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.

Banana nutrition facts

The banana is perhaps the oldest recorded fruit in the world as well as the most consumed. But some dieters avoid bananas like a slippery peel. Are bananas unhealthy? Or have some carb-phobic dieters gone bananas? Here are some banana nutrition facts...

 

Considered a healthy staple for thousands of years, the banana is now shunned by some low-carb dieters because of its sugar content.

 

Most dieticians and nutritionists would caution diabetics and those with blood sugar and metabolic deficiencies to be careful with banana intake, especially over-ripe bananas.

 

Diabetics—and those who burn up carbohydrates very quickly—would be better off opting for green-tipped bananas. Eating some protein and natural fat along with a banana can also help manage blood sugar levels.

 

So how much sugar is in a banana? And are bananas healthy for most of us?

 

One medium-sized banana (approximately 7 inches long) contains 14 grams of sugar. Is 14 grams a lot? It depends what kind of sugar comprises the 14 grams and how quickly those sugars spike blood sugar levels.

 

Blood sugar spike from eating bananas

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an all-yellow ripe American banana has a glycemic load (GL) of only 13 on a scale of 100. But an average banana’s glycemic index (GI) is approximately 50. What is the difference between GL and GI? The glycemic load is generally regarded as a more accurate indicator of a carbohydrate’s effect on blood sugar levels.

 

A banana’s glycemic load is considered medium (11-19 is medium; low = 10 or less; high = 20 or more), which supports the theory that those with blood-sugar sensitivities should be at least slightly cautious with banana consumption, especially overly ripe ones.

 

Bananas’ many health benefits

Athletes love bananas for the quick and sustained burst of energy provided. But even professional couch potatoes enjoy many benefits of eating bananas, including:

 

• Battling depression: bananas contain the amino acid tryptophan, which converts into serotonin, the body’s natural mood-enhancing chemical.
• Keeping the pipes flowing: high in fiber (3 grams), bananas can stimulate the bowels, reversing constipation.
• Stress management: a single banana contains about 12 percent of your daily potassium needs. Stress reduces potassium levels. Fatigued? Irritable? Have high blood pressure? Eat bananas.
• Helping heartburn: bananas, for most people, are a natural antacid.

 

High vitamin and mineral content

Low-fat dieters also love bananas as they contain virtually no fat. Bananas do have a gram or two of protein, but where a banana really shines nutritiously is in its vitamin content. A banana is high in the following:

 

• Vitamin C: 17 percent of recommended daily value in one banana
• Vitamin B6 (22 percent; good for the nervous system)
• Folate (6 percent; good for cell repair)

 

Bananas are also high in the mineral manganese (good for bone health), supplying 16 percent of the recommended daily value. Are you susceptible to cramping? Magnesium can help prevent cramps and bananas contain 8 percent recommended daily value.

 

Conclusion: bananas are part of a healthy diet

Although a banana is 93 percent carbohydrate, dieters who are leery of carbs should not, by and large, exclude bananas from their diet. Bananas are not a perfect, complete food, as they do not contain all the essential amino acids. For those who crash a couple hours after eating lunch, a banana could be part of a smart, healthy snack, though it would be best combined with a higher protein snack like cheese.

 

A healthy diet should include several servings of fruit and vegetables each day, and a banana or two a day, for most people, should be part of that game plan.

Caffeine addiction? Here's how to break the habit...

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) earlier this month released anew definition of addiction. This applies to cup o’ Joe addicts as well. Got caffeine addiction? Here’s how to break the habit…

 

The ASAM now defines addiction as a chronic brain disorder. Whether it’s caffeine or illicit drugs or gambling or sex, addiction’s roots are not a behavioral, psychological or emotional problem; it’s a problem with your noggin’s wiring.

 

If you’re addicted to several cups of coffee per day or other caffeinated drinks, in non-scientific terms, what you’re doing is feeding the brain’s reward circuitry. Constantly feeding your caffeine addiction is like giving your brain reward circuitry, or so-called neuronal ‘pleasure centers,’ a constant workout.

 

But the reality is, when you’re drinking, say, 10 cups of coffee per day, you’re not providing your pleasure centers of the brain with actual pleasure; you’re merely feeding your brain’s “wanting or motivation to obtain the stimulation,” according to a study by psychologists at the University of Michigan.

 

Why should you try to break the caffeine addiction? Excessive caffeine intake can lead to several health problems, including:

 

• Severe adrenal stress
• Anxiety
• Cardiovascular disorders
• Insomnia
• Irritability or mood disorders

 

The first step in breaking the caffeine habit is to respect the ritual

Do you habitually fork over $5 for that venti caramel frappuccino with whipped cream on top? Would you feel off your rocker if you didn’t pop in the local coffee shop today? If you want to break the caffeine habit, you should continue to visit your favorite coffee house. You can simultaneously feed your brain’s motivation to obtain the stimulation and slowly wean yourself off of coffee.

 

If your caffeine addiction has you dropping in to the Starbucks more than once a day, opt for herbal tea in the afternoon, or, to wean yourself off coffee more carefully, opt for green tea instead, as green tea has less caffeine than regular coffee.

 

If part of your caffeine ritual involves sipping out of your favorite coffee mug, by all means, continue your nightly ritual, but do try to replace your coffee with a relaxing tea like chamomile. If you have problems shutting your mind off at night and falling asleep, switching to an herbal beverage may help you relax and enjoy a more restful night sleep.

 

Should I quit cold turkey?

You may not want to quit your caffeine consumption cold turkey. This could lead to nasty withdrawal symptoms, including strong headaches. If you experience strong headaches, try weaning yourself off of caffeine over a week or two-week period by diluting your caffeinated beverage with water. Many people, though, can quit cold turkey without experiencing any side effects.

 

Acupuncture can help with withdrawal symptoms. But in the end, do try to limit yourself to one to two cups of coffee maximum per day.

 

Too much caffeine is poisonous for the body. Here’s how to detox.

If you haven’t exercised lately, consider getting back into it. Even a 30-minute brisk walk can reward the brain’s pleasure center in other ways, possibly suppressing its desire to be rewarded with caffeine. Exercise and drinking plenty of water can help flush out toxins from the body.

 

Excessive caffeine can acidify blood pH balance. You’ll want to alkalize by eating lots of vegetables, especially green, leafy ones.

 

Supplements, especially Vitamin C, can restore depleted nutrients and may help with withdrawal symptoms.

 

Trace mineral supplementation is also highly encouraged and will help to naturally restore your cells’ energy supply.

 

Eat at least three meals and one snack every day, containing all-natural foods with all three macronutrients (protein; low-starch carbs and vegetables; natural fat), spaced at four-hour intervals (8 a.m.; noon; 4 p.m.; 8 p.m.) to keep energy levels rock-steady throughout the day.

Are Supplements Necessary?

Here's a tough pill to swallow: supplements are a $25-billion-a-year industry. But are vitamin supplements necessary? Could it be that you’re literally peeing your hard-earned money down the toilet, or worse, doing more harm than good by consuming too many supplements? It’s certainly food for thought.

 

Many medical professionals and nutritionists argue that supplements are necessary because:

 

• Most people don't eat enough fruits and vegetables
• Most people eat processed foods, which lack essential nutrients
• The soil in which our food is grown is depleted, thus lacking essential minerals
• Pregnant women and the elderly need more vitamins than food provides
• The consumption of pharmaceuticals, which may interfere with vitamin absorption

 

But what about for those who exercise regularly, eat balanced whole foods at every meal, don’t smoke, and drink alcohol moderately? Are supplements necessary?

 

Some research says 'no'

An article last year on Slate.com mentioned a study that was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), which concluded, “The evidence for routine use of multivitamin and mineral supplements to reduce infections in elderly people is weak and conflicting….”

 

Another peer-reviewed study mentioned in the article was penned by several researchers at the Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. After following up with more than 160,000 post-menopausal women during the 1990s, for an average of eight years, the researchers’ study “provided convincing evidence that multivitamin use has little or no influence on the risk of common cancers, CVD (cardiovascular disease), or total mortality in postmenopausal women.”

 

Debunking supplements doesn’t stop there. Experts at the National Institutes of Health five years ago argued that there’s no clear evidence that vitamins prevent chronic diseases.

 

So what have researchers concluded from supplements? Researchers have inconclusively concluded the following:

 

• Health benefits from taking multivitamins is still up for debate.
• Some people may be getting too much of certain nutrients.
• There may be possible interactions between multivitamins and minerals and prescribed or over-the-counter medications.

 

That’s a bummer. My cabinet is stocked with supplements. Surely my antioxidant pills are highly effective?

Marketing gurus have helped companies make millions by touting the latest anti-oxidant product du jour, be it the acai berry, mangosteen, blueberry, Omega 3s…the list goes on.

 

But research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, says that not only can some antioxidant supplements be ineffective, they can be hazardous to your health. The 2007 study of more than 232,000 people concluded that antioxidant supplements can "increase the risk of death."

 

Gulp. Talk about a bitter pill to swallow. Why would antioxidants be bad for you? Researchers theorize that we shouldn’t be as vigilant about free radicals as we are; our body actually needs some amount of them to perform certain functions like regulating blood sugar levels.

 

Is there anything these studies bashing supplements have missed?

Perhaps. Nutritional experts would argue that not all supplements are created equal. Certain brands are derived from whole-food sources, while other, more mainstream brands are laced with synthetic ingredients. The aforementioned research did not indicate what brand of vitamins the subjects were taking.

 

Certain vitamin supplements are time-released, while others flood the digestive system all at once, jockeying for position to be absorbed by the body, only to be flushed out by the kidneys.

 

Conclusion: take supplements on an as-needed basis

If you’re pregnant, talk to your doctor about supplements; you may be advised to take supplemental folate. Susceptible to cold sores? You may need supplemental lysine, an amino acid. Concerned about prostate health? Saw palmetto or a bevy of other natural supplements might be the right choice. Digest food poorly? Hydrochloric acid and pepsin might be beneficial. Taken antibiotics lately? Consider recolonizing your digestive tract with probiotics. Most of your immune system lies within your gut, so if you’re going to choose one supplement to take, consider one that aids digestive health. If you eat a poor diet, a multivitamin split in half and taken in the morning and evening might be more effective than a diet full of junk food. But do your research on which multivitamin to take.

How to Treat Chronic Fatigue Naturally

Many people who feel sluggish chug down energy drinks or triple espressos to fire up their engines. But after a while, a vicious cycle develops. The more stimulants you need to get your juices flowing, the more fatigued your adrenals will be.

To cope with the stressors of life like work and kids, people who rely on these stimulants frequently are stressing out their body's multiple symptoms, which are all affected by how effectively your adrenals are functioning.

Those with chronic fatigue syndrome suffer from the following symptoms:

• recurring sore throats
• poor sleep cycles
• muscle fatigue and weakness
• pain in the joints and lymph nodes
• poor post-workout recovery

Western medicine does not have a cause for chronic fatigue syndrome, but those who practice natural wellness have some theories, including dormant viruses in the body.

Depression, excessive exercise, emotional stress, food allergies and sensitivities and environmental factors can all cause chronic fatigue. 

So how to find the root cause if someone has chronic fatigue syndrome? First, start with food. Almost all chronic disease stems from poor food choices spanning several years, if not decades. Get tested for food allergies, have your blood type taken and begin to eliminate and severely restrict foods you are allergic to. 

Supplement with high doses of Vitamins C, B12, magnesium, glutamine or gluathione (the former of which is great for post-workout recovery) and B complexes.

You may want to get a vitamin shot instead of taking oral supplements, as this will work much faster. 

Find a natural wellness practitioner who can help you test and correct hormonal imbalances and adrenal levels. 

Consider also the everyday household products you use, from cooking to cleaning. Do they contain toxic ingredients? A collection of about a dozen household plants can dramatically negate the effects of toxins in the house. Need to find out what they are? Email me at coachjudd@gmail.com to find out what they are.

If you are having trouble recuperating after exercising, mellow out your exercise routine and start taking a gentle yoga class. 

This would be a good start for someone to reverse their chronic fatigue syndrome. Pass this advice on to anybody you know who suffers from it. Let's all be health coaches and do our part to drive down insane health insurance costs!

What is my ideal weight?

One of the most common health questions asked is, “How do I find my ideal weight?” While it may seem at first glance to be a simple task, discovering your ideal weight is actually a complex science.

 

If you do an online search for “Find my ideal body weight” you’re likely to come across dozens of free Body Mass Index (BMI) calculators that are simple to use. Type in your height, weight and gender, and voila, your BMI is calculated.

 

Private health insurance companies reference BMI charts to, in part, determine health insurance coverage and premiums, based on if an individual falls within a healthy weight range. Since its widespread use in the 1970s, the BMI has been one of the most popular determinants of whether a person is underweight, average, overweight or obese.

 

Problems with BMI

But the BMI, just like your bathroom scale, fails to take into consideration important factors such as:

• Body fat percentage
• Lean body mass percentage
• Water weight
• Body composition (thin-boned, average, or stocky and muscular build)
• Fitness level

According to the BMI, many professional athletes (take NFL or NBA players for example) would be considered overweight. Even a non-professional, physically-fit male who stands 6 feet tall and weighs a muscular 180 pounds would actually be considered slightly overweight by BMI standards.

 

Instead of relying on BMI or any other methods that don’t take the above parameters into account (for instance, the Met Life Table), if you want to figure out what your ideal weight should be, first don’t be so focused on a set number on the scale.

 

If the BMI isn’t perfect, what’s a better way to determine my ideal weight?

How do you currently look and feel? Do you feel bloated? Does it look like you’re belly or buttocks has gotten flabbier? If so, your goal shouldn’t necessarily be losing weight or even finding your ideal weight. Instead, be determined to shed body fat and gain more lean muscle mass.

 

If your goal is to drop 10 pounds so you can fit into a wedding dress, keep in mind that going on a diet and skipping meals may lead to a lower number on the scale but it’s really not worth subjecting yourself to low energy and mercurial moods that come with a typical starvation diet.

 

Are you a goal-oriented person who needs to set a numeric target, say 10 pounds? Modify your goal statement. Try this one: “I will lose 10 pounds of body fat in 12 weeks.”

 

This will only be accomplished by daily moderate-intensity exercise and altering your diet. Avoid sugary foods and simple carbohydrates that easily convert into sugars, which when not burned off, ultimately get stored as body fat.

 

Try to eat the fewest calories possible and consume nutrient-dense foods that will give you the longest lasting energy. For example, ditch the orange juice and instead eat an orange. The natural fiber and longer-burning fruit sugar of the orange will help you reach your ideal weight better than chugging orange juice will.

 

Keep in mind, however, that even though a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat, muscle, per square inch, does in fact weigh more than fat. So if you don’t notice the pounds coming off right away, don’t be discouraged.

 

The scale in your bathroom can be your best friend or your worst enemy. But even when you think it’s your best friend, it’s a false one at that. It’s not telling you the whole picture. Pay attention to how your clothes fit, how your body looks and what you’re feeling.

 

It’s not a bad idea to strive for a more ideal weight, but you might want to instead set a goal of simply feeling better, looking better and not being so focused on what you weigh.

Think you have a wheat allergy?

Almost everyone loves cakes, cookies and other baked goodies. Eating these foods, however, can cause numerous health problems for those who have wheat allergies.

 

Not sure if you’re one of them? Well, if you’re wondering why your nose is congested and your eyes are watery, itchy and have dark rings, you might have sensitivity to products containing wheat. These are all wheat allergy symptoms.

 

It’s more common for children to display more obvious symptoms of wheat allergies but if you’ve been bombarding your system with wheat products for decades, your immune system could start turning against you.

 

A wheat allergy is an abnormal immune system reaction to one or more proteins found in wheat. The immune system has developed a specific antibody (a pathogen fighter) to one or more of the four major wheat proteins, including gliadin, which is the bane of all people with Celiac Disease.

 

People with Celiac Disease (an autoimmune disorder) have to go on a 100 percentgluten-free diet. Although not everyone who has a wheat allergy needs to go totally gluten-free, many people with wheat sensitivity follow similar dietary restrictions.

 

Other wheat allergy symptoms

For those who are allergic, eating pizza, muffins, fried-battered foods, soy sauce and other foods with wheat could induce hives, difficulty breathing (including asthma) and nausea.

 

A rare but very strong reaction to wheat proteins can cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. People severely allergic to bee stings or peanuts can relate all too well, and often carry with them an “EpiPen”, which is an injectable dose of epinephrine (adrenaline).

 

Diagnosing Wheat Allergies

Skin test: An allergist or doctor who is able to do food allergy testing may choose to drop tiny particles of wheat allergen extracts onto the forearm. About 15 minutes after the drops are left on the skin, if you develop red, itchy bump where the allergens were placed, you know you have at least intolerance to wheat (more on the distinction between allergy and intolerance below)

 

Blood test: If you’re taking medications or if you have some other skin condition, your doctor may forgo the skin test and choose instead to draw some blood that screens for specific allergy-causing antibodies to various common allergens, including wheat proteins.

 

Wheat intolerance vs. Wheat Allergy

If you have a true wheat allergy, you’re a rare breed. It’s estimated that less than one percent of the U.S. population suffers from wheat allergies, whereas some estimates peg those with some form of wheat intolerance at nearly 20 percent.

 

Allergies usually trigger a response from the immune system; intolerances don’t involve a major immune response and can often be subtle and take hours to develop. It may show up days later as eczema, a belly ache, or even some mood swings; a true allergy can exhibit symptoms within minutes.

 

Avoiding wheat: easier said than done

Obviously, if you have an intolerance or allergy to wheat, it’s best to avoid wheat all together. But realize that even if you do your best to avoid wheat, you may end up being exposed to it when consuming other products like oats, as the wheat may have been in contact with the oats during the production process.

 

Reading food labels will tell you if a specific food was made in a facility that also processes wheat. To be on the safe side, opt for gluten-free products, although there is no governing body to certify gluten free foods. You can call the Celiac Foundation or visit their website to inquire about a particular label.

 

Some sources of wheat proteins are obvious, such as the aforementioned baked products and bread. If you are intolerant or allergic to wheat, it’s wise to avoid all flours as much as possible. (Again, cross-contamination is the main concern.)

 

Not-so-obvious sources of wheat 

• Beer
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Soy sauce
• Condiments such as ketchup
• Meat, crab or shrimp substitutes
• Coffee substitutes
• Meat products, such as hotdogs
• Dairy products, such as ice cream
• Natural flavorings
• Gelatinized starch
• Modified food starch
• Vegetable gum