Archive for high blood pressure solutions

High blood pressure treatments – read this first

Matching high blood pressure treatments with causes

The biggest problem with high blood pressure treatments is determining the cause and appropriate approach.

According to the medical establishment the cause of over 90% of high blood pressure causes is unknown. What that means in reality is that for the vast majority of high blood pressure cases a single identifiable cause can not be determined.

The fact is that there any many causes of high blood pressure including:

  • genetics
  • age
  • poor diet
  • lack of exercise
  • stress

Most people suffer from high blood pressure from a variety of causes. If your blood pressure is moderately high you might want to try different approaches to see what works best.

Alternative high blood pressure cures can be divided up to three main categories:

  • Changes to your Daily Diet
  • .Daily Physical Exercise
  • .Daily Mental Exercise

Changing your diet mainly helps reduce high blood pressure caused by poor diet (which inludes the vast majority of Western world cuisine). Mind you, improving your diet can also help reduce high blood pressure caused by age and genetics.

Physical exercise is most beneficial in reducing high blood pressure cause by an otherwise inactive lifestyle. It also good for lowering high blood pressure caused from genetics and aging. Some people clam that it can help reduce your stress levels as well.

By mental exercises I mean any exercise that have the purpose of affecting your nervous system. These exercises have the most benefit for people suffering from high stress levels and associated high blood pressure.

The High Blood Pressure Shotgun Treatment

If you have very high blood pressure (like I did) you might want to take the ‘shotgun’ approach and improve your diet as well as practice mental and physical exercises.

The shotgun method almost guarantees that your blood pressure will come down. On top of that, you’ll feel healthier and happier than you have for years.

If you’re ready to shotgun your blood pressure back down to healthy levels I’d recommend the David O’Hara’s Breatheasy program.

The audio slow breathing program really works. If you take your blood pressure before and after a 15 breathing exercise you’ll notice the difference – a  5 to 10 point drop. Not bad for a quarter of an hour of your time. The effect is cumulative so you blood pressure will slowly get back to lower level over time provided your can spare those 15 minutes each day.

Breatheasy also comes with Kevin Riley’s guide Get Natural! which is a great source of information on diet.

All you’ll need then is a pair of trainers (or ‘sneakers’ in N America) to kickstart your exercises.

Take care a one and all,

Simon

Treating high blood pressure causes

According to the medical establishment, the “experts”, the cause of 90% of high blood pressure is unknown. But the fact is that the causes of high blood pressure are well known. (There are also a number of methods to treat high blood pressure without drugs.)

What the medical establishment is actually saying when it states the causes are ‘unknown’ is that for the vast majority of people with high blood pressure, a single identifiable cause for their condition can’t be proved beyond doubt.

If we look at the actual statistics and our own personal experiences then the major causes of hypertension isn’t that hard to figure out.

The following are the five main causes of high blood pressure.

High blood pressure caused by Modern Diet

That frozen take-home meal may taste great, not to mention fast and convenient. It might also be slowly killing us. I’m talking about highly processed foods full of saturated fats, trans-fats, salt, etc. Over time all these unnecessary additives clog up our system and increase our blood pressure. These days we are literally eating ourselves to death.

The good news is that there are all sorts of delicious alternatives. Better yet, by switching to a healthy and tasty diet we can reverse the effects of of diet caused high blood pressure back to healthy pressure.

If you want to switch to a healthy blood pressure lowering diet you cant’ do any better than following Kevin Riley’s excellent guide Get Natural! Drop Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure caused by Lack of Exercise

Modern lifestyles and and endless stream of entertainment on the TV and the Internet doesn’t encourage an active lifestyle. Which is a pity because there’s nothing our heart and blood circulatory system loves more than a daily workout.

High blood pressure caused by Stress

Stress is not always as easy to detect as you make think. Even after you have left the office and have left yet another bumper to bumper commute behind you, stress can hang on and infiltrate many other areas of your life. Some people are more prone to stress than others. Some stress may be good for you. But too much for too long can lead to hypertension.

Thankfully, if your prone to stress build up there are ways to relief it and see it off – and lower your blood pressure as a consequence. I take 15 minutes off a day to do slow breathing exercises with the help of BreathEasy. It keeps me in a calmer disposition and my blood pressure in a healthy range. Christian Goodman also offers stress busting exercises for hypertension.

High blood pressure caused by Genetics

High blood pressure tends to run in families. If your parents suffer from high blood pressure the likelihood of you developing it are greater. Some people are simply more to get high blood pressure simply due to their genetic structure.

That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do about though. If you have high blood pressure ‘in the genes’ it just means that you have to work a little harder at achieving and maintaining a healthy range.

High blood pressure caused by  Age

Yep, its a fact that as we get older our blood circulatory system ages with us. Veins tend to constrict and harden (aka. atherosclerosis). The flow is decreased and the pressure decreases.

The medical establishment used to take this into account when determining acceptable blood pressure. It used to be systolic 100 plus your age was considered OK.

Now there’s nothing we can do about getting older. It happens to all of us, rich or poor, celebrity or hermit. But there is a number of things we can do to arrest the ravages of time pumping up our blood pressure.

Know the cause – know the cure

These are the five main causes causes of high blood pressure. The first three causes (diet, lack of exercise, stress) are a symptom of 21st century lifestyle while the other two causes (genetics and aging) are inescapable parts of being human.

Hypertension (the medical term for high blood pressure) caused by the first three causes are easier to cure. We simply have to change or diet, start exercising and de-stressing. There are guides to help us accomplish this. For a comprehensive guide that covers all causes and natural cures see The High Blood Pressure Remedy Report.

Hypertension caused by aging can also be countered by adopting a healthy lifestyle. The effects of aging on your circulatory system be put of indefinitely through good diet and exercise. Naturally based antioxidants like Resveratrol and Acai Berry now being made available  can slow or even, to a degree, reverse the process of aging, according to tests.

Hypertension due to genetics can’t be ‘cured’ but it can be countered. Having a genetic propensity towards high blood pressure doesn’t mean you are doomed. It simply means  that you have to work  harder at maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

What were the causes of my dangerously high blood pressure? All five of them!

But thanks to following guides to reducing blood pressure naturally I now enjoy healthy blood pressure and a brighter future.

And if I can do it anyone can!

Reduce your high blood pressure with superfoods

It has been well documented that the French nation enjoys better cardio-vaschlar health than many other nations in the developed world – despite their fondness of culinary treats that may not deserve the label of ‘health food’.

This ‘French Paradox’ and has largely been explained by their habit of drinking good red wine everyday with their main meal. Having visited and spent time with a family in France in the past I can personally vouch that it’s true. (By the way, if you ever find yourself dining around a French table, don’t mix your red wine with water as they do in Portugal, or you risk social disapproval and mild condemnation!)

red wineSo how does red wine help keep your blood pressure down and your heart healthy? Red wine conntains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that keeps your arteries healthy and working as they were intended. Resveratrol provides a number of benefits including:

  • protects your arteries against oxygen free radicals
  • helps prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
  • prevents your platelets from clumping together (reduces risk of blood clotting)
  • inhibits angiotensin II (which can increase blood pressure if your body  produces too much)
  • improves the function of blood pressure lining

All in all, resveratrol has shown to help keep your heart and circulatory system healthy and your blood pressure down where it should be.

Resveratrol comes from the skin of red grapes but getting it via red wine is better because the alcohol in wine extracts and dissolves the resveratrol making it easier for your body to absorb. In short, you’d have to eat a basket full of grapes to get the same benefits of a glass or two of good red wine.

But what if you don’t like red wine or react badly to it? (Some people get headaches from drinking red wine.) The good news that there are other ways to get the benefits of resveratrol including buying resveratrol extracts.

But what has really taken the spotlight lately as the new superfood is Acai berries.  Pronounced ah-sigh-ee, these berries harvested from the Amazon have been featured on US news channels, BBC, and the celebrity circuit (Oprah Winfrey and co.). They have been promoted as the new super-supplement  to assist in weight loss and to retard the aging process.

What’s the big deal with acai berries? They are chock full of resveratrol. The French must be feeling so smug!

According to reports, one dose of Acai berry contains up to 30 times the amount in reveratrol as a glass of wine.

What are Superfoods – Acai Berry and more

Superfoods are those foods that do such things as lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In other words, they have several benefits to them that other foods don’t have. The Acai Berry is one of those foods. It provides energy, helps you to lose weight faster, lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and helps to prevent several serious diseases like heart disease. However, Acai Berry is not the only superfood, but is part of a family of superfoods. There are several that you can take advantage of.

Superfoods

So not only do you have the amazing Acai Berry, but you also have antioxidants in blueberries as well as potassium and vitamin C. Blueberries have been shown to lower the incidence of heart disease. They are also anti-inflammatory.

Here are other superfoods you may wish to know about:

• Fish is a superfood in that it contains Omega 3 fatty acids and a number of vitamins and minerals. Omega 3s reduce inflammation and blood clotting. You can also reduce heart attack.

• Bananas provide you with energy and consists of antioxidants that can help prevent cancer and heart disease.

• Kiwis are amongst the 5 most nutritious fruits in the world. They have fiber, potassium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E. It is also full of antioxidants that fight against disease.

These are all great superfoods. Between Acai Berry, blueberries, fish, bananas, and kiwis, you can have a very healthy diet.

Get started

If you’re not eating healthy now, start with something such as an Acai Berry capsule. PureAcaiBerry.com has such a capsule that contains 1500mg of Acai Berry that is immediately vacuum sealed and not tampered with. That way you get the most out of this superfood without having to locate it and prepare it. Throw in the other superfoods and you are in business.

Visit www.PureAcaiBerry.com to experience the best of Acai Berry!

So Acai Berry can:

  • lower your blood pressure
  • reduce your cholesterol levels
  • lose weight
  • feel younger and full of energy

If you are suffering a combination of being overweight and high blood pressure, a few months of taking Acai Berry could be a very sound choice.

For lowering blood pressure it’s the antioxidant resveratrol in Acai berry that has the most benefits. And onn a cost analysis it’s cheaper to get resveratrol through Acai berry than than red wine.

When you consider that Acai Berry contains up to 30 times the amount of resveratrol as red wine then Acai Berry wins hands down on red wine in every way. (But I still like my glass of wine! :) )

You can also get Acai berry capsules through Amazon in the UK and US

To your good health,

Simon

Is there an alternative high blood pressure “Quick Fix”?

High hopes for a quick-fix

When I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure (160/110) I realized I had to make some changes. I had read somewhere that garlic was helpful to lower blood pressure and too much salt raised it.  So I reduced my salt consumption and ate garlic everyday hoping that would fix it.

It didn’t. My blood pressure remained high and later on went up to 190+.

You see, we all want a simple, quick fix to our problems. But the fact is that when it comes to high blood pressure it’s not quite so straightforward.

Here are your options …

Lower blood pressure with diet.

For example, I was asked the other day,  “Does cayenne pepper reduce blood pressure?”  Yes, cayenne has been shown to be beneficial to your heart and circulatory system. And yes, cayenne can help reduce your blood pressure. But no, simply taking a dose of cayenne everyday probably isn’t going to be the answer to your blood pressure problems.

The same could be said for other beneficial foods and  such as garlic, celery, oatmeal, bananas, apples, tomatoes, onions, dark chocolate, you-name-it. All these foods can assist in reducing your blood pressure and getting your body back in balance. But they can’t do it by themselves.

Mind you,  I’m talking about seriously high blood pressure here. Sure, any one of these foods eaten daily might help reduce your blood pressure a few points. But is that going to be much consolation to someone banging in at 175+ systolic?

Medications – quick, but no fix

If you think prescription medication is the simple fix for high blood pressure, think again. The pharmaceutical industry has yet to produce a drug that cures high blood pressure.

Sure, there are pills that can lower your blood pressure – if you continue to take them day after day. But it’s not a real cure because your blood pressure will shoot back up if you stop taking them regularly. Add to that all the unpleasant side effects many of us suffer from taking these drugs and you can see why alternative methods of  lowering your blood pressure naturally are better.

Additionally, when you consider the statistic that more people die of heart disease while on anti-hypertension medications than those who aren’t on them, you realise that these medications don’t offer the protection that we might have hoped for.

How to lower blood pressure naturally

If you have high blood pressure and want to lower it without medications (or make a gradual shift from medications to natural cures), here’s the skinny: you have to move to a healthier diet and compliment it with exercises.

Simply reducing salt consumption and eating a clove of garlic a day won’t cut it.

But don’t despair.  Reducing your blood pressure naturally isn’t rocket science. Anyone can do it.

And no, you’re not going to have to give up everything pleasurable in life and live like a monk.

The truth is, once you start shifting to a healthy blood pressure lifestyle you’ll find yourself enjoying life more, not less. Remember, good health is the underpinning of real  happiness and pleasure.

In a nutshell, you can lower your blood pressure naturally by:

  • lowering your stress levels through meditation, Yoga, etc. (I prefer to use slow breathing exercises).
  • get your heart beating and blood flowing through physical exercise such as walking, jogging, sking, etc. (I climb the hill behind my house regularly).
  • eat less “bad” foods such as table salt, trans-fats, etc.
  • eat more “good” foods such as vegetables, olive oil, fruit, etc.

That’s basically it. Using these techniques I have managed to lower my dangerously high blood pressure of 195 over 120 range in March (2009) to  125 over 85 range in the course of 4 to 5 months.

Help is at hand

lower blood pressure naturally guideI got help from Kevin Riley’s excellent 12 week program for lowering high blood pressure.

It comes in a thoroughly enjoyable book called  Get Natural!.

It covers all aspects of shifting to a healthy, happy lower blood pressure lifestyle but with a special emphasis on food.

If you love eating you will enjoy this book.

 

High Blood Pressure? Oatmeal to the Rescue!

Oatmeal makes a comeback

Oatmeal used to be a standard breakfast dish back in the ‘good ol’ days’ but has now been largely replaced by sugary cereals. From a health perspective this has been a big mistake. A bowl of oatmeal every morning is a great way to start the day. And it especially helpful in restoring balance to your cardio-vascular system and lowering your blood pressure.

Of course the are other ways to eat oatmeal than in porridge. You can add oats to your cooking – bread, meatloaf, deserts – use your imagination.

Mind you, oats never had a reputation of fine dining.

In 1755 Samuel Johnson described oats as “A grain which, in England, is generally given to horses, but which in Scotland supports the people”.

The Scot’s reply? “That’s why England has such good horses and Scotland has such fine men!”

Get Natural!  by Kevin Riley

Oatmeal gets FDA approval

In 1996 oatmeal was the first food that was granted by the FDA the right to make a specific health claim. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the health claim “Diets low in saturated fats and cholesterol that provide 3g or more per day in soluble fiber from oat bran, oatmeal, or whole oat flour may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Overall, this wonder food reduces cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart problems. Study after study has shown this to be true.

How oatmeal works to lower blood pressure

There are a number of things in oats that contribute to your cardio-vascular health but it is thought that the water soluble fiber beta-gluten provides the most benefits. This gel slows down rates of digestion of other foods and helps keep your blood sugars down as well as keeping your insulin levels normal – resulting in lower blood pressure.

Oats also lowers cholesterol. In one test called The smart Heart Challenge hundreds of people ate one bowl of oatmeal a day and after a month. Afterwards 70% of the volunteers had lower cholesterol levels. The Journal of American Medical Association reported that the fiber beta-gluten found in oats is as effective in reducing cholesterol as statin drug treatment.

Eat oatmeal every day!

Need I say more? Give your cardio-vascular system a present, every morning, with a bowl of oatmeal. Here’s how i make it: One cup of water, one handful of oats, one big dollup of honey into a pot. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Add a chopped up banana and enjoy. There is no better way than to start your day.

Lowering your blood pressure naturally without the use of (or in addition to) prescription medications is fifty percent diet and fifty percent exercise.

Start lowering your blood pressure today

The good news is that there’s a way to lower your blood pressure naturally without taking medications and putting up with side effects.

But the catch is that it doesn’t come as a magic pill and takes some time and practice. It also requires a change in diet and lifestyle.

If you need to lower your blood pressure, and want to accomplish it without taking medications, I can give no better recommendation than Kevin Riley’s 12 week program  Get Natural! Following this program I managed to lower my blood pressure from 190+/120+ to 125/85 in less than 12 weeks.

Get Natural! is both easy to follow, fun to read, and it works.

Get Natural! comes as a free bonus as part of the BreathEasy slow breathing exercise program.

I would personally endorse the BreathEasy program too. I do a 15 minute slow breathing exercise most nights before bed. It’s very relaxing and even in the span of 15 minutes by blood pressure will drop 10 points or more.

You can check out some free samples of  BreathEasy audio tracks at this link:  www.highbloodpressurehq.com

These two programs have worked wonders for me.

Can Acupuncture Lower Your Blood Pressure?

Acupuncture is an ancient and respected form of treatment of a variety of aliments. Practiced for thousands of years in the east is still a controversial but accepted form of treatment here in the West.

A poll of American doctors in 2005 showed that 59% believe acupuncture was at least somewhat effective. As of 2004, nearly 50% of Americans who were enrolled in employer health insurance plans were covered for acupuncture treatments. – wikipedia

Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into specific nervepoints below the skin. Acupressure works on the same principles as acupuncture except pressure is applied through massage with fingers rather than the insertion of needles.

Below is a list of the main acupuncture / acupressure points believed to “improve your blood pressure” as cited on  www.damazen.com the website of a Dharma-Zen Tai Chi studio in Calgary Alberta.

Yongquan1Yongquan2

Yongquan

Located on the mid-line of the sole of the foot, 2/3 of the way forward from the back of the heel. First warm up your hands by rubbing them briskly together. Then use your right hand to rub your left foot. One rub is from heel to toe then back again to the heel. In total rub your foot thirty six times, then switch. After rubbing both your feet, use a thumb to press your foot’s Yongquan point. With medium force and speed, rub in a tiny circle thirty six times. Then stimulate your other foot’s Yngquan point in the same manner.

baihui2
baihui1

Baihui

A‘cross-road’ point on the vertex, belonging to the Du Mai channel. It is located at the top of the head, in line with the ears. Hold 5 fingers of each hand into a point, tap at Baihui lightly, alternating hands (left, right, left, right) for three minutes. Once in the morning and again at night.

Fengchi

Fengchi

These points (left & right) are found at the base of your skull where it meets with your spine. They’re commonly used for treatment of the common cold, the flu, headaches, neck pain, regulating blood pressure and blood circulation. Lace your fingers together, thumbs pointing up. Swing your hands to the back of your head so your thumbs rest just below your skull in the little hollows beside the central muscles along your spine. With medium force and speed, rub in tiny circles thirty six times

Well there you have it according to Dharma-Zen Tai Chi. I’ve never used acupuncture myself although I have massaged the Fendchi points cited above to ward off headaches – with good results. There is certainly more to manipulating the nervous system than meets the eye.

Has anyone used acupuncture or acupressure to help regulate their blood pressure? Has it worked? Share the wealth.

I can state that certain diets and exercises can lower blood pressure back to healthy levels without the need of medications. I’m living proof of that fact. For more information on what works see my Alternative Cures Reviews.

Low Pressure Sex by Frank Magano review

Is there a relationship between blood pressure and sex?

According to the authors of ‘Low Pressure Sex‘ there is. They make the connection from two different perspectives. They claim you can

“… radically increase your sex drive and sexual performance … by lowering your blood pressure”

lowpressuresex

Authors Frank Mangano and Jon Benson go on to argue that a side effect of many blood pressure drugs is to dampen your sex drive.They also argue that high blood pressure itself can be a block to sexual ardor.

In short, their program is designed to get you off blood pressure medications, lower your blood pressure, and heighten your libido.

Sounds good … or is it just hype wrapped around the old standard “sex sells”? Well there does seem to be a connection between sex and blood pressure – at least for men.

Viagra, the infamous pill to increase erectile strength and duration was first designed as a drug to lower blood pressure. It was only after test subjects began to report erections as a side effect that it was re-branded and marketed as a sexual stimulant.

The bottom line is that to achieve an erection you must have adequate blood flow to the penis. High blood pressure, it is argued, impedes blood flow and makes erections harder to achieve if not impossible. That’s the bottom line as I understand it.

In Low Pressure Sex Mangano and Benson go further and claim that high blood pressure can destroy sexual urges in women too – although it’s not clear on what that premise is based.

I’ve only recently come across this program so can’t endorse or dismiss it from personal experience but does lowering your blood pressure result in better sex? I’d have to say yes, my sex life is better since lowering my blood pressure through natural means. Not that I went from a complete flop to a rock hard sex machine. I didn’t get any younger. But perhaps an increase in stamina and pleasure.

Mind you, in Mangano’s program Low Pressure Sex program includes two books and an audio tape:

  • Low Pressure Sex
  • Revolutionary Sex
  • Natural “Blue Pill” audio

By the way, my girlfriend thinks I should get get this program and ‘try it out’. But I can’t help thinking there’s an element of self-interest in her suggestion.

If you have used Mangano’s Low Pressure Sex please leave a thumbs up or down review in the comment section. There’s nothing better than hearing from a person who’s ‘been there, done that’.

High Blood Pressure Causes

What are high blood pressure causes? As they say, that’s the 64 thousand dollar question.  According to medical science, the causes of the vast majority of high blood pressure cases remains ‘unknown’.

That doesn’t mean that they don’t have a clue. Not at all. it just means they can’t prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was this of that that causes a person to develop high blood pressure. Indeed, the causes of high blood pressure is neither that simple nor evident. (It’s a lot more than simply eating too much salt ;-) )

But anyway you look at it is always comes back to this: genetics. The indisputable fact is that some people have high blood pressure ‘in the family’, other don’t. (I firmly belong to the former group).

Here’s an example from my life, today:

My girlfriend is a heavy smoker (although she’d probably deny that ;-) ), she gets easily stressed; can be very high strung at times; her diet is far from exemplary from a healthy blood pressure perspective. In short, her lifestyle has all the ingredients of a high blood pressure victim.

But the fact is, her blood pressure is usually too low and she can even suffer from dizzy spells sometimes as it can dip below 90/60. High blood pressure simply isn’t in her genes and there is probably nothing she could do to get it.

Me, on the other hand, non-smoking, OK diet, and comparatively relaxed and calm disposition was banging in at 195/120 last winter (before I got it down through natural methods of diet and exercise i discuss in this blog.)

So what gives? The fact is, my girlfriend’s family doesn’t have a history of blood pressure whereas mine does. I am genetically predisposed to develop high blood pressure whereas she is not. It doesn’t seem fair but that’s just the way it is.

Mind you, I am not saying that if you are genetically predisposed to get high blood pressure there is nothing you can do about it. I’m living proof that you can lower your blood pressure regardless, without even going on medications. Being genetically predisposed towards hypertension means you have to exercise greater diligence and expend further effort to ensure your blood pressure levels remain within a healthy range.

I also don’t mean to imply that genetics is the only cause of high blood pressure. If you are a chain-smoker, live on the couch, and are obese through a diet of processed foods and heavy salt consumption then it is highly likely that you have high blood pressure and the causes of your high blood pressure are due to your lifestyle.

Yes, a poor lifestyle can lead to hypertension and a healthy lifestyle can lead to lowering blood pressure levels.

Genetics plays its role in determining how hard you have to work at maintaining a healthy blood pressure level. I have to work hard at it. My girlfriend can get away with all sorts of transgressions.

If you’re like me, take heart. You don’t have to suffer high blood pressure or the depressing side effects of many blood pressure medications. I’m living proof that a change in diet and exercise can bring your body back in balance, regardless of the causes of high blood pressure.

P.S. In case your wondering exactly how I’ve done it I must give most of the credit to Kevin Riley’s 12 week program called Get Natural!. following the Get Natural! program and taking 15 minutes off a day to do slow breathing exercises with the BreathEasy audio tapes is pretty much all that I need to get a dangerously high blood pressure of 190+ / 120+ back down to the 120-130 / 80-90 range. Tidy! (as we say here in Wales). You can check out and get both programs from this website: www.highbloodpressurehq.com

P.P.S. Being in the ‘high blood pressure circuit’ with this blog I’ve been getting solicitations from vendors of a device called RESPeRATE. (Why all the capitalized letter I have no idea – must have been thought up by some marketing bigwig.)

Has anyone tried them?

They seem to be based on the same slow breathing exercise principle as BreathEasy (see link above) but with more of a technical approach. And not cheap!

Here’s some of sales info from UK pharmacy websites:

From Boots -

How does Resperate help to lower blood pressure?

Resperate guides your breathing from the typical range of 14 to 19 breaths per minute down to what is called the “therapeutic zone” of just under 10 breaths per minute. This enables the muscles surrounding the small blood vessels in your body to dilate, and relax. Blood flows more freely and pressure lowers.

Resperate should be used for just 15 minutes, 3 to 4 times per week. Within 3 to 4 weeks of use, a significant all-day reduction in blood pressure can be achieved.

Resperate contents:

  • Resperate device & breathing sensor
  • Headphones
  • user manuals
  • 4 x AA batteries

Price £199.99 at www.boots.com/en/Resperate_873109/

From ChemistDirect -

How RESPeRATE lowers your blood pressure:

RESPeRATE’s breathing sensor automatically analyzes your individual breathing pattern and creates a personalized melody composed of two distinct inhale and exhale guiding tones.
Simply listen to the melody through the headphones, and your body’s natural tendency to follow external rhythms will enable you to easily synchronize your breathing to the tones.
By gradually prolonging the exhalation tone to slow your breathing, RESPeRATE leads you to the therapeutic zone of less than 10 breaths per minute.
Within a few minutes, the muscles surrounding the small blood vessels in your body relax, blood flows more freely, and your blood pressure is significantly reduced.
While your breathing returns to normal after each session with RESPeRATE, the beneficial impact on your blood pressure accumulates. Within 3 to 4 weeks, you’ll see a significant, lasting reduction in your blood pressure.

What results can you expect?

More than 10 clinical trials1-9 have demonstrated the effectiveness of RESPeRATE in significantly lowering blood pressure. RESPeRATE can lower blood pressure by up to 36 points systolic and 20 points diastolic (top 10% reductions), with average reductions of 14/8 points.10
Lower your blood pressure with RESPeRATE. With regular use, you’ll get a significant, lasting reduction in blood pressure.

Like I said, not cheap, but if it works I suppose it’s well worth it. After all, what’s the value of your health?

If anyone has tried one of the RESPeRATE devices please let us know in the comments section what you think of it.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my blurb on high blood pressure causes. Let me know what you think. All comments welcome.

Take care,
Simon Foster

Effect of food on blood pressure

While scouring  weblogs world for interesting articles on high blood pressure I came across this  article written by Christian Goodman.

If you don’t know who Christian Goodman is, he’s the promoter of the popular “3 easy exercises to lower your blood to below 120/80 in as little as a week.” (You can read my in depth review of his program. Link in the column to the right.)

What interesting about this article is that he focuses on bad foods and unhealthy environments causing high blood pressure. However, the 3 exercises he promotes are all based on the assumption that stress the main, if not the only, cause of high blood pressure.

Does this article suggest a change in direction for Christian?

Here’s in article as posted on: totalhorrormovies.com/how-toxins-and-pollution-affects-high-blood-pressure

How Toxins and Pollution Affects High Blood Pressure

So much is said about high blood pressure and the potentially disastrous health consequences if left untreated (heart attack, stroke, blindness, and all sorts of other scary health concerns) that almost everyone over the age of thirty knows at least something about it.

This is why I write so in a large extent about this condition and the fact that it is so very treatable.

We are all informed of things to avoid such as high sodium foods, processed foods, fast food, red meat, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and tobacco.

Not everyone knows why we shouldn’t do this. The fact is that these types of foods all contain some sort of toxin which can affect ones health – high blood pressure being the topic of today’s article.

Sodium and caffeine can elevate blood pressure thou they are not inherently poisonous. This is especially true of people who have a family history or other issues such as being over weight that already increases their risk for hypertension.

Many processed foods and fast foods are comprised of a high amount of trans fats, sodium and cholesterol. Be wary of some diet foods as they sometimes replace sugar with chemicals high in sodium and are oftentimes not lower in fat.

Red meats, even those not processed or cured can be cause for alarm because you are basically eating whatever toxin the animal ate before it became your meal.

Alcohol and nicotine/tobacco, while not foods are things people inclined to ingest or breathe in in overabundance. While I don’t see a problem with limited alcohol consumption, research has suggested there is no safe cigarette. Keep in mind that these are by definition poisons to our bodies.

Also in the toxins category are medications, both over the counter and prescription. If you have any history of hypertension it is very important to let your doctor know because they can raise blood pressure.

Now, new research on animals has shown that when exposed to daily air pollutants (much lower levels than seen in many developing countries and parts of the U.S.), even short term, blood pressure was raised as much as 25%.

While we can carpool and recycle (yes, I’m a big believer!), we can’t control what goes on globally. Likewise, a hyperbaric chamber isn’t something we can budget for either.

Anyone who suffers from hypertension, I would highly recommend my High Blood Pressure program. It’s all natural breathing and relaxation exercises have shown amazing results and its something you can do no matter what the environment to help bring down your blood pressure.

Christian Goodman is a well known health researcher and the author of several revolutionary natural health alternative methods. One of his most popular breakthroughs is his natural high blood pressure cure. You can learn more about Christian on his Natural Health Blog.

My response:

I would have to agree that the food we eat can both be a problem and a solution to high blood pressure problems.

Moderation is the key. For example salt. Everyone needs some in their diet to remain healthy – but eating lots of processed foods or eating out at restaurants gives us way too much – even if we never touch a salt shaker.

I still like a cup of real coffee (not decaffeinated) in the morning but don’t drink so much anymore. I know it might raise my blood pressure a bit but only temporarily.

Hypertension solutions – red wine & resveratrol

red wineIt has been documented that the French nation enjoy better health all around and lower rates of high blood pressure and coronary disease than most other nations. This is partly due to diet and their habit of drinking red wine on a daily basis.

Red wine contains an antioxidant called resveratrol. Like other antioxidants resveratrol helps prevent hardening of the arteries and your blood platelets from clumping together.

Blood platelets are those things that enables your blood to clot – which is important if you cut yourself. But clots forming inside your circulatory system is not healthy and is the prime cause of strokes.

In other words red wine helps keep your blood system in good health and your blood pressure down.

In case you wondered, resveratrol isn’t just found in red wine. It comes from the skin of the grapes. You can get resveratrol simply from drinking grape juice but resveratrol isn’t water soluble. The alcohol in in wine extracts the resveratrol more efficiently and assists the absorption of it into your body.

So have a glass or two every day! Get the darker red wine for maximum resveratrol content. Say a merlot, cabernet, zinfandel, shiraz, or pinot noir.

I have to admit that before learning of the beneficial qualities of red wine I was not a big drinker of wine. Now I buy a bottle or two a week and have learned a few lessons on buying wine.

First, don’t be fooled by price alone. Expensive wine is not necessarily the best wine and cheap red wine is not necessarily the worst. On the contrary, some of the cheaper red wines seem to have the most pleasant taste.

On a  TV program this spring wine tasting experts had to taste and rank various popular red wines on the market – blind (they weren’t allowed to see what brand of wine they were tasting). They all agreed on the best tasting wine. And it turned out to be one of the cheapest! So much for price as an indication of quality!

To get a great tasting red wine I would suggest you experiment with various types. Make a list of what you drink – the good, bad and ugly – so you know what to pick and what to avoid.

If red wine really isn’t “your cup of tea”, you can get resveratrol supplements. They have become very popular lately in the USA as part of an anti-aging and weight-loss system being highlighted on TV shows like Oprah.

For UK-based people,

In the USA,

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