High Blood Pressure Be Gone

Posts Tagged ‘alternative treatments’

I’ve been getting a lot of feedback and questions about Alistrol – the latest natural supplement to treat high blood pressure to hit the market.

The feed back is generally positive – no bad side effects and a reduced blood pressure over time.

So what exactly is Alistrol? It’s a daily supplement composed of four natural ingredient known to be effective in reducing hypertension: Hawthorn, garlic, Holly leaf, and Daikon Seed.

These ingredients are known to help dilate the blood vessels enabling your blood to flow more easily ant a reduced pressure. Its effects are similar to many anti-hypertensive medications except the ingredients are natural and no ill side effects have been reported.

My personal opinion is that Alistrol is a great aid in reducing your blood pressure and keeping it in a healthy range – but is not a simple substitute for a healthier lifestyle.

You can reduce your blood pressure by 10 to 20 points systolic if you take Alistrol daily … but that not going to be enough if your blood pressure is hitting 200+ systolic or 1oo+ diastolic. You’ll still need to adapt a healthier lifestyle like I’ve had to. That includes daily exercise, good diet, and some essential supplements like Vitamin C, Calcuium, Magnisium, and Omega 3.

If, on the other hand, you are what they call “pre-hypertensive” (130-145 / 90 – 95 BP range), then a daily dose of Alistrol is probably all you will need.

Clinic tests of Alistrol has been shown to be very positive with the vast majority of test subjects (9 out of 10) showing a reduction of blood pressure after the first month.

That’s not to say that Alistrol will definitely help reduce blood pressure for everyone. Unless you have an identical twin, your genetic make up is unique. That’s why it’s so difficult to state facts about blood pressure treatments – natural or prescriptive.

Nor do I believe that by taking Alistrol every day you can revert to a unhealthy stressed out lifestyle of no exercise and a diet of junk food. There is no magic cure all pill for high blood pressure. It’s the combination of healthy lifestyle combined with powerful supplements like Alistrol that can help bring down even the most stubborn blood pressure.

The only way that you can tell if Alistrol is good for you is to give it a month’s trial. I’m happy to recommend this treatment because if it fails to significantly reduce your blood pressure after a month you can simply get a refund. In other words -  nothing to lose and a lower blood pressure to gain.

For more information on Alistrol and how to order a trial bottle, go to their site, link below:

www.alistrol.com

It’s a fact that the French nation enjoys better cardiovascular health than many other nations in the developed world – despite their fondness of culinary treats that may not deserve the label of ‘health food’.

Known as the  ‘French Paradox’, it’s 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.

It’s the resveratrol in red wine that keeps your blood pressure down and your heart healthy. Resveratrol is a a powerful antioxidant that keeps your arteries healthy and working as they were intended. Additionally, 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.

Super Antioxidant – The Acai Berry

The Acai Berry has shown to be a super antioxidant that can be absorbed well by the human body. This is, perhaps, why research has shown that this little berry does so much for the human body. It can do everything from fight against excess weight and bad toxins to fight the aging process. Yes, it has been around for quite some time, but not until recent years has research been done that proves the health benefits of this super food.-What are the benefits?

First of all, don’t get really excited before you finish reading this and run to your local produce department to pick up some fresh Acai Berries. They only grow in the Amazon Rainforest and they are very perishable. This is why they are usually freeze dried and turned into powders and into other forms that make it easier for you to use the Acai Berry in certain foods, drinks, and even as a topping.

So with that said the benefits are:

• The antioxidants are so rich that they make you rapidly lose unwanted weight.

• Because the antioxidants help get rid of toxins in the body, you’ll feel more energetic. Ridding your body of toxins also has a lot to do with why the Acai Berry can help you lose weight.

• Evidence has shown that the Acai Berry and reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.

How to get these benefits

The best way to get these benefits is through a 100% pure supplement. In other words, you can get Acai Berry in capsules. Pure Acai Berry is one of those capsules because it has 1500mg of pure Acai Berry within it. The Acai Berry is untouched, but refined to where it fits into a portable capsule form. It is 100% organic and is certified pure.

So if you want the benefits of Acai Berry, the Super Antioxidant, capsule form is a great way to go. You can get a healthy dose of Acai in just a second.

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

In short, Acai Berry:

• lowers your blood pressure
• reduces your cholesterol levels
• helps you lose weight
• makes you feel younger and full of energy
• slows the aging process

To good to be true? I’m a naturally skeptical person … but considering the company is offering a 100% refund if you’re not satisfied it must do what it says or they wouldn’t be in business very long.

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.

On a purely cost base analysis, Acai berry is a lot cheaper way to get the benefits of resveratrol than red wine. But drinking red wine is more pleasurable.

Here’s a link to the Acai Berry website I got all this info from – www.PureAcaiBerry.com
where you can order it direct. They supply from the USA but ship worldwide.

Definitely something to consider if you suffer from high blood pressure.

I advocate natural methods such as diet and exercise as the best treatment for hypertension.

The advantage of treating hypertension with alternative methods have clear benefits over medication. (See high blood pressure medication side effects)

Sure, lowering your blood pressure naturally is not a quick fix for hypertension. But if you start now you will begin to see the results within a matter of weeks. As the months roll by your blood pressure will steadily come down until its within a range you can comfortably live with.

But here’s the rub:

After you embark on the road of natural treatment for hypertension there’s no going back to the lifestyle that gave you high blood pressure in the first place. Slip back to a poor diet, no exercise, and stressful living you blood pressure will probably rise too.

This is especially true if you have hypertension “in the family”, like I do. Having a genetic propensity to high blood pressure means you have to stick to a healthy lifestyle to keep hypertension at bay.

The simple fact is that those of us who are inclined towards developing hypertension can’t be so relaxed about our lifestyle. We have to work at getting our blood pressure down and keeping it down.

But maintaining a healthy low blood pressure lifestyle isn’t such a bad deal. It’s not a joyless life of self-denial. Far from it. It just requires some moderation and common sense.

With regarding dietary changes, at first it may seem a little difficult to change old habits but after a short while you’ll find your taste and desire in food falling in line.

When you know that what you’re eating is actively restoring your health you will find it tastes great too. There must be a psychological component to our sense of taste.

Natural treatment for hypertension can a have a positive affect on your whole life. With a good diet and ample exercise you will begin to feel new energy and optimism. Your whole life will be positively affected – your relationships, your work, your pastimes, your love life.

If you need to learn about what alternate treatments for hypertension my be best for you for check out alternative high blood pressure cures review

Hypertension Medications

Let me state right from the beginning – I’m not in favor of taking prescription medications for the control of high blood pressure (if it can be avoided).

The are a number of reasons for my anti-medication stance one of which is my personality. I’m a long-distance single-handed sailor and I value and guard my independence fiercely. Being tied to a prescription and regular doctor appointments really doesn’t suit me psychologically. If there was an alternative I would use it.

The good news is that there is an alternative to prescription medications and that’s what this post is about.

Medication Side Effects

Another reason I’m not in favor of medications is the side effects.

For a list of hypertension medications side effects click here

Most all hypertension medications have side effects. Some of them may be minor, but they can all reduce your quality of life.

My only experience of hypertension medications was Rampril, ACE Inhibitor prescribed here in the UK.

Soon after taking Rampril daily I developed a dry and persistent cough.

And I mean persistent. All day and all night long.

It got to the point where I kept a glass of water by my bed so I could relieve the tickle in my throat that would wake me up several times a night.

Two months of this slow torture and my blood pressure was still measuring 195/130 at the doctor’s and 175/120 at home.

The third, and possibly most important reason I have chosen to reduce my blood pressure naturally rather than going down the medication route is that medications don’t actually cure hypertension.

Let me explain.

All hypertension medication prescribed by doctors are meant to lower your blood pressure. A prescription that works for one person may not work so well for another. Several medications may sometimes have to be tried for each patient to see what works best for him or her. Occasionally combinations are used for best results.

Of course sometimes the medication that best lowers your blood pressure also produces the worst side effects and other treatments must be sought.

There is one thing that all hypertension medications have in common:

You have to keep taking them day after day for the rest of your life to keep your blood pressure within acceptable limits. If you stop taking them your blood pressure can shoot right back up to former levels.

In short, you have not cured your hypertension – you are merely controlling it.

The conditions that gave rise to your elevated blood pressure are still there, waiting to raise you blood pressure back up to dangerous levels the minute they’re released from their chemical bondage.

Add to that fact the statistic that more people die of stroke and heart attack while on high blood pressure medications than those who are not on them and the pharmaceutical approach to hypertension seems even less attractive.

(That’s not to say that hypertension medications cause stroke and heart attack. But that statistic does seem to suggest that these drugs do not offer the protection against these diseases one might have hoped.)

Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure

For all these reasons I chose the alternative route to lowering high blood pressure.

Out went the medication, in came natural alternative methods for reducing blood pressure.

Four months later and my blood pressure was down to the 135/95 range the cough was just a distant bad memory.

Now, almost nine months after starting alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure my readings are sometimes below 120/80. I wouldn’t have believed it last Spring but the ‘proof is in the pudding’ as they say.

The good news for you is that if I can do it – anyone can!

For a review of all the alternative high blood pressure cures I’ve used click here.

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!

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!)

So 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

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.

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.

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

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.

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”

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’.

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.

Price: £159.00 at www.chemistdirect.co.uk/resperate–free-omron-mx2_1_152128

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

Side effects of hypertension drugs

Anti-hypertension  medications are often the first thing that a doctor will prescribe when high blood pressure is detected.  This leads to millions of people taking them everyday.

This has resulted in soaring profits for the pharmaceutical industry. But what about the people taking these drugs?

Unfortunately anti-hypertensive medications do not cure high blood pressure  but merely regulate it.  Which means you have to take them everyday for the rest of your life – or your blood pressure will climb back up to dangerous levels.

Another negative aspect of blood pressure medications is bad side effects.

Below is a list of common blood pressure medications and their associated side effects:

ACE inhibitors

The most common side effect is a dry cough

Rarer side effects include:

• Lightheadedness,
• dizziness,
• rash,
• reduced
• appetite,
• increased blood potassium,
• changes in the flavor of foods and swelling.

Alpha Blockers

dizziness and feeling faint when sitting up or standing up.

Additional side effects include:

• headache,
• pounding heartbeat,
• nausea, weakness,
• weight gain.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers

Side effects (relatively rare) include:

• Diarrhea,
• dizziness,
• headache,
• lightheadedness,
• back and leg pain,
• sinus congestion,
• kidney failure,
• liver failure,
• allergic reaction,
• lowered white blood cells,
• swelling.

Beta Blockers

Common side effects include:

• Cold hands, dizziness,
• fatigue, and weakness.

Less common side effects include:

• Depression,
• reduced libido (sex drive),
• insomnia (trouble sleeping),
• shortness of breath.

Beta-blockers may cause severe asthma attacks.  They can also block indications of low blood sugar (like a racing pulse) in diabetics.   Beta-blockers can affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels, typically temporarily.   Abrupt discontinuation of beta-blockers can increase risk of heart attack and other heart issues.

Calcium channel blockers

Common side effects include:

• Constipation, drowsiness,
• flushing,
• headache,
• nausea,
• rapid pulse,
• swelling in the lower legs and feet.

Some calcium channel blockers react with grapefruit and foods that contain grapefruit by blocking the liver from properly removing them from the blood – resulting in dangerous concentrations.

Central-acting agents

Side effects include:

• Constipation,
• depression,
• dizziness,
• dry mouth,
• drowsiness,
• fatigue,
• headache,
• impotence,
• impaired thinking,
• weight gain.

Abrupt discontinuation can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure – especially when taken with a beta-blocker.

Diuretics

Side effects include:

• Increased urination,
• too much potassium in the blood (with potassium-sparing diuretics),
• too little potassium in the blood (with thiazide diuretics),
• breast enlargement in men,
• increased blood sugar,
• increased cholesterol,
• erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence),
• low blood sodium,
• rash,
• gout (joint inflammation),>
• menstrual irregularities.

Vasodilators

Side effects include:

• Chest pain,
• dizziness,
• flushing
• headache,
• fluid retention,
• heart palpitations,
• nausea,
• sinus congestion,
• racing pulse,
• vomiting
• excessive hair growth.

(anti-hypertension medication side effects list source:  www.bloodpressuresecret.com)

Side effects from blood pressure medications is not something I’ve simply read about.  It’s something I’ve experenced.

When I was first diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure I was prescribed Rampril, an ACE inhibitor commonly used here in the UK.  Just like it says on the  list above, I developed a persistent dry cough. All day and night. (For the two months I was on Rampril I kept a glass of water besides my bed. Taking a sip of water was the only way I could relieve the irritation long enough to get back to sleep after waking up every few hours needing to have a bout of coughing.)

After two months of this slow  torture and my blood pressure remained high with no sign of coming down. I could have gone on to other medications but instead made a commitment to try to get my body back in balance using alternative methods without the use of drugs.

Four months on and my blood pressure had dropped to 135/100 range – a drop of some 55 points. Now, 8 months after following natural methods my blood pressure in in the 120/80 range.

So the good news is  – there are ways to lower your blood pressure naturally that really work – without having to take medications and putting up with side effects.

The only catch is that it doesn’t come in the form of a pill. It takes time and practice. It also requires a change in diet and lifestyle.

If you need to lower your blood pressure without taking medications  I can give no higher recommendation than Kevin Riley’s 12 week program  Get Natural! This program is a pleasure to read and follow – with no bad side effects.

The Get Natural! program is now bundled in as a free bonus as part of the BreathEasy program. This program also helps to lower blood pressure through following regulated breathing exercises 15 minutes a day.

I would  recommend 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 my blood pressure will often drop 5 – 10  points systolic.

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

These two programs have worked for me. What has worked for you?