Archive

Archive for the ‘Hypertension’ Category

Blood Pressure

August 28th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Blood pressure can be referred as a byproduct of lifestyle changes. The fast-paced urban life, leaves no room for a breather. An erratic lifestyle and tight working conditions can take a toll on your health and lead to such diseases. In fact, there is a chain of lifestyle diseases that crop up from simple causes like poor eating, stress, poor sleeping and so on. A demanding lifestyle can leave you fatigued with no energy left at the end of the day. Living this kind of life for a longer period is like a battle against good health.

If you experience any signs of blood pressure then pause for a minute and look inside. It helps to slow down the pace at which your life is moving. Go slow and cut the rat race. You may choose to introspect yourself and evaluate the causes of this condition. Once you know what has caused this condition, it is easy to fight back. Typically, pressure problem can be resolved with a consistent effort and some lifestyle changes. Here is what you can do to restore your health.

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Sleep early: Remember the adage “Early to bed, early to rise, keeps a man healthy, wealthy and wise”. Try to live up to this adage it works wonders.

Replace: Replace your junk food with healthy eating options. Switch over from aerated drinks to fresh fruit juices, from burgers to sandwiches. Ditch the pizza’s and go with whole wheat bread and vegetable rolls. Make this simple change in your eating habits and see the results.

Don’t carry baggage: Work and its relatives should be left in the office. Don’t carry this baggage home, it will only add to your mental stress and aggravate blood pressure.

Exercise: Light to moderate exercise helps in improving blood circulation and keeps diseases at bay. Indulge in some activity like jogging, swimming, yoga or gym. Keep your muscles moving, don’t let them be stagnant.

Say No: Say no to addictives like alcohol, caffeine, tea and the likes. Do not let your system be dependent on such addictive substances.

Take medicine: While you adopt these lifestyle changes to beat the lifestyle diseases do not ignore the importance of medicines. It is important to take medication for this condition.

Remember, “Health is Wealth” and its value is seldom known until it is lost. If you value your health then read the early signs and make the desired changes to fight blood pressure.

Lower Your Cholesterol Level Using a Diet

August 28th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

A diet for lowering cholesterol is one of the most definite methods to prevent heart conditions. Studies have shown that by using a diet for lowering cholesterol you can cut as much as ten to twenty percent of bad cholesterol out of your system. Just stay on a healthy diet rich in veggies and fish, and make sure that you avoid saturated fats and trans fat as much as you can.

Cholesterol is fat materials that flows in your blood. Cholesterol are naturally produced by the liver however the food you eat contributes greatly to cholesterol build up. Cholesterol have good uses, it is utilized by the body to form body hormones however when there excesses on your blood is harmful.

When your body have too much cholesterol in it, blockage to the arteries is a big possibility and can result to serious illnesses such as angina. If there is one part of the heart that it completely blocked by the plaque build-up it can cause heart ailment.

When sufficient oxygen supply in blood it results in chest pain but if the coronary artery is completely blocked, it can lead to heart attack. High cholesterol in your blood is not something that you should never ignore. Blood clotting in your arteries are usually caused by plaque build-up. To prevent this from happening you can follow the diet for lowering cholesterol below:

Tip 1 – Eat more garlic

It has been proven that garlic have components that helps eliminate cholesterol. You can add more if on pasta, soups, or any dish that you love eating. It can even spice up your meal.

Tip 2 – Consume more soy foods

Sot foods are great source of protein without cholesterol. Soy foods includes. Tofu, green soybeans and TVP or the texturized vegetable protein.

Tip 3 – Eat beans 3 – 5 times per week.

Beans are rich in protein which is an essential substance that the body needs. You can make black beans, kidney beans combined with green salad, lentil soup and much more.

Tip 4 – Eat fiber rich foods

Eating of these types of foods promotes regular bowel movement hence eliminating unnecessary deposits. Vegetables are fiber rich foods and must be included on your everyday snacks and meal.

Tip 5 – Use olive oil instead of butter

Margarine, butter, and cooking oils have too much cholesterol, and it is best that you use canola oil or olive oil when cooking to replace them.

Tip 6 – Use meat and poultry products as if they are condiments

When cooking do not use animal meats as your main ingredient, use lots of veggies and use meats to add flavor to your dishes. Meats have very high cholesterol content.

Tip 7 – Keep yourself moving

Doing daily exercises such as walking for thirty minutes every day helps increase your HDL level. These are good cholesterol. You can play your favorite sports such as swimming, jogging, or bicycling. These activities when performed everyday as a habit can strengthen your heart and muscles.

Natural Hypertension Remedies

August 26th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Forget the drugs; here are the natural hypertension remedies and healthy tips on how to reduce high blood pressure with food. Do you know that eating the right kind of food can result in continuous healthy life and ensures you never have to worry about your health again? Go through this article to discover some hidden truths about the best foods that are medicinal.

In the US for example, this plight is the most under-diagnosed health conditions and approximately 53,184 people died of this deadly disease in 2004 in the United States Alone. Hypertension is the leading cause of congestive heart failure, kidney disease and stroke. When not properly handled, high blood pressure can damage the arteries and completely render the cardiovascular system useless.

Before we look at how to reduce high blood pressure with food, it could be vital for you to know that Normal Blood Pressure is 120/80 mm Hg while problems results when it gets to 140/90 mm Hg or higher. A simple test at home or at the hospital by medical personnel will prove if you have this disease or not.

Now, simple changes to your diet can help reduce the intense menace of hypertension on your life.

Reduce Salt Intake.

I will not be brief here and act like I am really helping out. You have to reduce the amount of kitchen salts you consume; I mean sodium chloride. These commercially manufactured salts if you do not already know have been striped of its healthy and nourishing mineral contents. Instead, go for the sea salts and use it moderately in your cooking.

You should eat more fruits and Vegetables.

This is quite obvious; Fruits and Vegetables have lower fats and sodium contents. To live a healthy life and keep fit, this form of diet helps in blood circulation and ensures that the arteries are filtered from debris thereby ensuring you live a perfect and healthy life.

Take Green Vegetable Juice every day

One best way on how to reduce high blood pressure with food is the Green Vegetable Juice. 1 cup of Green Vegetable Juice is enough to lower your high blood pressure in the format of 20/10 because green vegetables contains healthy nutrients, lowers fats and sodium and soothes your arteries and the cardiovascular wall.

Low Fat Dairy

August 23rd, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

There are many ways that you can work on making healthy choices when it comes to your heart health, and lowering your blood pressure. You may actually wonder what is the point in watching your blood pressure. Well its very simple. It is very true from research that has been carried out that a person that has high pressure problems will have a lot of problems in terms of their health. If you can find ways to reduce your pressure then you are going to give yourself the great opportunity to lead a healthier more happy existence.

Your diet is the biggest contributor to your health and its a very important factor when it comes to lowering your blood pressure. If you are able to find a way to eat foods that are low in fat like low fat dairy then you are going to find it considerably more easy to lower your blood pressure effortlessly.

This will be an amazing result when you are used to eating foods that are very fattening as most dairy products that are available are. The fat that is eventually going to start to build up around your arteries and when this happens its going to be very hard for your blood to get through. This will result in your heart having to work a lot harder to pump blood around your body. This of course will cause your blood pressure to rise dramatically. This will increase the chances of you having a heart attack or a stroke. Of course this will increase your chances of getting other health problems that you may not have to worry about as much if you had lower blood pressure.

Your diet is very important in determining the health of your blood pressure, and is a very important if not the most important factor that determines whether you have normal blood pressure or not. To get into a healthier state its a great idea to make sure that you have low fat dairy products. It is very easy to get used to and will start to get very enjoyable once you are on it. The negatives are very minimal compared to the great advantages that you gain from consuming low fat dairy. This will change your life and your health too.

You need to start taking action today if you are to see a healthier body in the future. It is going to change your life around for the better and will reduce your blood pressure to normal levels which will help you to lead a more healthier and happy life in the future.

How to Lower Your High Blood Pressure

August 16th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

High blood pressure is a condition that can affect many people. In the United States for example, nearly 30 percent of people suffer from high blood pressure. As the condition suggests your blood pressure increases. However, people who do not have the condition experience periods when their blood pressure rises for example, when watching a football match, having an argument with the spouse or attending an important job interview. Even though, in these situations the person’s blood pressure may rise this does not mean they have high blood pressure.

The condition can be defined when a person’s blood pressure is consistently higher than normal. Many people think that a person who has hypertension is always hyper and quick to anger however, even the most relaxed individual could have the condition. There are many factors that can cause hypertension. Some of these factors you can control while others you cannot. The factors that are out of your control are hereditary factors. These most commonly involve either your parents, grandparents or your siblings having suffered or suffering from hypertension. If they did then this can increase your risk. There are also indirect and underlying causes such as the narrowing of the arteries and overactive adrenal glands.

However, there is good news as there are factors that you can control. A strong link to hypertension is being overweight. This is a lifestyle factor that can be improved by changing a few habits. People who are overweight or obese increase their risk. Being overweight means that you are 15 to 20 pounds over your natural healthy body weight. If you suffer from the condition then losing weight should be a priority. Even a small reduction in weight can make difference.

You can lower your weight by adapting lifestyle habits as follows:

Eating a healthy diet

Foods that are high saturated fats pile on the weight. These foods can be found in junk food and red meats. These should be reduced or even better cut out completely. It is healthier to eat low fat nutritious foods such as fresh organic fruit and vegetables. There are also low fat meat alternatives such as chicken (not fried) and oily fish such as mackerel and sardines. Also, cut down on your intake of salt by not adding it to food while eating or cooking.

Regular exercise

When you are physically active you can help to lower your risk of high blood pressure. For people already with hypertension they should take light exercises and build it up gradually and spread the activities throughout the day rather than in one session. Always consult your physician or doctor before you take part in any form of physical activity or exercise program.

Reduce High Blood Pressure

August 15th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Are you worried about taking prescriptions to control your blood pressure? If so, it is possible that you can fully avoid the possible side effects associated with many of the medications often prescribed to reduce high blood pressure. Here are a few methods you might want to consider before you fill that prescription.

The most important thing for you to do to lower your high blood pressure is to leave sodium out of your diet. You probably already know this, but do you know why? Sodium makes the body hold on to the fluids, such as water. This excess fluid being stored in your body causes the heart to work harder to pump the blood to your organs.

Look at the labels when you go to the grocery store. Try to avoid low salt and low sodium products. Instead look for the substitutes for salt. You will be surprised when you realize what is out there that can really add new flavor to your foods.

Caffeine is also a culprit in raising your pressure levels. If you must have that morning cup of coffee, you should switch to decaffeinated coffee. If you notice you begin to have headaches when you switch to decaf coffee you should switch to lite coffee. This has caffeine in it, but in a smaller amount. Slowly and gradually reduce the caffeine in your coffee until you are drinking only decaf.

If you are overweight, you already know that it is important for your overall health to begin shedding the pounds. However, it is vital that you lose the weight to reduce the strain on your heart. As the weight begins to come off your blood pressure should begin to reduce itself.

Exercise regularly and gradually increase the intensity of your workout. Make sure your doctor approves of the exercise regimen you will be doing. Take it slow at first. Do not over do yourself. If you do, it is likely that you will be sore and reluctant to continue exercising.

Stop smoking and drinking. These have very ill effects on the body and even worse effects on the heart and pressure. If you need assistance quitting smoking or drinking speak with your doctor for some assistance.

It is likely that you can naturally reduce high blood pressure by taking advantage of the tips given to you here. However, before you begin listening to the advice of anyone, you should discuss your thoughts with your doctor. He or she will be able to best direct you in reducing your blood pressure without the need for medications.

Start Lowering Hypertension Today

August 8th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

There are many fantastic ways to begin lowering hypertension without having to make drastic lifestyle changes! It’s always difficult to know where to start when there’s so much clashing information on the subject, but hopefully with my article this will be cleared up for you. I’m going to explore one of the hidden little factors that lead to high blood pressure and how exactly you can start combating it so you can start lowering hypertension today!

Now, there’s one factor that many people don’t know about, but can have a drastic effect on your blood pressure. That factor is alcohol. Now, this may strike you as odd, given the beneficial qualities of drinks such as red wine, but what goes unnoticed are all those hidden calories! You see, because it’s a drink, people seem to think that it holds no contribution to their recommended intake. Well, this is where they’re surprisingly wrong!

You see, when you’re having a meal, you might crack open a bottle of wine and easily finish one or two bottles in one night. Now, every now and then this is definitely not a problem – it’s great to have a treat! However, if you’re doing this on a regular basis, night after night, then the calories within the alcohol will begin to build up and be stored as fat. As you’ll be aware, stored fat will eventually begin to build up inside the arteries over time, which can be an instant cause of high blood pressure.

So all you will need to do to prevent this happening is drink in moderation! It’s not difficult to keep a check on exactly how much you’re drinking, especially in your own home. You just need to be aware that drinks can have as large a contribution to fat build up as food.

So once you’ve started to cut back on the alcohol, how might you improve the rate at which you’re lowering hypertension even further? Well, exercise is a strong factor that can be used in coalition with a steady diet as it sees all those excess calories being burned off. This means that your body’s not going to file away all that energy as fat, which leads to pressure build up in the arteries. Exercise is a great way of just flushing out your arteries a little by temporarily increasing the heart rate.

Even if you’re only going for a short cycle each morning, it’s going to work wonders for the lowering of hypertension over the course of a few weeks. All you have to remember is to stay committed to your routine. If you plan on making any advances with your body, be them weight loss or blood pressure lowering, you have to stay motivated and not make exercise into a chore.

If you’re serious about lowering hypertension, start with the little things like cutting out the excess alcohol, then take the condition by the horns with exercise to really give it the boot!

Herbs to Lower High Blood Pressure

July 29th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

There are many herbs to lower high blood pressure that you could get your hands on today if you had to. Did you know that just a few of them could each give you up to a 20/10 reduction. That could be enough to get you healthy again without the need for drugs. In this article, I’ll share with you three wonder herbs to restore health to your cardiovascular system.

lower blood pressure

Green Tea

Over 17 studies show that green tea can lead to a reduction in b.p.

Quite why and how green tea has these effects is not fully understood. But we know that green tea contains polyphenols and these have generally positive effects on health that we also know about.

For example, studies have shown that green tea can also reduce cholesterol levels, help against cancer and help to prevent kidney stones.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a very popular herb. In the USA, it is often added to many meals but it is also used heavily in cooking in other cultures.

It helps to regulate diabetes and can also lower cholesterol levels. From our point of view, we should be most interested in the fact that it can also lower high blood pressure.

You can take it in many forms. You can eat the powder straight or add it to a meal. Cooking may destroy its blood pressure lowering value. Alternatively, you can take it as a supplement pill. Normally this is just a capsule full of powder.

You can even drink it in a tea. Many people find this to be the ideal way to consume their cinnamon and derive these health benefits. It also tastes pretty good too!

Flaxseed

flaxseed

Flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These are known to be extremely beneficial for health. Flaxseed is sometimes known as linseed.

The ideal way to consume this is to buy the seeds raw and crush them in your own pestle and mortar. If you go to a health store then they can give you this supplement in this way or you can ask for a special oil that comes in a small jar.

If you go for the oil, make sure that it has been kept fresh in the refrigerator. Flaxseed oil has to be kept cold, otherwise it will lose its powerful properties.

You can also get a pill form but it is the least beneficial, in my view.

High Blood Pressure and Diet

July 28th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Hypertension refers to the increase in blood pressure. It is a chronic medical condition leading to damages in your major organs like the kidneys, heart and even the brain. Previously, the condition was only common among the older population. However, with the prevalence of deleterious lifestyle choices such as smoking, poor diet and decreased physical activity, the incidence of high blood pressure amongst even the younger generation is alarming. Today, hypertension is the underlying cause for the death of millions of people yearly. Generally, the treatment includes medical therapy, but lifestyle changes, including exercise and a diet low in fats and sodium have shown promise. Knowledge is power; here’s some important information about the condition.

Types

Health experts classify hypertension as either primary or secondary. Around 90% of the cases are unknown and classified under the primary type, whereas the remaining 10% are secondary where the underlying cause is identifiable. Although the causes of primary hypertension are unknown, there are some predisposing factors like sedentary lifestyle, stress, obesity, and diet. If you love eating salty and fatty foods, your diet could be a significant risk factor in contributing to the development of hypertension. Secondary hypertension is typically caused by specific factors – such as certain tumors (adrenal glands) or tightening of the artery that leads to the kidneys – that cause an increase in resting blood pressure.

Signs and Symptoms

Generally, experts diagnose this health condition by a persistently high blood pressure reading and/or the manifestation of symptoms like headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and sweating. Your physician will make a thorough assessment on the possible cause/s of the medical condition. If you don’t follow a low fat diet and are fond of eating fatty, salty meals like animal meats, foods high in preservatives and fried foods, there is no doubt about the cause of your symptoms.

Complications

If your high blood pressure continues and you tend to neglect diet low in fats and sodium, then complications can begin to appear. Some of the dreadful complications can involve the kidney, retinas and brain – even resulting in a stroke. As the arteries become thickened with fats, and clogged with inflamed and damaged tissues in various stages of repair as a result of a high fat diet, your major vital organs will receive lesser amount of oxygen and nutrients, leading to tissue death. It can lead to blindness and kidney failure. In many cases, left untreated – symptoms of high blood pressure can lead to the rupture of major blood vessels leading to the brain and major organs causing catastrophic injury and even death.

Treatment

Hypertension treatment includes medical management with various classes of drugs. However, its become increasingly clear that a lifestyle change can also bring about control of high blood pressure – often reducing or even eliminating your dependence on drug therapy. Of course prevention is always better than cure. You can begin today by adopting a healthy diet and incorporating exercise as part of your daily activities. Get serious about your health – lose the fatty diet and start one low in fats and salt, but rich in fiber, while including plenty of fruits and vegetables. Instead of getting your all your protein from animal meats sources, mix it up a bit! Get some from fish and vegetables sources as well. Modify your cooking methods to include boiling, broiling and steaming instead of frying. Medical treatment of High blood pressure is important, but lifestyle and diet changes can avoid the need for treatment or reduce the amount of treatment needed. Check with your doctor before you consider changing or beginning any treatment.

Hypertension has claimed the lives of millions of people and continues to cause a great deal of morbidity. However, adopting a low fat, high fiber diet amongst other healthy lifestyle choices can ensure that you lead a long, healthy and high quality life.

Elevated Blood Pressure Through Alcohol

June 27th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

As we progress through various stages of our daily routine and we experience the build up of different stresses that are placed on our bodies this can cause our blood pressure to fluctuate immensely both up and down.

However various physical actions can cause similar problems these could include the consumption of certain food types and the over indulgence of alcohol.

alcohol

Alcohol would be the more serious of these if consumed to excess and on a regular basis.

Repeated over indulgence of alcohol can have significant effects on our health some of which could become serious if not monitored and regulated accordingly.

The continued consumption of alcohol can lead to other medical conditions that may have a direct consequence on your blood pressure levels.

If you are a regular or frequent drinker as a matter of course you should expect to have slightly elevated blood pressure, and over time may experience deterioration in kidney function and possibly other internal organs IE the liver with additional pressure continually being exerted on the associated arteries all of which are closely related to our blood pressure and internal well being.

Best advice would be to regulate alcoholic intake, and depending on your current medical condition it could be advisable to cut it out all together.

A female’s tolerance to alcohol is generally lower than a males therefore similar effects should be expected only on a shorter timescale.

If continued high blood pressure is evident through alcohol, medical advice would likely be to reduce or cut out consumption altogether.

Some weight issues are also directly related to excessive alcohol consumption, this is only to be expected owing to the high sugar content in various alcoholic drinks in particular beers.

Beer tends to settle around your mid rift giving you the famous beer belly which can cause medical issues on its own however more importantly blood pressure levels will be elevated.

The more body fat you carry the more pressure you are placing on you arteries and organs which all contribute to you blood pressure levels.

Because of the relationship between alcohol and blood pressure its very simply a case of over indulge and the blood pressure goes up, reduce the intake and the levels should decrease.

high blood pressure

Alcohol can contribute to various medical conditions, some we can have an element of control over by simply using common sense and moderate what we know is not good for us.

If you suffer from high blood pressure from non alcohol related conditions it would be advisable to seek professional advice regarding consumption of alcohol and suggested amounts.

If you don’t feel the need to seek or want medical advice regarding this topic, but would like further information then you will usually find informative literature in the form of leaflet type handouts at most public areas such as libraries, doctors surgeries and health centres Etc.