Showing posts with label high blood pressure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high blood pressure. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

20 Ways to Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally


Do You know someone who suffers from high blood pressure? Maybe You? Then this is good news!

Are you aware that there are simple and inexpensive ways to control blood pressure with food and supplements you already have in your kitchen?

Intelligent health conscious people like You can naturally understand these strategies to help maintain lower blood pressure levels.

Because when you understand and follow through with these steps, you will feel more energy and enjoy the benefits of lower blood pressure.

In my 10 years of studying nutrition and over 5 years of helping others solve their health problems, I have found that the experts agree that these steps are some of the most effective in lowering blood pressure naturally.

1. CoQ10 supplements – CoEnzyme Q10 or CoQ10 For short is a powerful anti-oxidant which is in every cell in your body. Your body uses CoQ10 to derive Energy.

In a double-blind placebo controlled study published in The Journal of Human Hypertension, The group which took CoQ10 for just 8 weeks showed a significant reduction of blood pressure.

Also in a University of Texas study, people taking oral CoQ10 after just one month experienced significant lowering of blood pressure and 51% of participants were able to discontinue blood pressure medication.

As a side note, blood pressure medication prevents the body from not only manufacturing its own CoQ10, but also your body’s ability to absorb CoQ10. recommended dose: 100-200 mg gel caps each day to help lower blood pressure.

2. Vitamins, Herbs and Anti-oxidants

The following are Doctor recommended daily amounts.

Vitamin C - 1000 mg


Garlic - 2 cloves


Hawthorn berry - 500 mg


Omega 3 fatty acid fish oil Gel caps - 1000 mg


Vitamin b6 in a natural multivitamin


Magnesium - 500 mg


Astragalus root 500mg

3. Food Sources:

In a Greek study that examined the effects of the Mediterranean diet on 20,000 people proved that olive Oil, Fruits and Vegetables were significantly associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Celery - 4 sticks a day, relaxes the smooth muscles in the blood vessels.

Fresh cold water fish which is high in Omega-3 fatty Acids.

Salt - let’s understand the real reason why salt is important to your blood pressure.

We’ve all heard that you need to cut down on sodium in your diet, although this is not bad advice, it misses the point. High sodium intake alone does not increase blood pressure, it is an excess of sodium to potassium ratio.

The ideal ratio is five times as much potassium as sodium in Your diet. You’ll get the best results by eating three servings A day of potassium rich foods such as:

Bananas – 1 large


Avocados – 1 cup


Beans – ½ cup


Squash – 1 cup


Tomatoes – ½ cup

Low levels of magnesium can also contribute to high Blood pressure, so here are some Magnesium rich foods:

Almonds – 1/3 cup


Tofu – ½ cup


Cashews – 1 cup


Raisin bran – 1/3 cup

And finally lets talk about what level of blood pressure is considered high. Right now the threshold pushed by mainstream medicine is 115/75 – 120/80 which WAS considered borderline LOW just 5 years ago.

This is because the standard for “high- blood pressure, just like the standard for cholesterol is repeatedly lowered to put more people on medication. Your individual risk factors and age play a big role in determining what is a good blood pressure level for YOU.

So don’t just accept a one size fits all number when it comes to your blood pressure. Ask questions and discuss your health with a nutritionally educated Doctor to find what is best for you.

So what about YOU? Are You going to let the silent killer Sneak up on you? Or are You going to take action that will make this highly unlikely?

When You safe-guard Yourself with these proven techniques which You can easily incorporate into your life, then You will reap the healthy benefits.

Used in combination these natural, safe and proven techniques work wonders to keep your blood pressure down and allow you to experience a higher level of health without the unwanted side effects.

So take action now and get started today to do one thing from each of the three points above. Each day incorporate the food and supplements listed and You are well on Your way to lower blood pressure. These are proven, safe and inexpensive steps so You can enjoy the benefits now.


Sunday, August 1, 2010

High Blood Pressure Treatment - Medication, Diet and Alternative Therapies


Healthy lifestyle is the best treatment for high blood pressure

No drug can ever help you to win a battle against high blood pressure for good. The best they can do is to give a temporarily relief. However, by changing your lifestyle habits you can keep your blood pressure under control.

There are 3 major aspects of your life that affect blood pressure
  • Exercise
  • Diet
  • Stress management
Making your heart beating slightly faster than normal from time to time is very important. This doesn’t mean you will have to go the gym every day. Many everyday things count as exercise - house chores, gardening, walking your dog or playing active games with your children are good examples. Walking is the best exercise for high blood pressure, even 15 minutes a day will do wonder.

Most important you should do some exercise every day.

Another essential thing you will have to evaluate is your diet. Do you like souses, pickles and pre-cooked meals? Than you will have to cut it down, because all of the above are extremely high in sodium and sodium affects blood pressure very badly. Add more veggies and fruits to your diet, remove your salt shaker from the table and you will feel much better as your blood pressure lowers.

Every time you stress out, your blood pressure jumps up. And if stress is a permanent part of your life it can constantly keep your readings high. Don’t ignore stress; there are many effective ways to deal with it. For example, you can enroll in a stress relief class or take a yoga or Tai Chi class. Try to find time to do things that you enjoy.

High blood pressure medication

When it comes to high blood pressure drugs, you should never get one without consulting a doctor. If a particular medicine works well for your friend it doesn’t mean it will suit you. Most high blood pressure drugs are prescription drugs, so the only way to get them is to visit your physician first and ask for prescription.

Medication used to control high blood pressure includes:
  • ACE inhibitors
  • Calcium channel blockers
  • Beta-blockers
  • Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs)
  • Alpha-blockers
  • Diuretics


In the past a lot of high blood pressure medications were unsafe and had side effects. Luckily they improved in recent years, so modern drugs that help to lower your blood pressure are more effective and safe.

Alternative high blood pressure treatments

If you don’t trust conventional drugs and prefer alternative medicine, there are several treatments that can help to lower blood pressure.

Natural herbs for high blood pressure are very popular. Most effective are Hawthorn and Ginkgo Biloba. Several studies have shown that garlic also helps with hypertension control. Garlic thins the blood (reduces its ability to clot).

Garlic supplements work just as well as fresh garlic.

Among the alternative therapies, most common are acupuncture and magnetic high blood pressure therapy.

Acupuncture relaxes your body and releases some of the strain on the heart. There is no hard scientific proof that acupunctures works, but many people who tried it, swear that it helped to decrease their blood pressure.

Treatment with magnets can also help. Copper and iron bracelets reduce the effects of blood pressure, but scientists don’t know how and why. However, this treatment is painless and safe, so it is worth the try.

There are many ways to treat high blood pressure. You should never ignore it, because this condition doesn’t just go away unless you do something to control it.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Why is Exercise Important?


Have you ever heard the expression "use it or lose it"? It's true! If you don't use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!
Helps Prevent Diseases Our bodies were meant to move -- they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.
Improves Stamina When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.
Strengthens and Tones Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!
Enhances Flexibility Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help "loosen" those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.
Controls Weight Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It's as simple as that.
Improves Quality of Life Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.
How Often Should I Exercise?
The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it's disrupted too frequently. A "stop-start" routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.
People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.
If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.
Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.
Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don't have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.