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~ Back to Articles Index Page ~  Your blood pressure is a good type of pressure that you'll want to know all about. Normal blood pressure means your body is healthy and working within its limits to peak capacity. The good news is that maintaining your blood pressure within normal limits is absolutely within your control. And in this day and age, checking your blood pressure is as easy as visiting your local pharmacy or even having a small personal unit in your home. Monitoring your blood pressure with a home-based unit can be helpful however, if you prefer, have your blood pressure checked by your health care professional often. And remember not to worry; blood pressure tends to goes up and down, even in people who have normal blood pressure. Blood pressure should be measured when you are relaxed and rested. If you know your health care professional will be taking your blood pressure, arrive at your next appointment early and sit quietly to let your blood pressure return to normal. Traffic, parking and rushing to the appointment can all raise your pressure and preclude an accurate reading. Stay calm and take life easy! If your numbers happen to stay above normal, your health care professional will help you understand how to regulate your blood pressure to stay within normal, healthy limits. Working with your health care professional, maintaining a healthy diet and making a few simple lifestyle changes could be all it takes to put you back in control and keep your blood pressure within a healthy range. WHAT IS BLOOD PRESSURE? Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. Normal blood pressure is a necessary thing that allows blood to flow and deliver nutrients to the body. When your heart pumps, it creates this pressure to circulate the blood and bring it back, against the force of gravity, to the lungs for re-oxygenation. For a more complete description of circulation, see Nutter's article The Beat Goes On!. HOW IS BLOOD PRESSURE EXPRESSED? Blood pressure numbers include systolic (sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-a-STOL-ik) pressures.
SIMPLE STEPS TO MAINTAINING HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE In most cases of high blood pressure, the American Heart Association says there is no one identifiable cause. This kind of high blood pressure is called "primary hypertension" or "essential hypertension". It is usually due to a combination of factors, such as:
HEALTHY CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE TODAY Nutrition 
You can remarkably reduce your blood pressure through nutritional changes. Increasing the amount of vegetables and fruit and reducing the amount of fat and cholesterol will not only reduce blood pressure but can help with weight loss, which also lowers blood pressure. Eat whole, fresh, unrefined, and unprocessed foods. Include fruits, vegetables, garlic, onion, whole grains, soy, beans, seeds, nuts, olive oil, and cold-water fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut, and mackerel) in your weekly nutrition plan. Low Sodium - High Potassium Diet Most people know that reducing sodium intake can help reduce blood pressure. However, new information indicates that decreasing your sodium intake to help lower blood pressure appears to work better if accompanied by an increase in potassium at the same time. Keep in mind that reducing your sodium intake involves more than just not using a salt shaker. Make it a habit to read processed and prepared food labels for their sodium content as well. As much as possible, try to reduce the following foods:
Try to drink 50% of your body weight in ounces of water daily (e.g., if you weigh 150 lbs, drink 75 oz of water daily or about 9 - 10 cups). Pets Can Help Reduce Your Blood Pressure A pet's calming influence may outperform drug therapy when it comes to reducing stress-related spikes in blood pressure, researchers report. 
"We've shown over and over that it's beneficial to be with a pet when you're under stress," explained Dr. Karen M. Allen of the State University of New York at Buffalo. She reported the findings here Sunday at a meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA).
Numerous studies have found that pets improve the emotional and physical well being of their owners, especially the elderly. The Buffalo researchers' new findings suggest that Fluffy or Fido may even soothe the savage breasts of stress-prone Wall Street stockbrokers. In their study, the investigators asked 48 stockbrokers to conduct in-home 'stress tests' aimed at producing temporary spikes in blood pressure. Prior to the study, the brokers lived alone and were diagnosed by their physicians as suffering from hypertension. The brokers who owned pets also had stress-related rises in blood pressure, but these rises were only half as high as those seen in the petless group. Pets may even outperform human companions when it comes to controlling hypertension. People with pets don't feel they're being evaluated. They're loved and accepted by their pets.2 NATURAL PRODUCTS THAT ASSIST WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE The following supplements can help lower blood pressure. Talk with your health care professional before taking supplements to ensure you are receiving the correct dosage and that the supplement will not interfere with any other prescription medications you may be taking. CoenzymeQ10 - can assist with weight loss, has been shown to lower blood pressure. Vitamin C - lowers blood pressure, helps prevent inflammation in the walls of arteries, helps with production of anti-stress hormones and adrenal gland functioning. Calcium - helps maintain regular heartbeat, lowers blood pressure, is involved in the activation of lipase, an enzyme which breaks down fats. Flaxseed meal - Grind 2–4 tablespoons daily. Flaxseed meal is a good choice due to its fibre, lignan, and vitamin content. Hawthorn - In a randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers in Reading, UK, 79 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive either 1200 mg of hawthorn extract a day or placebo for 16 weeks. Medication for high blood pressure was used by 71% of the patients. At the end of the 16 weeks, patients taking the hawthorn supplement had a significant reduction in mean diastolic blood pressure (2.6 mm Hg). No herb-drug interactions were reported.3  Balance your blood pressure naturally. Flora Hawthorn Formula has historically been used for long-term heart support. Hawthorn berries, leaves and blossoms, plus hibiscus and passionflower, synergistically support the circulatory system by dilating blood vessels for improved blood flow. Flax Oil 
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil have been shown to be beneficial in controlling high blood pressure. In a 5-year study done at Boston's Simmons College, it was found that flaxseed oil my help prevent elevated blood pressure by inhibiting inflammatory reactions that cause poor circulation and artery-hardening plaque. Try adding some flaxseed oil to your cottage cheese. Why? Flaxseed oil is made more effective when 2 tablespoons of the oil are added to ¼ cup of cottage cheese. The essential fats bind to the proteins in the cottage cheese making them more easily absorbed by your body. For more information on this dynamic duo, you may want to read the book, Fats That Heal – Fats That Kill by Dr. Udo Erasmus. Carol Roy is a Natural Health Practitioner, registered with Natural Health Practitioners Canada, who received her diploma from the Alternative Medicine College of Canada in Montreal, Quebec. With 9 years experience in her area of expertise, naturopathic medicine, Carol has also trained to become a fully qualified Reiki Master, Quantum Touch ® Practitioner and Reflexologist. are recommendations only and not a substitute for any medical advice or a replacement for any prescriptions. Seek medical advice for any health concerns. Consult your health care provider before using any recommendations herein. References: 1. Natural Remedies for High Blood Pressure http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsek/a/Hypertension.htm 2. www.preventdisease.com 3. Natural Remedies for High Blood Pressure http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsek/a/Hypertension.htm |
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