How My Friend Lowered His Blood Pressure
Right now I'm hoping my wife won't find any "honeydo's" for me because I don't have to drive anywhere, the weather's nice, and I'm hoping to soak up some sun and read a newspaper or two.
A couple hours ago I was reminded of the third of Americans who have hypertension, or high blood pressure. The sad truth is, many don't even realize they have it until it's too late. High blood pressure is frequently called The Silent Killer because it often strikes without warning, causing heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
Now, what causes high blood pressure?
There are a number of answers, and among them are body type, sedentary lifestyle, sodium intake, low potassium intake, heavy use of alcohol, eating a lot of saturated fat, and huffing. (that's what I call smoking, because everyone I know who smokes, huffs.) And then, there's what we in the trade call "essential hypertension," which means we can't identify a specific reason for it, but it's there, just the same.
If you're overweight, and plenty of people these days are, or if your job allows you to sit around all day, and you don't exercise, then you might already have high blood pressure. And more fat around the midsection means more trouble for you too.
Sodium isn't bad in and of itself. But here in the Sunshine State, I see people pouring the stuff on every plate they consume. Tasting the food in the first place isn't even an issue, they just always add more. Too much salt can lead to water retention, then high blood pressure, or make it worse.
I see piles of bananas every time I go to the supermarket. And I try to get in at least one per day for their rich potassium levels. But I guess most Americans don't eat the bananas they toss in their carts because they aren't getting enough potassium in their diets. This may lead to high levels of sodium.
And none of this factors in alcohol use and huffing, which is about the worst thing you can do to your body.
Now I'm no teetotaler. I have a drink now and then and so can you. And I'm not going to complain about a special occasion cigar, even if I won't partake.
But I'll tell you this: smoking and constant drinking, in the long run, will hurt you - if you get to have a long run. And if you have high blood pressure, doing either is suicidal.
To lower your blood pressure, start with simple lifestyle changes like exercising one day at a time and eating better one day at a time. Then it can become two days at a time. Remember you can't change years of habits overnight and you shouldn't try.
These lifestyle changes aren't trivial. A friend of mine was fond of saying, "Hey...who the...put a vegetable on my plate?" His heart attack hit him like a Mack truck and a year later he's still in recovery.
When I visited him in the hospital he said, "I guess it's all carrots and celery from now on, huh?" It doesn't have to be that way. Start making small changes, and pretty soon, before you even know it, you'll be lighter, and happier. - 17273
A couple hours ago I was reminded of the third of Americans who have hypertension, or high blood pressure. The sad truth is, many don't even realize they have it until it's too late. High blood pressure is frequently called The Silent Killer because it often strikes without warning, causing heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
Now, what causes high blood pressure?
There are a number of answers, and among them are body type, sedentary lifestyle, sodium intake, low potassium intake, heavy use of alcohol, eating a lot of saturated fat, and huffing. (that's what I call smoking, because everyone I know who smokes, huffs.) And then, there's what we in the trade call "essential hypertension," which means we can't identify a specific reason for it, but it's there, just the same.
If you're overweight, and plenty of people these days are, or if your job allows you to sit around all day, and you don't exercise, then you might already have high blood pressure. And more fat around the midsection means more trouble for you too.
Sodium isn't bad in and of itself. But here in the Sunshine State, I see people pouring the stuff on every plate they consume. Tasting the food in the first place isn't even an issue, they just always add more. Too much salt can lead to water retention, then high blood pressure, or make it worse.
I see piles of bananas every time I go to the supermarket. And I try to get in at least one per day for their rich potassium levels. But I guess most Americans don't eat the bananas they toss in their carts because they aren't getting enough potassium in their diets. This may lead to high levels of sodium.
And none of this factors in alcohol use and huffing, which is about the worst thing you can do to your body.
Now I'm no teetotaler. I have a drink now and then and so can you. And I'm not going to complain about a special occasion cigar, even if I won't partake.
But I'll tell you this: smoking and constant drinking, in the long run, will hurt you - if you get to have a long run. And if you have high blood pressure, doing either is suicidal.
To lower your blood pressure, start with simple lifestyle changes like exercising one day at a time and eating better one day at a time. Then it can become two days at a time. Remember you can't change years of habits overnight and you shouldn't try.
These lifestyle changes aren't trivial. A friend of mine was fond of saying, "Hey...who the...put a vegetable on my plate?" His heart attack hit him like a Mack truck and a year later he's still in recovery.
When I visited him in the hospital he said, "I guess it's all carrots and celery from now on, huh?" It doesn't have to be that way. Start making small changes, and pretty soon, before you even know it, you'll be lighter, and happier. - 17273
About the Author:
Dr. Bill is an orthopaedic surgeon and anti-aging author. For heart health, he takes this type of pharmaceutical grade fish oil.
posted by X - Men at
9:44 AM
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