High Blood Pressure Be Gone

Posts Tagged ‘salt’

How I lowered blood pressure without drugs

It’s been just over 5 months since I dispensed with high blood pressure medications (that weren’t working and had unpleasant side effects) and began exploring alternative cures.

Yesterday was a big milestone. For the first time ever my blood pressure was monitored below the much slated ideal of 120/80. After doing a slow breathing exercise for 15 minutes it came in as 116/79.

Of course I was suspicious at first as because my blood pressure is usually in the 125-135 / 85-95 range. Given that my parents both suffered from high blood pressure and my higher blood pressure is most likely ‘in the genes’. So I figured that’s about as good as it’ll get for me. So I took the reading again at it this time it came in at 111/ 76 – amazing!

Amazing when you consider I was consistently 190+/120+ only five months before, plagued by headaches, heart palpitations, and the end of my life seemed to be approaching rapidly. You could say I’ve come a long way.

So what’s the secret to my new found health and ‘normal’ blood pressure? Two things – Diet and Exercise.

Exercise includes:

1. A 30 minute walk up the hill behind my house that gets my lungs and hearts working two or three time a week
2. Taking 15 minutes off for a slow breathing exercise (assisted by BreathEasy audio tracks)

Diet includes:

1. Drinking water more often (I prefer it carbonated)
2. Having a bowl of oatmeal every morning
3. Supplementing my daily diet with 500mg Vitamin C, multi vitamin (including 100mg Magnesium), 600mg Calcium, Cod Liver Oil capsules (Omega 3), 60mg Ginkgo Biloba, 160mg Korean Ginseng, 30 drops of Hawthorn tincture
4. Virtually eliminating processed foods now sticking with the basics.
5. Apples, bananas, celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes, (among other things of course).
6. Cayenne powder, apple cider vinegar, and only the best extra vigin olive oil.
7. Reduction in the amount of salt I consume. I now use the Celtic Sea Salt (Sel de Gurerande) naturally harvested from the coast of Brittanny, France (as they have done it for centuries)
8. Less red meat, more chicken and fish (but not the skin)
9. Red wine and dark chocolate everyday … and more nuts.

In a nutshell that’s about it. I now live a much healthier, relaxed and trouble free life with optimal blood pressure as well. It’s more than I would have imagined 5 months ago but now there’s no turning back. My final curtains have receded well off into the distant future.

How did I know what to do and eat to lower my dangerously high blood pressure? I did a lot of research and reading but the two indispensable helpers was Kevin Riley’s Guide Get Natural! Drop your Blood Pressure and BreathEasy.

Kevin Riley’s Get Natural! is the most informative (and enjoyable to read) guide on lowering blood pressure naturally without the use of medication. It really is top of the ‘lower your blood pressure advice’ mountain in my opinion.

BreathEasy audio tracks are also a great way to take 15 minutes off everyday and completely relax and calm down. I’m sure this is good for your whole-self, not just heart and blood pressure.

Well that’s what has worked for me. Please leave a comment and tell us what’s worked for you.

From: hypnowil.wordpress.com

One of the most common high blood pressure causes is excessive salt consumption. Some people have high sensitivity to sodium (salt), and their blood pressure goes up when they use salt. When these people reduce their sodium intake their blood pressure tends to lower. According to many experts, taking in too much salt is common among Americans. It is estimated that we consume 10 to 15 times more salt than we need.

Diets of fast and processed foods contain particularly high amounts of sodium. To reduce your sodium intake levels read labels carefully to find out how much sodium is contained in food items and then avoid those with high sodium levels. Although this is only one of the high blood pressure causes for certain salt sensitive people, it can’t hurt to decrease your salt consumption, and may help prevent your risk of heart attack.

Be careful what drugs you put in your body. Certain drugs, such as amphetamines (stimulants), diet pills, and some pills used for cold and allergy symptoms, tend to raise blood pressure. Also, people that drink too much alcohol have a tendency to develop high blood pressure. For those that are sensitive to alcohol, drinking more than one to two drinks of alcohol per day tends to raise their blood pressure.

Simon Foster

There are also some nice things you can do to help lower your high blood pressure – like have a glass of red wine and 100 grams of dark chocolate everyday.

It’s not all about self-denial.

With regards to salt, yes, too much is not good. On the other hand, if you cut out all processed foods as I have, you have to be mindful to get enough salt.

And not all salt is the same. No no. Naturally harvested Celtic Sea salt from Brittany still contains all the nutrients and minerals nature intended. A much better substitute to common table salt most commonly used.

The bottom line is this: Lower your blood pressure by living a balanced happy life through moderation, not self-denial.

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: fatburningfood.org

A key to healthy consuming is picking foods lower in salt and sodium. Before the widespread accessibility of medicine to control high blood pressure, people with severe hypertension had only one high blood pressure treatment option, a drastically salt-reduced, low-calorie “rice dieting.”

Simon Foster

Before processed foods were the mainstay of Western diets then there was little risk that too much salt induced hypertension.

In fact, if you start cooking again using basic food stuffs you run the risk of not getting enough salt, increasing your risk of heart disease in the process.

My practice is to eat food without added salt and and ensure you add enough salt to your diet but not too much.

And not all salt is the same. Use good naturally harvested Celtic sea salt without all the nutrients and essential minerals extracted as with refined table salt.

Everything in moderation is the key to health and reasonable blood pressure.

P.S. For more information on good salt and were to get it see my blog entry – Good salt Bad Salt under Good Food = Lower Blood Pressure

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.