Kohsamida]

16 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

My Dr tells me that BPR should be below 140/90. The 90 should be as close as reasonably possible to 60. But any 'risk' should take into account your chloesterol levels also, particularly LDL (the bad one).

 

Good point; I forgot to mention that my LDL also dropped significantly from diet changes.  My former MD also classified me as pre-diabetic and put me on Metformin.  Through my own googling about Diabetes I found out that by switching away from animal proteins and cutting out refined sugar, I could control that as well as the high blood pressure, and, at least in my situation, it appears to be correct because my fasting blood sugar dropped from 115 mg/dL to 85 mg/dL., where it has remained without the Metformin, and again, it was just a matter of weeks that it occured after a change in diet.  This is why I've turned into such a big proponent of smart nutrition.

 

If anybody wants a great starting point into sound nutritional advice, one of the best books I read was "How Not To Die" written by Dr. Michael Greger.  He's a smart MD with no hidden agenda and his book is an easy read, insightful, entirely science-based, and also pretty entertaining as well.

[Kohsamida]

On 4/11/2018 at 11:07 PM, MuntyC0re said:

The first thing you need to do is remove all grains and sugars from your diet, particularly fructose, until both your weight and your blood pressure have normalized. Eating sugars and grains -including any type of bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, or rice - will cause your insulin levels and your blood pressure to remain elevated.

I kind of agree with what you said but not exactly.  Processed, refined sugar is absolutely an issue.  Natural fructose as found in fruit is not.  There's a significant different between two in terms of the development of insulin insensitivity.   The same holds true with grains; highly processed grains...bad; simple grains...not bad.  Animal protein (as opposed to plant-based proteins), which you didn't mention, is highly problematic, and just as important to consider, and there is a lot of science-based research to support this.  

[lvr181]

Sea salt is still mainly sodium chloride and that = BAD. Also lacking iodine but 'may' contain some trace elements.

 

Read this, from a reliable source:

 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/sea-salt/faq-20058512

[Kohsamida]

On 3/14/2018 at 9:34 PM, UPDEHSOI said:

Have you done any research on sea salt? I have read ( and watched videos ) so so much bad press on the way ALL sea salt is contaminated...micro plastics etc. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. But that's just me....just sayin'....but worth a look though I think.

I try not to add salt to my diet anymore because I consider it to be unhealthy for cardiac health since it binds water in the bloodstream and can significantly raise blood pressure.  However, when I did use it on food, I tried sea salt and noticed no difference in taste really.  The only difference I noticed was in texture.  The same seemed true with kosher salt.

 

I have not researched the matter in depth but when I google the so-called virtues of sea salt over regular salt I find nothing that is truly science-based to support this notion that it is a more healthy option than regular table salt.  My opinion; it's just unsubstantiated marketing hype and nothing more.

 

The extreme price difference makes it a really poor choice which is why there's so much marketing hype.  There is no reason that sea salt or any of the exotic brands should be any more expensive than regular salt if you think about it.

 

I'd rather trust a well recognized brand name like Morton's who's got a track record for quality  and purity than some fly-by-night private label brand from Amazon or Lazada.

[Kohsamida]

On 3/15/2018 at 11:34 AM, Sheryl said:

Of all the various "natural treatments" the OP has mentioned, what probably made the main difference was weight loss.

 

It is well known that weight loss will reduce blood pressure and for many people that alone will get them into desirable range. Nothing "alternative" about this, it is well recognized by main stream medicine and any responsible doctor will advise it.

 

The problem is that it can be quite hard to achieve.

 

Various publications on "natural" cures do nto highlight this as much as they should, or make it sound like a host of special foods and supplements are at least as important. They are not. But there is no profit to be made in people loosing weight, whereas the nutritional supplement/health food industry is a multi billion dollar one.

 

Which is not to say there is no place for supplements, they can have a role to play for some people,  and most of the foods being touted are healthy ones.

You point out the main problem when it comes to health issues today.  Unless money can be made by someone, something that can be very beneficial isn't promoted.  Put another way, if money CAN be made, all sort of wild claims will be made for this supplement or that super-food.

 

Many of these so-called "health guru's" spew utter nonsense, usually backing up the claims with incredibly biased and misleading studies or flat-out lies.  The internet is littered with such garbage.  It's actually overwhelming, and makes it almost impossible for anyone to search for legitimate information.

 

Unbiased, definitive scientific research into the health aspects of foods and supplements is actually a rare thing.  Most so-called scientific studies are often incredibly biased.  More often than not they are funded by the food and supplement industry.

 

For anyone looking for seriously good, science-based facts, one of the best sources I've ever found is the US website called https://nutritionfacts.org/  It is the website of Dr. Michael Greger who wrote the highly regarded book, "How Not To Die", and unlike many who write books on health, he is brutally honest, highly credentialed and backs up everything he says with UNBIASED, science-based facts in the form of scientific studies.

 

 

[Kohsamida]

22 hours ago, Kohsamida said:

Nutrition is ket to controlling blood pressure; not meds.

My MD read me the riot act and put me on medication when it turned out my blood pressure was at 180/110.  Scared the hell out of me; I had no idea! 

 

He put me on meds but didn't provide any advice whatsoever on diet or lifestyle.  I took the meds as prescribed and bought a BP cuff so I could measure daily.  I saw no significant improvement form the meds alone.

 

So I started to read all I could on the subject and gradually I realized on my own that diet was absolutely key.  I cut out ALL processed sugar and salt and gravitated away from animal protein.  Just from those dietary changes, my blood pressure began to drop significantly, and in only a matter of weeks!

 

Against my doctor's advice I discontinued the meds just to see how that would affect my BP.  Astonishingly, my BP stayed in a healthy range and it continues to stay there, at around 120/80.  Probably should be lower, but sure is better than 180/110!

 

The takeaway, at least for me, is that meds are NOT the answer.  Honestly I am shocked that my (former) doctor did not consul me at all with regard to diet, other than to say that I should reduce calories and loose some weight. 

 

I now realize that nutrition is absolutely the determining factor for many people when it comes to controlling high blood pressure, and most other inflammatory issues such as diabetes.  What's more, it's not so much an issue of how much you eat as it is "what you eat"

 

Though opinions can vary, in my opinion, processed sugar and excessive amounts of salt are "poison".  Animal proteins are also highly problematic.  I still consume some animal protein but am gravitating more towards a more "plant based" (Vegan) diet, and feel much more healthy for it.  FYI, I live in Chiang Mai so following a Vegan lifestyle is not difficult at all, with over 200 Vegan restaurants in town from which to choose!

 

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth ?  Take it for what you will.

Hippocrates, who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine, said over 2,000 years ago, "Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food".  Many doctors today, who's main skill is only in writing prescriptions, seems to have forgotten this. 

 

When it comes to health, food is EVERYTHING.