A dear classmate, who now lives in Marmaris, called me a few days ago, to ask about exercise options, what to eat and what not to eat, and other suggestions I might have, to address his slight high blood pressure condition.
First of all, one’s blood pressure, or heart rate (pulse), for that matter, is not steady throughout the day and shows sizeable variability.
Just going to the doctor’s office to have your blood pressure checked usually results in a higher reading, then, say, measuring it at home.
For example, my resting heart rate (measured before one gets out of bed in the morning) is less than 50 beats per minute, but hits 160 after a 30 second sprint (do as I say and not as I do, one shouldn’t push it beyond 220 minus one’s age). It is similar when one looks at blood pressure.
For some reason, I decided to measure mine a few years ago and panicked when it came out 167 / 89. After all kinds of tests and having to carry a halter around my neck for 24 hours, my average came out 110 / 70; better than normal. What caused the spike???
The only change I made after this was to start meditating again, after a 40-year break.
As can be seen from the above table, for somebody my age, normal is 134/87 and 147/91 is tolerable.
So don’t panic, AND DON’T READILY ACCEPT your doctor’s suggests that you start taking medication if your blood pressure is 140/90.
While researching to write this post, I even came across doctors who said that medication could have OTHER BENEFITS, rather than side-effects.
A slight diversion
On average, we have about 70 trillion cells in our bodies. This is an unbelievable democracy, where these 70 trillion cells have a division of labor, where some cells look after the immune system, some after the cardio-vascular system, etc. They work in complete harmony. When you are given medication to reduce your blood pressure, all the other cells, having nothing to do with the cardio-vascular system, are also exposed to these chemicals. This is what side effects are all about. As we say in Turkish, “the wet being burned with the dry”.
If we consider the sad fact that just 7.5 billion people have made such a mess of the world, while 70 trillion cells live in perfect harmony (when doctors and big pharma don’t interfere), it takes one’s breath way.
Lets get back to Hypertension and some natural ways to combat it.
Hypertension is a quite common medical condition and many people worldwide suffer from it. This condition may occur and show no symptoms. But after a certain length of time, you may feel insomnia, dizziness, leg cramps, pain, and abnormal heart rates.
There are several natural approaches to address this problem, and I urge you to give them a try before taking any kind of medication.
- Using Lemon Juice
Squeeze one lemon into a glass of water and drink before breakfast every morning.
Lemons help with hydration, provide vitamin intake, relax blood vessels, and are a good source of potassium.
- Using Garlic
Garlic is one of the healthiest foods worldwide, and contains sulfur compounds, which are extremely beneficial in regulating high blood pressure. These compounds act as a natural stimulator of the production of nitric oxide.
Crush one bulb and mix it with a teaspoon of good organic honey, and consume it 20 minutes later. Do this every morning on an empty stomach.
- Using Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV), half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, and water and drink this mixture 2 times a day.
ACV is high in magnesium, potassium, calcium and other healthy minerals and other nutrients.
Baking soda is an excellent way to regulate pH levels and blood pressure.
- Using Bananas
Bananas are abundant in potassium and will help regulate sodium levels.
Eat 2 bananas a day to maintain your health on an optimal level.
ADDITIONAL TIPS:
- Lauric acid in coconut oil has been shown to reduce high blood pressure. (Brazilian Federal University of Paraiba, 2016). Eat 2 tablespoons a day.
- Eat real foods; nothing you see advertised on TV and nothing with an ingredients label.
- Lower your salt intake.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Limit your daily coffee intake.
- Don’t smoke.
- Start meditating.
- START EXERCISING.
WARNING.
If you are on hypertension medication, DON’T GO COLD TURKEY. Consult with your doctor and gradually wean off the medication. Hopefully, your doctor will be one that is sympathetic to “functional medicine”.
That’s it; see you all next week.
