High Blood Pressure Be Gone

Posts Tagged ‘causes’

The link between stress and hypertension is undeniable. The very simple fact is that if you live a high stress life then that fact is going to reflect in a higher blood pressure (and probably a shorter life span).

Another thing about stress and stress-related blood pressure is that it’s not always evident. You can be a sufferer of stress and not even realize it. Stress builds up slowly in the dark recesses of your nervous system. over the course of years. What feels ‘normal’ to you may actually be a stressful existence.

But stress doesn’t affect us all equally. Some of us can get away with a lot more stress than others when it comes to blood pressure and health in general. I’m not one of those people and stress will always show up in my blood pressure so I’ve had to take remedies to reduce stress.

That’s easier said than done. Wanting to reduce stress and actually accomplishing it are two different things. You can’t ‘think’ your stress levels down – you have to DO something.

If you suffer from stress and high blood pressure you want to get both levels down. To start, take a walk, preferably in nature, like a path through the woods or your local park if you have one nearby. Get away from load mechanical noises like cars if possible. The tranquility of nature can be very soothing for you nerves.

Yoga, Tai Chi, and acupuncture have been noted as good for reducing stress and lowering blood pressure – although I haven’t tried then myself.

An increasingly popular way to reduce stress and blood pressure is slow breathing. High Street drug stores here in the UK are now selling a special machine called ‘Resperate‘ which assists you in calming down the system through slow, regulated\breathing. These machines aren’t cheap – selling for around £100 + – but they do seem to be effective given their popularity.

Personally I use the BreathEasy tapes to do stress-reducing slow breathing exercises. Just following along for 15 minutes a day helps restore sanity into my life, relaxes my nervous system, and helps keep my blood pressure withing healthy ranges. If you interested in trying out a sample click to my BreathEasy Review

Another popular approach to stress reduction and blood pressure normalization is Christian Goodman’s 3 exercises. These exercises are also largely based on breathing techniques but incorporate additional measures such as muscle relaxation and mild physical exercise. You can read more about these techniques in my Christian Goodman Review.

Mind you, stress isn’t the only factor that can cause high blood pressure. There’s also bad diet, lack of exercise, and genetics that can contribute to hypertension. Thankfully all these factors can be dealt with. Of course you can’t change your genetic code but adopting a healthy blood pressure lifestyle can counteract any genetic propensities towards developing high blood pressure you may have inherited.

But stress remains a central contributing factor with most people with hypertension. You’ll want to reduce stress in your life one way or the other. Too much stress can cause all sorts of health complications later on in life.

Life stress-free. Live happy. Live healthy.

Don’t let the title fool you. High blood pressure is no laughing matter. But laughing could help.

Dealing with hypertension can be a tricky business because there is usually no single clearly identifiable cause. It can be a mixture of things such as diet, lack of exercise, genetics, and … attitude.

It’s been well known that stress can cause our blood pressure to rise. Arguing with your partner probably isn’t good for your BP. Get stuck in traffic jams when you’re late for an appointment probably doesn’t help either. The list could go on but you get the point.

Our mental attitude can effect our blood pressure. The problem is we can’t just consciously lower our blood pressure or the rate of our heartbeat -  like we can alter our breathing patterns, for example.

The good news is that we can alter our unconscious blood pressure regulator by indirect methods. Breatheasy slow breathing exercises, and Christian Goodman’s 3 exercises to lower blood pressure are examples of stress reducing exercises that can have a positive effect on our BP.

Another is laughter. Get sense of humour. Watch some good comedies on TV or the local theater. Get a good joke book. Have a laugh. De-stress. Try to look at things from the from the lighter side. All these things can help reduce your blood pressure and give your poor old heart a break.

To kick-start the process, here’s one of my favourate jokes.

…..

Husband and Wife

Husband has lately got into healthy eating and organics and yells at the wife who is going out the door to buy some vegetables at the local grocery store – “Make sure it’s organic!”

At the store the wife asks the young clerk (who’s new on the job) “Are these organic?” pointing at the array of fresh vegetables on display.

Unsure, the clerk responds “What do you mean by organic?”

Losing her patience the wife responds sharply “LOOK, I’M BUYING THESE VEGETABLES FOR MY HUSBAND … AND I NEED TO KNOW  …  HAVE THEY BEEN SPRAYED WITH POISON?!?”

“Oh, no mam”, answers the clerk, “you have to do that yourself.”

….

That’s a bit of Welsh sense of humour I heard from Roy Noble on Radio Wales. He has a chat show Monday to Friday 2 pm to 4 pm GMT (that’s  9 am to 11 am Eastern USA). You can tune in here: BBC Radio Wales, sit back and relax. Listening to Roy Noble could lower your blood pressure.

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!

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

From: www.organicsandyou.com

FOODS THAT BALANCE BLOOD PRESSURE

Legumes: mung bean sprouts, soy bean sprouts, tofu, tempeh, peas, Adzuki Beans, Black Beans, Black-eyed peas, Broad Beans (Fava Beans), Butter Beans, Calico Beans, Cannellini Beans, Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), Edamame
Great Northern Beans, Italian Beans, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Lima Beans, Mung Beans, Navy Beans, Pinto Beans, Soy Beans, including black soy beans, Split Peas, White Beans

Grains: (whole grains, ½ cup for all grains) sprouted wheat – hard red winter wheat, Amaranth, Barley, pearled, Buckwheat (kasha), Bulgar, Oats, whole kernel, Rice, brown, Rice, wild, Rye, whole kernel, Quinoa, Wheat, whole kernel, All Bran with Extra Fiber, Bran Buds, Fiber One, Kashi, Go Lean, Shredded Wheat, Shredded Wheat and Bran, Buckwheat Groats, Oat Bran, Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Steel-Cut Oats

Vegetables: (Pungent) radish, horseradish, hot peppers, onion family (garlic, onion, leek, scallion, shallot, chive), Leafy greens (cabbage, spinach, carrot greens, mint leaf, nasturtium leaf, dandelion greens, kale, wheat greens, barley greens, broccoli, parsley), asparagus, bell peper, rose hip, tomato, celery
Green seaweeds: Green rope, Green tuft, Dead man’s fingers, Encrusting codium, Bird guano alga, Sea lettuce, Stringy, hairy, ribbon Ulva, Green barrels, Brown seaweeds: Winged kelp, Bottlebrush seaweed, Seersucker, Three-ribbed kelp, Northern bladder chain, Flattened acid kelp, Witch’s hair, Green acid kelp, Geather Boa, Rockweed, Spiraling rockweed, Sea cauliflower, Perennial kelp, Twisted sea tubes, Bull kelp, Dwarf rockweed, Woody-stemmed kelp, Sea fungus, Sugar kelp, Stiff-stiped kelp, Sea cabbage, Split kelp, Wireweed, Soda straws, Studded sea balloons), Red Seaweeds (Turkish towel, Bleached burnett, Winged rib, Sea moss, Sea sac, Rusty rock, Sea tangle, Turkish washcloth, Tar spot, Iridescent seaweed, Coarse sea lace, Black pine, Flattened sea brush, Sea brush, Sea laural, Red ribbon, Sea comb, Bleachweed, Sea noodles, Red eyelet silk), chlorella, cucumber
Mushrooms: Honey Mushroom, Brown Stew Fungus, The Miller, Shaggy Ink Cap, Green Russula, Russula integra, Weeping Milk-Cap, Saffron Milk-Cap, Hedgehog Fungus, Man on Horseback, Wood Blewit, Chantarelle, Funnel Chantarelle, Horn of Plenty, Yellow-Crack Bolete, Slippery Jack, Brown Birch Bolete, King Bolete, Sheep Polypore, Pestle Puffball

Fruit: (citrus) Clementine, Kumquat, Minneola, Mandarin, Orange, Satsuma, Tangarine, Tangelo, Lemon, Rough Lemon, Lime, Leech Lime, Grapefruit, Pummelo, Sweety, Ugli, banana, persimmon

Nuts & Seeds: Almonds, hazlenuts (filbert), flax seed, chia seed, pumpkin seed (lightly roasted to remove surface E coli), poppy seed, walnut, sunflower sprouts

Animal products: fish: sardine, salmon, mackerel, Cold water fish (LAKE TROUT, RAINBOW TROUT, BROOK TROUT, BROWN TROUT, ARCTIC GRAYLING, ARCTIC CHAR, SPLAKE, etc.) raw honey, bee pollen

Herbs: hawthorn berry, dandelion root, burdock root, chaparral, peppermint (palpitations), cayenne pepper, ginger, rhubarb root (constipation), yarrow, chamomile, motherwort, valerian (Traditional Chinese herbs & American herbs)

FOODS TO AVOID (worsens high blood pressure)

Sugar, or foods with added sugars, Processed grains, or foods containing them (except as listed on the Grains List e.g. packaged cereals, even whole grain cereals, are usually processed, verify), Refined grains (which don’t say “whole” in front of each grain on the label) or foods containing them, “Wheat” or “wheat flour” without the word “whole” is usually a code word for “white” (includes white rice, “Flour” listed alone is always white flour), Potatoes, Cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. Crackers, unless whole grain, Cereals, unless whole grain and at least 8 grams of fiber per serving, Chips, Ice cream, Jams and Jellies, Maple Syrup, Regular Soda and other sweetened beverages, Juices, Oils except for extra virgin olive oil, nut oils, and canola oil, Mayonnaise, Creamy salad dressings, Butter, Magarine, Dairy products that are not fat-free, including cheese, cream cheese, milk, etc., Fatty meats such as bacon or sausage, Anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats in it.

“The sages follow the laws of Nature and therefore their bodies are free from strange diseases. They do not lose any of their natural functions and their spirit of life is never exhausted.” — Inner Classic

Mark Hammer C.M.H.,  Master Herbalist - Longevity Mountain    5/09

Simon Foster

That’s a huge list of foods to help lower blood pressure. Kinda boggles the brain!

My favorites from your list (that I eat regularly) include: oatmeal, oat bran, spinach, lavabread (locally harvested dark green/black seaweed in South Wales), bananas, mackerel, sardines, and hawthorn flowers/berries freshly picked locally (in my back yard).

With regards to your list ‘Foods to Avoid’ I would suggest that these should be eaten in moderation or healthy substitutes found.

High blood pressure is a sign of you body getting out of balance from too much this, or not enough of that – not from accidentally eating the wrong thing one day.

From: foodessentials.com

Sodium and Salt – How Much is Too Much?

by Shereen Jegtvig

Sodium is a dietary mineral that in the right amount is essential for your health.  It’s called an electrolyte mineral, which along with potassium and chloride, helps to keep the fluids balanced in your body.  Sodium also aids in muscle contractions and is necessary for nerve impulses.  Too little sodium could result in low blood pressure and eating too much sodium may contribute to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

Most likely, you already get enough sodium from the foods in your diet, and actually it’s very likely that you get too much sodium.  Experts calculate that healthy people should keep to no more than 2400 milligrams sodium every day, and people with high blood pressure should drop their sodium intake to less than 1500 milligrams.  Sodium is naturally found in salt, which is half sodium and half chloride, milk, cheese, beets and celery and some tap water.

These natural sources of sodium only contribute about one-quarter of your daily sodium intake.  The rest comes from processed foods like canned foods, boxed dinner mixes, frozen dinners and most of the snacks you’ll find in the grocery store.  Foods high in sodium don’t have to taste salty.  It’s found in many of the preservatives and additives used to enhance the flavor and shelf-life of products.  You’ll also find lots of sodium in the meals you order in restaurants and cafeterias.

If your diet is high in fresh fruits and vegetables and you stay away from highly processed foods, you probably are getting the right amount of sodium.  If you eat a lot of processed foods, dine frequently in restaurants or overdo the salty snacks, you may need to cut back.  So how tough will that be?

To be honest, avoiding sodium when you eat a lot of processed foods isn’t easy, but you can find low-sodium versions of many foods.  You can also switch from table salt to a salt substitute that contains potassium.  For cooking, you can play around with different herbs and spices that add flavor and no additional sodium.

The US FDA has set these guidelines for sodium claims on food labels:
Sodium-free: less than 5 mg per serving.
Very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving.
Low-sodium: 140 mg or less per serving.
Light in sodium: at least 50 percent less sodium per serving than that brand’s regular product.
Reduced or less sodium: at least 25 percent less per serving than that brand’s regular product.

Simon Foster

Interesting post. The USA sodium classification sounds confused.

Such ‘light’ or ‘reduced’ sodium for 50% or 25% less salt than usual.

What’s ‘usual’? Virtually meaningless and misleading.

My motto is ‘save money and save your health – use only unprocessed food.’

Yes, it takes a little more time to prepare. Might have to watch one less TV program.

From: johnston.mync.com

Eating less sodium (salt) can help prevent, lower or even control blood pressure. Some experts recommend that all Americans should reduce their sodium intake, because the damage caused to arteries by too much sodium does not happen after someone turns 40, that the damage is caused by long term consumption of too much salt.

Most people consume about 4,000 mg of sodium per day, more than 75% of it comes from processed and restaurant food. If everyone reduced most of their high-sodium restaurant meals and high-sodium processed foods, they could easily consume 1500 mg of sodium or less per day.

When eating out at restaurants your best bets are the following: Salad with oil and vinegar, plain burger, baked fish with steamed veggies, baked potato with sour cream, plain rice and steamed veggies, pasta tossed with garlic and fresh tomatoes.

When eating out at restaurants avoid the following: Chicken dishes, sauces, cheese, bread, salad dressing, flavored pasta or rice, pizza, seasonings, blackened items, fried food, ketchup, mustard, pickles, Asian food.

Simon Foster

If you just eat unprocessed foods then it you can easily remove all salt from your diet.

But don’t do it!

You need some salt to stay healthy.

I get the good salt complete with trace minerals and nutrients – not the usual table salt you can buy at the supermarket.

By the way: 4000 mg = 4 grams = 2 teaspoons of salt

From hindu.com:

Salt fact file

The average daily salt intake worldwide is approximately 9-12 gm in adults and 1-1.2 gm in children up to 3 years.

The World Health Organisation recommends not more than 5-6 gm of salt a day.

From: sicknessmatter.blogspot.com

Hypertension Dangers

… Now according to an article I recently read on the Internet what I have written above is a load Rubbish as our BP changes constantly (I accept that) and that consistent High Blood Pressure can be a sign of a problem (I accept that), But he then says that lowering Blood Pressure with medication does not do any good and if the Doctor can’t find a reason for the High BP then that is what is normal for the individual.

Well how about that, I should tell you that it was written by a Pharmacist who hates drug companies. But I do agree with one point that he does kind of make and that is that Doctors do tend to dish out drugs very readily, which is a bit suspicious when there is such a high profit in them.

If your BP is higher than normal then that is not normal and for anyone to suggest that this is normal for the individual is crazy. So if you come across the same article then don’t take it in, instead consult a Doctor.

Don’t let High Blood Pressure go untreated, because long term you could have kidney failure or have a stroke or heart attack. Talk to your Doctor about your options.

Simon Foster

Fact: Blood Pressure medications don’t cure high blood pressure. If they did, after you took them you’d be OK.

Unfortunately, hypertension medications only treat the symptoms and not the cause – so you have to take them till you die – which according to statistics will be sooner than if you never took any in the first place!

Thankfully there are pleasant, natural and permanent ways to reduce your blood pressure and risk of stroke and heart attack.

I speak from direct experience – not just theory and studies.

To see my reviews on natural remedies click here: Lower Your Blood Pressure – Natural Cures Review

Simon Foster

Eating too much salt increases blood pressure. We should all aim to eat less.

Up to 3/4 of the salt we ingest is already in prepared foods we purchase at the store. Processed meats and canned good in particular.

You can virtually eliminate salt in your diet by cooking with basic unprocessed foods – meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, etc.

But don’t do it!

Salt is a vital element that helps regulating water retention around cells. A study has shown that those with the lowest amount of salt intake had a 20% higher risk of suffering heart attack or stroke.

Everything in moderation. Around 6 grams of salt a day is considered a healthy intake.

But not all salt is the same.

White table salt most of us were brought up on  has been highly refined and processed removing all the nutrition and leaving us with sodium chloride.

Sea salt harvested in the age-old traditional method maintains all the natural nutrients your body will love you for.

In the words of Kevin Riley:

Celtic sea salt has gained fame in the culinary world … treasured as one of the finest condiments. You should be using this wonderful salt in your kitchen … and on your table. It is unlike other salts … much more than just sodium and chloride – it is rich with minerals and trace elements.

This natural sea salt is harvested from acres and acres of preserved pristine marshes … off the northwest coast of France. The salt flats are large pans of grey clay, into which the seawaters of the Atlantic are channeled. There the sun and wind evaporate the water … leaving a mineral-rich salty brine.

The salt crystals that form … pick up a light grey color from the clay mud. The clayionizes the salt – making it richer in healthy electrolytes. Celtic sea salt is carefully harvested using ancient Celtic methods. Only wooden rakes are used to gather the salt by hand … no metal ever touches the precious salt.

The final product is a nutritious unrefined sea salt … with a pleasing light grey color … slightly moist … and delicious. This wonderful salt can be used in all your cooking – it tastes fantastic sprinkled on garden-fresh tomatoes.
Enjoy the healthy salt that was collected by the early Celts … and keep your body’s electrolytes in balance.

- Get Natural! Drop Your Blood Pressure

The most well known Celtic Sea salt is Sel de Guerande harvested on the northern shores of Brittany.

Their website is in French, English, and German, as well as the local tongue, Breton. You can order Sel de Guerande on line there but only through French. When I tried it wouldn’t accept my UK credit card for some reason. I guess my French languages skills aren’t adequate.

Nevertheless I found another website that that sells the Celtic Sea Salt (and at a better price too)  from London however. If you interested in trying out a bag check out the London Fine Foods Group.

From: www.lsblog.org

An international scientific study involving researchers from the University of Glasgow has identified eight common genetic differences which may increase the risk of high blood pressure.

The University researchers, led by Professor Anna Dominiczak and Professor John Connell, contributed to the global study of genes in high blood pressure through participation in the Medical Research Council’s British Genetics of Hypertension study.

High blood pressure – or hypertension – affects at least eighteen million people in the UK and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Although lifestyle factors such as smoking and diet can raise blood pressure, it also runs in families suggesting a genetic link.

The genes identified by the researchers are thought to influence blood pressure in different ways: for example, through the production of chemicals, known as steroids, which affect how the kidneys process salt; or how the blood vessels regulate blood pressure.

Although the effect of each of the new gene variants is small, when combined their influence could significantly raise a person’s risk of stroke or heart attack.

The role of steroid hormones in controlling hypertension is one of the key areas studied within the British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University.

Prof Connell, a senior researcher and Professor of Endocrinology, whose research group has a particular interest in steroids and blood pressure, said: “This latest study increases understanding of the underlying causes of high blood pressure, why some people are more susceptible to it than others and opens up further avenues for research into potential treatments.

“It is important to stress that environmental factors also play a big part so diet, smoking and weight control all important methods of controlling high blood pressure.”

In the new study, scientists looked at the human genome for genetic variations affecting blood pressure. They compared 2.5 million genetic variants from more than 34,000 people with measurements of their blood pressure. They found eight genetic differences linked to changes in blood pressure.

The study, published in Nature Genetics, involved over 150 scientists from 93 centres in Europe and the USA with funding from a variety of sources including the Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.

Source
Nexxus, Scotland

Simon Foster

The link between genetics and high blood pressure is very convincing and goes a way to explain why some people (such as myself) suffer from extreme high blood pressure while living an otherwise healthy lifestyle.

Some people are simply programmed to have high blood pressure.

This doesn’t mean that it’s OK and isn’t a health risk.

It does mean that we are going to have to work a little harder lowering our blood pressure.

It means we are going to have to do more than simply change our diet and exercise each day.

It means we have to re-program our bodies to function with lower and safer levels of blood pressure.

I have discovered that this re-programming is entirely possible without recourse to prescription drugs and their undesirable side-effects.