What's the best meal replacement/protein bar?

The short answer: none of them!

I don't pretend to know everything about nutrition but I do know the most crucial component: nutrient density.

There's no need to ever eat a meal replacement bar (MRB) or protein bar, ever, ever, ever. Protein bars and MRBs are nowhere near as nutritious as real, whole food sources.

Who truly doesn't have time to eat real food? Maybe an E.R. surgeon? There are very few of us who can't at least shove a slice of organic turkey breast down their gullet along with a handful of nuts.

Are you that E.R. surgeon who slices and dices for 12 hours straight? Have a nurse hand-feed you; just don't drop any crumbs into the patient's innards.

Are you a traveling salesman or cop, frequently on the road and accustomed to making a pit-stop at the 7-11 for a quick pick me up (though the boost will be artificial and short-lived)?

Bring a small cooler with you in the car and load it will fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, lean protein slices, string cheese, organic beef jerky and of course plenty of water.

Office workers who scarf down a bar after work and then go to the gym would get better nutrition eating a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack with the above choices. If you don't have time for a real lunch, consider eating a handful or two of these snacks every 90 minutes. You'll keep your energy up and even increase your metabolism.

For those who do plenty of resistance training, you'll want primary protein sources to encourage muscle repair. Nuts are a fine complimentary protein source, but not one to rely on for significant muscle growth. If it was, bodybuilders would be scarfing down cashews after a workout, not egg whites.

Organic chicken legs (drumsticks) are a compact and healthy major source of protein. And they're easy to prepare. Just throw in the oven the night before work. If you're averse to eating them cold, take them out of the fridge in the morning and a few hours later, when it's time for your mid-morning snack, it'll be at a palatable temperature. Don't worry about it spoiling and getting e. coli if your immune system is working fine.

We could go on and on about the actual ingredients in bars, how they are artificial and many even potentially harmful. Even seemingly more health-conscious picks can have lots more sugar than a whole food source. But that should be a given. It's a wonder then why so many people opt for bars. Sure, they're easy and cheap, but just as so is always having a bag of mixed nuts handy. Ideally, you don't wait until you're hungry to have a snack. By then, your metabolism and blood sugar has slowed way down.

So if you're starving and buy the latest organic greens bar, don't be surprised if that's all you eat for lunch doesn't leave you feeling even more lethargic 30 minutes after you eat it.

There's no substitute for 3 meals a day balanced with the right ratio of the 3 macronutrients (fats, protein, carbohydrates). What's the right ratio for you? Well, that's the hard part. That takes food journaling, paying attention to how you feel, and time. But take my word, eating a plate of brown rice, a drumstick and a salad is better than a bar any day, for almost everybody. Even a couple pieces of turkey breast, an apple and a handful of cashews would be, too.

Think about that next time you reach for a bar.

How to increase good cholesterol

Shortly after World War II, doctors and researchers discovered that cholesterol is a component of arterial plaque. It wasn’t long after this discovery that the medical establishment waged war on cholesterol, blaming it as a major contributor to heart disease. Four decades later, many are stumped as to how to increase good cholesterol.

 

Simply put: It’s not as straightforward as many people would hope.

 

In fact, the subject of cholesterol is very controversial. Ask one doctor who follows the mainstream medical liturgy of how to increase good cholesterol and you’ll likely hear the following:

 

• Replace saturated fats with monounsaturated fats.
• Substitute animal-based products with soy foods for heart health.
• Possibly take prescription drugs to reduce your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.
• Perform daily aerobic exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week and you can raise your HDL levels, or “good” cholesterol.

 

It’s safe to say there are no doctors who would argue with the fact that exercise can boost HDL levels.

 

However, some doctors disagree with the American Heart Association’s claim that, “High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. As your blood cholesterol rises, so does your risk of coronary heart disease.”

 

The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics lists approximately 80 medical doctor members all of whom disavow mainstream medical advice about how to raise good cholesterol.

 

Although not a member of the Network of Cholesterol Skeptics, Palm Desert, Calif.-based, Dr. Jon Dunn said back in 2008, “Overall I believe that cholesterol by itself is essential to our health and well-being, and the majority of negative publicity surrounding cholesterol serves only to profit the pharmaceutical industry.”

 

Cholesterol, Dunn asserts, is not the main culprit for heart disease. So what is? According to Dunn, it’s inflammation, and the following methods — in addition to regular exercise — can reduce your risk for arterial inflammation, and as a side benefit, can increase HDL levels, or what’s commonly called in the mainstream medical realm as good cholesterol:

 

• Don’t cook with vegetable oils other than olive oil.
• Avoid high sugar/processed food; white flour products; alcohol and nicotine.
• Maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
• Correct hormonal imbalances.
• Manage stress levels.

 

You can increase HDL cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation, according to Dunn by consuming some of the following foods and supplements:

 

• Dark fruits (blueberries, dark cherries, blackberries, dark grapes)
• Omega 3 fatty acids (in the form of whole, coldwater oily fish like salmon or fish oil supplements, 1200-2400 milligrams, 2-3 times per day with meals)
• Magnesium: 200 mg 1-2 times perday
• Calcium citrate: 500 milligrams daily
• Alpha Lipoic: 100–500 milligrams daily

 

In his book "The Cholesterol Myths," Swedish doctor Uffe Ravnskov, who is the spokesman for the International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics, argues that saturated fat is unjustly blamed for causing heart disease. On the contrary, Ravnskov posits that saturated fats, such as animal protein, which contain cholesterol, are important for overall health.

 

Dr. Thomas Cowan, another doctor who has doubts that cholesterol should be blamed for heart disease suggests the following for those with high levels of LDLs, and thus want to increase good cholesterol:

 

• Take a liver-cleansing supplement
• Supplement with artichoke extract
• Lower carbohydrate intake

 

Bloomfield, Mich.-based Dr. David Brownstein, another member of the International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics, claims that Vitamin C can also reduce inflammation, which, according to him, is more important than worrying about eating foods like organic, all-natural animal-based products that contain cholesterol. His recommendations:

 

• 2,000-5,000 milligrams per day of vitamin C
• Drink enough water
• Don’t eat refined foods

 

There are always exceptions to the rule. Some people are just dealt a bad genetic hand of cards and are at risk of dying young while having high cholesterol levels. But an increasing number of doctors are saying that rather than worrying about increasing good cholesterol, worry instead about reducing inflammation in your body.

How to strengthen your lower back

According to the American Chiropractic Association, 31 million Americans experience low back pain at any given time. If you have chronic back pain, here’s how to strengthen your lower back.

 

Before getting into exercises that strengthen the lower back, it’s important to understand why so many people experience back pain.

 

Most cases of chronic back pain are due to muscle imbalances. As a result, in the last decade or so, “core” has been the buzzword in the fitness industry. Strengthening your lower back and eliminating muscle imbalances has everything to do with strengthening your core.

 

Think of your core as a corset hugging your vital organs and spine. Some people think that the core is your stomach. Wrong. Your stomach is a relatively small organ that helps break down food. Others think that the core is the abdominal muscles but the ‘abs’ are only a small component of the core.

 

Perform some crunches and you’re only strengthening a part of the core.

 

Here are all the muscles of the core you’ll need to strengthen to help you avoid back pain:

 

• Rectus Abdominus (commonly referred to as the ‘abs’)
• Obliques (known by some as the ‘side abs’)
• Transverse Abdominis (deepest layer of the abdominals)
• Spinal Erectors (muscles that keep the spine upright)
• Glutes (the bottom of the core, the largest muscles of the body)

 

Together, all the muscles above form a three dimensional group of muscles that resembles a shipping box. Your rectus abdominus, which runs from the bottom of your breast bone all the way to your pelvis is the front of the box.

 

The obliques are the sides of the shipping box. The spinal erectors form the back of the box and the glutes are the bottom of the box.

 

The transverse abdominis, the deepest of four layers of abdominal cavity musculature can be thought of as the contents of the box.

 

These muscles, collectively, run up and down, across, and diagonally. Using the shipping box analogy, if one of the dimensions of the box, say, gets soaked with water, the integrity of the box will be compromised. The same thing occurs with your muscles. If one or more group of core muscles is weaker than the others, especially the deep transverse abdominis muscles, the lower back will feel it.

 

Here then are some basic exercises to strengthen your lower back:

 

• Plank
• Basic crunches
• Oblique crunches
• Prone opposite arm-leg raises
• Exercise ball bridges

 

Perhaps the most important exercise to begin with and practice daily is the plank. Millions of trainers and physical therapists attest to the planks ability to activate and strengthen the deep abdominal cavity muscles. Depending on what exercise physiologist you ask, there are three or four layers of muscles in the abdominal wall.

 

If you’re doing a plank correctly, your deep intrinsic muscles will be shaking. This shaking is indicative of your muscles being activated and the brain-skeletomuscular communication being in sync.

 

Most people that do crunches perform dozens of repetitions. This is a waste of time and though you might be strengthening the abdominals, what’s really getting the workout are the hip flexors. Not a bad thing necessarily, but if your goal is to strengthen the front of the core, keep in mind that the abdominals don’t need endless repetitions to get strong.

 

To perform a crunch correctly, get in a sit up position, but try to hold your head off the ground and feel your shoulder blades barely making contact with the floor. Look up at the ceiling or sky and peel your shoulder blades just one to two inches off the ground and hold for a three count as you breath out.

 

You should be shaking. Return very slowly back to the starting position. Inhale and immediately come back up. Remember that only a micro movement is necessary to properly stimulate the abs.

 

Try to perform 10-12 reps. To strengthen the obliques (the sides of the core), simply twist to one direction at the top of the movement. Return to starting position and then repeat to the other side. Remember to hold at the top for a couple of seconds.

 

Performing 3-5 of these exercises on a daily basis for as little as 10 minutes may help strengthen the core and help you mitigate back pain.

How to relieve stress

Has your life become like a country song lately? Lost your job? Spouse walked out on you? Truck broke down? Dog ran away? Fret not, partner; it’s not the end of the world. Here’s how to relieve stress.

 

Whether it’s emotional, mental, physical, environmental or social stressors, the following tips will help you deal with — and eventually overcome — whatever roadblocks life has overwhelmed you with.

 

To combat stress, you’ll want to:

• Eat more
• Meditate
• Exercise
• Rest and re-evaluate
• Balance hormonal levels

 

I’m already overweight — and stressed out. You’re telling me to eat more?

Yes. Many people who lead stressful lives tend to skip meals and binge. Skipping meals results in the body undergoing more stress. Skipping breakfast or going several hours (more than five) between meals results in your metabolism screeching to a halt and blood sugar levels dropping to less-than-ideal levels.

 

To relieve stress, you’ll want to fuel your body regularly. Make sure to eat at least three meals a day and have a snack in between meals, if necessary to regulate blood sugar levels. As much as possible, avoid high-starchy foods like pasta, pastries, breads and any foods loaded with white flour. Flooding the body with foods like these will spike blood sugar levels and won’t help you relieve stress.

 

Stress zaps the body of energy. Resupply yourself with balanced meals and snacks that always include protein, natural fats and low-starch carbohydrates. Indulge in a little piece of milk or dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth.

 

I’m going through a divorce. How is contemplating my navel going to help pay alimony?

Meditation won’t miraculously erase your stress overnight. But over time, setting aside as little as 10 minutes in the morning and evening for meditation can help you relieve stress. There are many forms of meditation.

 

To combat stress, one of the best forms is to focus on one thing: your breathing. Throughout our hectic day, we forget to take deep breaths. We hold on to our breath and bottle up the stress inside.

 

Our chest and upper back muscles get tight. Sitting still (can be in a chair; doesn’t have to be like Buddha cross-legged) and focusing on inhaling and exhaling deeply, each lasting about a 3-Mississippi count, can have a profound relaxing effect.

 

QUICK POLL

How do you relieve stress?

 I exercise.

 I nap.

 I eat or cook.

 I listen to music.

 I meditate or pray

 I read (MNN, of course).

 I don't do anything. I'm so stressed!

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Try to not think about the stressors in your life, but it’s OK if you do. Think of bad thoughts as dark storm clouds quickly moving through the sky (your brain). Let stressful and negative thoughts come in one ear and quickly out the other.

 

Focusing on the flame of a lighted candle, while concentrating on breathing, also helps put stressful situations in perspective. Seldom are our problems as serious as we think they are — in the grand scheme of the universe.

 

I already do triathlons, but I’m still stressed out. How can exercise help me?

Most people know that exercising regularly can help deal with stress. If you have a stressful job, say slaving away on Wall Street for the big bucks, maybe you’re already hitting the gym to get the stress out of you. But working out too intensely can actually make you more stressed out. How? High-intensity workouts can flood the body with cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone.

 

The more cortisol coursing its way through your system, the more your adrenals will become fatigued. Your adrenal glands, which rest on top of your kidneys, release the hormones that help you battle stress. Too much cortisol will leave your body struggling to battle stress. High-intensity workouts may add to sluggish adrenals.

 

If you have lots of stress in your life, pick an activity that will help balance your already hyper mind. Yoga or Pilates are just two examples of exercise modalities that may help relieve stress.

 

Are you really held captive eternally to your stressful life?

If you’re determined not to have a stressful life, make changes that remove yourself from stress. Do you have a friend who stresses you out and unloads all her drama on your lap? Distance yourself from that friend, no matter how long a history you have with her. Wall Street slave: do you really need to make as much money as you’re earning, at the expense of all that stress? Quit and find a less stressful job.

 

Unemployed and can’t find work in your field? Scour the Web for outside-the-box opportunities. Become a caretaker for an estate in another country. Pack up your family and move to a less stressful environment. The confining and debilitating walls of stress will only box you in if you let them.

 

Decades of stress can wreak havoc on your health. Balance hormones to counteract it.

All that cortisol flooding your system over the years can throw your hormones out of whack, compromising every system of your body. Seek a medical professional like a naturopathic doctor to help you reestablish correct and balance hormonal pathways.

How much protein do I need?

Steak and eggs for breakfast. Ham and cheese for lunch. Chicken teriyaki for dinner. Too much protein in one day? Or just right? If lately you’ve asked, “How much protein do I need daily,” here are some guidelines.

 

Protein is one of the three macronutrients that we require on a daily basis, and should be consuming at every meal, along with carbohydrates (ideally, only in the form of whole grains, fruits and vegetables) and natural fat.

 

There are nine essential amino acids, which constitute the building blocks of protein. Eating high-quality sources of protein (for example: lean grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, wild salmon, minimally processed cheese, etc.) that contain the full spectrum of amino acids, have the following health benefits:

• They repair body cells
• They build and repair muscles, bones, skin, nails and hair
• They support immune function
• They develop and maintain organ function
• They control many of the important processes in the body related to metabolism

Leading health websites, offer general guidelines for protein intake.

 

According to WebMD, protein requirements differ based on age:

• Infants require about 10 grams a day.
• Teenage boys need up to 52 grams a day.
• Teenage girls need 46 grams a day.
• Adult men need about 56 grams a day.
• Adult women need about 46 grams a day.

 

For pregnant or lactating women, WebMD recommends increasing intake to 71 grams of protein a day.

 

Percentage of total calories is another measure of protein intake. The Institute of Medicine suggests that adults get between 10 percent and 35 percent of their total daily caloric intake from protein.

 

Why general protein suggestions may be insufficient

The Institute of Medicine suggestion is a huge gap, and one that fails to account for unique biological differences. The WebMD and governmental agency guidelines might be a good starting point, but fail to account for activity levels.

 

For example, take the aforementioned pregnant or lactating woman, advised by WebMD to consume 71 grams of protein per day. But what if the woman is still very active, lifts weights and is very tall and muscular? Perhaps 71 grams of protein per day wouldn’t suffice.

 

Maximum protein intake for inactive adults

Before figuring out what’s the best daily protein intake for you, many people first want to know what the maximum daily protein intake should be. As another general rule, if you’re not a competitive athlete or bodybuilder, take 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. A 170-pound adult male, then, should not exceed more than 153 grams of protein per day.

 

And if I pump iron regularly, how much protein should I eat per day?

Many bodybuilders, perhaps the most protein-conscious segment of society, use the following formula to determine adequate (for encouraging muscle growth and cell repair) protein intake per day. Keep in mind that this formula is for serious weightlifters only, those who spend 5-6 days in the gym, performing 1-2 hours of resistance training:

• Take your body weight (example: 200 pounds)
• Find out your body fat percentage using a trusted method like skinfold caliper test at a gym (example: 15 percent)
• Multiply your body fat percentage times your overall weight (200 x .15 = 170)
• Take your lean body weight (170) and multiply times 1.14 = 194 grams of protein

 

Holy cow, that’s a lot of ... um, cow. Again, eating 200 grams of protein per day should only be done by experienced and accomplished weightlifters.

 

I’m not a lifter. I’m trying to lose weight. How much protein do I need?

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in 2005 that found that increasing protein from 15 percent to 30 percent of total calories — and reducing fat from 35 percent to 20 percent of calories — resulted in sustained weight loss. So make sure you’re getting enough protein, because if you don’t, chances are you won’t feel full. This will lead to eating more belly-fattening refined carbohydrates.

 

There are some individuals who would do well on a lower protein diet, especially those with kidney or liver diseases. For most people, the WebMD and government recommendations are adequate guidelines. If you’re an avid exerciser, consume more protein than the recommendations. Always speak to a medical professional before deciding to eat five steaks a day to get massive muscles.

 

Know more about how much protein you need on a daily basis? Leave us a note in the comments below.

Healthy Eating on a Budget

Does it sometimes feel like you have to take on a second mortgage to eat healthy? Is $10 a pound for organic meat out of your league? If so, here are some guidelines on healthy eating on a budget.

 

Breakfast

If you’re trying to save money on food, don’t skip breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day because it revs up your metabolism. Try to eat by 10 a.m. to fuel your system. Buy the following items from a natural grocer and for less than $20 a week, you can have a healthy breakfast every day:

 

• Free-range, organic eggs (large; $4-5 per dozen)
• Sprouted grain or rice flour bread ($4-$5 per sliced loaf)
• Organic spinach ($2 a bunch)
• Grass-fed cheese ($5 a pound; use cheese substitute if dairy intolerant)
• Avocado ($1-$2 per)

Making an egg sandwich every morning with the above ingredients should satiate you for at least three hours or longer, before you’re ready for a snack or lunch. Sure, you could save even more money by buying industrial, large factory-farmed eggs, white bread and nacho cheese dip but that most likely would not be considered healthy eating by most nutritionists.

 

Getting tired of breakfast sandwiches? Oatmeal or quinoa cost up to $5-$6 per box. Mix in a handful of fresh berries, a dab of cream (a little fat is good for you and will keep you full longer) and almond butter.

 

Lunch

Time for lunch yet? Nutrient-dense salads are a perfect way to eat healthy on a budget. Organic spring mix salad, or spinach, or any other bunch of greens costs much less than a ticket to the movies. But eating greens alone won’t satisfy. If you ate oatmeal for breakfast, throw in one or two chopped hard-boiled eggs. Here are some other ingredients to make a satisfying, inexpensive, healthy salad:

 

• Raw sunflower seeds
• Olives
• Blueberries
• Walnuts
• Feta cheese
• Canned tuna or sardines (if you like the smell and taste)
• Edamame (unprocessed soy beans)

 

All these healthy salad ingredients will last you for at least a week, keep you full for several hours and won’t break the bank.

 

Dinner

Don’t have time to make a salad for lunch? Make one for dinner. Better yet, prepare your salad at night, after the kids have gone to bed. It will only take you about 5 minutes to prepare. Make sure you pack your salad with enough protein and natural fat so you won’t get hungry an hour after eating and then go to splurge at a restaurant.

 

You can, of course, also eat a salad for dinner. But to mix things up, try making a quinoa pasta dish. A box of quinoa spaghetti from Ancient Harvest (organic and gluten free) costs less than $3 from most natural markets. If you’re single and cooking for yourself, a box will last you at least a few days. Cooking for kids? Quinoa pasta comes in other varieties besides spaghetti, including vegetable medley spiral noodles. Alternate between the pastas and for about $15 a week, you should have enough for the whole family.

 

Add some veggies and spices and voila, a delicious, healthy budget-minded dinner.

 

The secret to eating healthy for cheap

The key to eating healthy on a budget is not to eat out. Sure, there are plenty of healthy options when eating out, but if you’re concerned with saving as much money as possible, cook at home.

 

Grill up a pound of wild sockeye salmon (about $10-$12 a pound) and cut into little pieces and mix in with the quinoa pasta to receive the mega-nutritious benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

 

There are plenty of other ways to eat a healthy, budget-conscious dinner. Got a hankerin’ for some meat? Healthy, humanely raised meat is cost-prohibitive for most people on a budget. Explore food co-ops in your area or go in with some friends on home-delivered small-farm, grass-fed meats to reduce the cost.

 

It’s no wonder that many low-income families eat unhealthy foods. Buying all organic can be expensive. But for around the same price as a fast-food value meal, you can cook yourself something healthy. It might just save you money on health care in the long run.

How to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Are you one of the approximately one in three American adults with high blood pressure? If so, here are some general guidelines on how to lower blood pressure.

 

Perhaps it's the stressful job you've had for years — or the stress of finding a job — that's caused your systolic (pressure while heart beats) and diastolic (pressure in between beats) to soar above "140 over 90" (mmHg), the standard benchmark for high blood pressure.

 

If you're diabetic or have kidney disease, the National Institutes of Health recommends maintaining a blood pressure under 130/80.

 

Besides stress, other factors can lead to high blood pressure, including:

 

• Race and ethnicity (African Americans are more susceptible to high blood pressure)
• Gender
• Age (blood pressure tends to rise with age)
• Unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking
• Genetics

 

High blood pressure itself usually has no symptoms, but if left untreated, it could potentially lead to coronary heart disease, kidney failure or stroke. There's a good reason high blood pressure, or hypertension as it's also known, is referred to as "the silent killer."

 

To lower blood pressure, you'll want to do the following:

 

• Eat a little dark chocolate
• Drink moderate amounts of alcohol (2 drinks maximum per day)
• Exercise
• Quit smoking
• Take potassium
• Manage stress

 

You had me at dark chocolate. Really, dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure?

The above list of ways to lower blood pressure is by no means in order of importance. Exercising, meditating and managing stress, and of course, cessation of unhealthy lifestyle choices are paramount to combating high blood pressure.

 

But, yes, dark chocolate has been clinically proven to help lower blood pressure. In a study published in BioMed Central, researchers compiled over 50 years of clinical trials that measured the effect of cocoa on blood pressure. The conclusion: dark chocolate was more effective in reducing blood pressure than the placebo, especially for those with hypertension or pre-hypertension.

 

You also had me at "drink alcohol." That lowers blood pressure as well?

A 2001 study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health studied the health of approximately 20,000 Spaniards and found that those who drank moderate amounts of any alcohol enjoyed better overall health. The Mayo Clinicreports that heavy drinkers who cut back to the recommended level of one to two drinks a day may be able to lower blood pressure by a few points. It's probably a good idea, however, to abstain from alcohol if alcoholism runs in your family, or if you are on medication. Ask your doctor if it's safe for you to consume alcohol in moderation.

 

I hate exercising. Even if I did like it, I don't have time to go to the gym. What should I do?

Exercising makes the heart muscle pump blood more efficiently. Improve your cardiovascular capacity and your heart won't have to work as hard pumping blood. You don't have to run a marathon or train for a triathlon to get your ticker in better shape. If you have to, wake up earlier or come home from work earlier or take a longer lunch break and take a brisk walk.

 

Walking at a decent pace most days of the week for 30 minutes will significantly improve your cardiovascular health. With your doctor's clearance, try walking up a steep flight of steps one to three times per day. (A good measure of a decent pace: you should be slightly winded while carrying on a conversation.)

 

Gentle yoga, tai chi and breathing classes all may help to lower blood pressure. You don't have to partake in extreme exercise to lower blood pressure. A University of New Mexico study concluded that although hypertensive individuals were once recommended by the medical establishment to avoid resistance training, moderate levels of it as well as aerobic exercise will reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

 

Ok, I'll give exercise a try. How else can I lower my blood pressure?

Foods and supplements rich in potassium may help lower blood pressure, according to some clinical studies, including a small-scale study at Harvard Medical School. Eliminating or reducing caffeine intake can also help lower blood pressure. If you're on high blood pressure medication, don't quit cold turkey; talk to your doctor first or consult a Naturopath.