Western Zen: Trying to Reduce Blood Pressure w/o Meds

western zen
while my blood pressure is somewhat elevated, it has actually come down once i was in my late 60's - so there is hope for all you out there ! just hang in !
it is interesting that the british heart foundation has a somewhat higher target for blood pressure. their target is 145/85 - which is somewhat higher than what we have in north-america. one should also remember that blood pressure will usually vary a fair bit throughout a 24 hour period.
physicians i have spoken to have told me that while it is a good idea to be moderate in everything we are doing - yes, including exercise ! -, it is almost impossible to foretell who might have a heart attack. worrying about those things one cannot change is certainly not going to help anyone.
so : eat moderately, exercise moderately, drink moderately ... you know the routine ! and NO crash dieting !
a study recently completed at our university's medical school (queen's university at kingston) has shown that moderate daily exercise is just as beneficial as rigorous exercise - and jogging gives a lot of people knee problems later on ! hbg


...BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION...

Checking in.... My blood pressure is creeping upwards as I age.

I have never had blood pressure problems, but just checked in to see how it's going.

edgar : perhaps you should stay away from this thread or you'll find all kinds of symptoms ! (when mrs h was a young nurse she told me that whenever some disease was discussed in training classes, she was sure she was suffering from it). hbg

western zen
make sure you drink your coffee and eat some DATES (the fruit) with it , so you'll get plenty of anti-oxidants. hbg


...COFFEE AND DATES...

I just picked up a copy of "Natural Cures" by Kevin Trudeau. I am finally, after about 9 weeks, coming down from the worst fibromyalgia flare up I have had to date. I didn't know why I was having such a horrid and lengthy flare, but in retrospect, I had just moved my entire life half way across the country, my fiance's custody trial had been continued again (for the 5th time) and my son had just enlisted in the Army. No stress, no worries.

Anyway, long story short, my brother suggested I look into getting this book and I did. I haven't had much of a chance to get further into it than the first 20 pages or so since I just bought it night before last, but I am eagerly looking forward to learn more about its natural and holistic approaches to human ailments.

I've lived a LOT of years on prescriptions and we are always and forever with this condition, only able to treat symptoms as there is no known cause or cure.

I'll let you all know what my opinion is as I progress further into the book if you would like.

I do a lot of mental and physical relaxation exercises every day along with cognitive behaviour therapy, biofeedback, positive affirmations. I think because of these efforts, my own blood pressure has been more to the low end than anything else. Many times in giving blood every six weeks, it would be as low as 90/60.

Lady J ~

Please do share your opinions and experiences with the 'Natural Cures' book. I have a friend who is also having the worst episode of fibromyalgia she has ever had. She just can't seem to shake it. I'll pass on to her whatever tidbits you share.

My weight is up this morning, but my bp is fine - 112/68. I'm jumping back on a Phase I recovery for my weight to make sure my bp stays down.

Either the breathing rituals or the increase time on the exercycle is working. This weekend I managed to hear several preposterous monologues without my blood pressure going over 120/80.

Today I see the doctor.

J_B,

I will be more than happy to share any news or insights I might find helpful in the book. I feel very deeply for your friend and anything that could possibly help us both is definitely worth sharing. She is very lucky to have a friend like you.

Your blood pressure is great btw! I haven't had mine checked since I moved to Oklahoma in May, but my fiance has been making me eat and I am up to 141 on the scales now. It's weird. Although that is my ideal target weight to be, I actually felt better when I was 10 lbs lighter. I just feel....bulky now. The weight change may have affected my BP as well but I have to wait about another month till I get my insurance and then it will be full check up and evaluation time!

Please give your friend my very best and let her know I am pulling for her and that this flare will indeed pass.

Noddy, Noddy, Noddy! Whatever it is you are doing, keep at it, woman! And please keep us posted on the outcome of the doctors visit today!

I love this thread you started and hopefully with all of us working together, we can emerge stronger and healthier than ever before.

i am wary that i will forever be on beta blockers. after they ran my cholesterol they told me there was no way that my eating habits or weight had anything to do with my bp. my cholesterol was just too good. it also ruled out a whole other host of things that cause high bp like insulin resistance syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome (which after all my surgeries i swear i still have but they say no).

anyway, i see my doc again in two weeks and i guess i will asking him if i should order the beautimous bracelet that goes with beta blockers considering i have an affinity for analphylaxis and beta blockers prevent the use of epinephrine for treatment of allergy attack stuff. ugh.

i think i need to learn relaxation techniques... thanks noddy for starting this thread, i am learning alot about how i can naturally reduce my bp...

Yoga.

Lady J--

I have no direct experience with fibromyalagia, but I know from several friends that it is a life-changing ailment. Please share any information that you come across.

I can't cite a source for my hunch, but isn't carrying extra weight with fibromyalgia risking extra pain?

dragon--

Do you consider yourself Type A personality? Or are you a woman who smiles and smiles and simmers inside? Do you think of yourself as high strung or calm?


Today I left for my appointment in a cloud of dust. (This was through no fault of my own--in fact I had spent some energy in organizing a leisurely departure). I shared the road with several self-focused drivers. One pulled out in front of me from a side road and another tried to beat the light.

Still I was "late" for my appointment and spent only about two minutes in the waiting room.

Blood pressure 128/72.

My stress test was normal. No more beta blockers.

My doctor gives credit to the extra cycling, but reckons relaxation techniques won't hurt. He knows what I'm dealing with with Mr. Noddy's dementia--his father died of Alzheimer's--and he's kept current on health problems of primary caregivers dealing with dementia senility.

How is he now?
How much worse over.. lets say .. 8 months time?

shewolf--

He's going downhill, slowly but inevitably.

Part of my Assult Plan for Attaining Serenity is not to think about his dementia when I'm not actually coping with his dementia. Right now he's off running errands and I'm having Wonderful, Wonderful Private Time.

You know that feeling, I believe?

hmm, i would say i am half way in between. i definitely don't simmer, i let it all out. however, i would call myself type A and i wouldn't say i was constantly stressed, but i wouldn't say i was overly calm. probably more stressed than calm. have alot going on right now too...but again my BP has been this way for 3 years at least. hmmm, been married 3 years...any correlation???? haha, been together 5 years so i doubt it. i did move home about 4 years ago (to my hometown from austin).

we have been in a constant state of change pretty much since we moved. when we got here, we bought a new house, then got married, then i quit my job and went back to get my masters, then we sold our house, bought a new one, i got a new job, then changed jobs again, then he changed jobs (now we can barely afford said new house for the moment), and wow...maybe it is stress?

Stress would certainly contribute--and you certainly qualify for stress.

You feel rather discouraged when you can't run. Are you fleeing your problems?

i don't know, maybe. i feel like i am not getting anywhere with them. and unfortunately because mr.d and i both took new jobs that cut our income for the short term (maybe 1-2 years), that is weighing heavily on me. i hate debt and we have it and i don't see light at the end of tunnel while i know its there, i just can't see it.

hmm, maybe i am rather stressed. i do get very discouraged when i don't run and then it tends to spiral out of control as in if i miss one day, it turns into two, three, four, etc. however, this hasn't been going on for as long as my BP has been high...uhoh....i am a worry wart!!!

You like being in control.

When you're not, you're very uncomfortable (as in "stressed").

What do you do for yourself besides running?

maybe that's my problem. i really don't know what i like to do. i mean, i love to sleep but that's probably because growing up as a swimmer with practice at 430 am in high school, i was rather deprived of sleep.

i am rather homebody-ish. i am a couch potato. ugh-and i hate it. well, i hate that i enjoy being sedentary. if i have to break a sweat, i don't want to do it that is probably why running is so hard for me, i want to do it so badly, every day, but i hate it-and then i hate myself when i don't do it. kind of a vicious cycle i guess.

i have been in the hate my body stage for quite some time now. probably 8 years. i like to think i would enjoy kick boxing, but funds are tight and we can't afford a gym for the moment-and the rec center class starts at 430 pm-who's out of work by then? freaks don't know why they do that.

actually i think i have this perfect vision of what i want my life and world to be like and it just isn't so that is stressing me horribly-kinda sad eh?