Hypertension - Lifestyle can make all the difference!

Did you know that high blood pressure is the single most important risk factor for death and disability?

However my experience is that most in the health sector focus on the small insignificant and reductionist principles that make little difference to improving health - usually because we can charge clients/patients more, increase client dependency based on our mode of treatment or dispense a pill to mask the underlying issue.

I used to suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) with the prospect of needing medication. Thank goodness I tried a change of lifestyle instead. Now my blood pressure is normal along with a healthy resting heart rate of 39 bpm. Read more about hypertension here...

Health: What Can We Do To Maintain A Healthy Blood Pressure?

Health: What Can We Do To Maintain A Healthy Blood Pressure?

This is the fourth of five posts looking at blood pressure.  These will conclude with an article on why leading a paleolithic lifestyle can contribute to maintaining a healthy blood presure.

You can view the previous articles here:

1. What is blood pressure?

2. Why is high blood pressure (hypertension) important?

3. What causes hypertension?

How can we control blood pressure?

There are a few factors that will help to lower blood pressure to normal levels: 

• Weight control:  If you are overweight slow steady weight loss will help;
• increase fruit and vegetable intake, to several portions a day;
• avoid prolonged periods of stress;
• increase activity levels: hormonal changes that occur during and following exercise cause blood vessels to relax and therefore lower blood pressure; 

Salt

• Cutting down on salt is worth considering in helping to reduce blood pressure, especially in those who suffer from high blood pressure;
• Cutting down on salt also has other health benefits including protecting bone health;

Cigarettes 

• The nicotine in cigarettes causes your blood vessels to constrict and your heart to beat faster, which temporarily raises your blood pressure.

Alcohol 

• Some people have an increase in blood pressure when drinking, reducing the amount of alcohol drunk or complete abstinence can reduce blood pressure. 

Upcoming blog post: 

5. Will a Paleolithic lifestyle help to lower hypertension?

Health: Links Between Sugar and High Blood Pressure?

Soft drinks and fruit juices with added sugar could lead to an increase in blood pressure researchers in the US and the UK report in the journal Hypertension.

Professor Paul Elliott, senior author of the study, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said: "It's widely known that if you have too much salt in your diet, you're more likely to develop high blood pressure.  The results of this study suggest that people should be careful about how much sugar they consume as well."

The response from the British Soft Drinks Association doesn't surprise me:

A spokesman for the British Soft Drinks Association said the study did not establish that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages in any way causes hypertension.

"Soft drinks are safe to drink but, like all food and drink, should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet," he said.

Read more here:  --> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12597970