You’ve heard that you can control your blood pressure by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, lean meat in moderation, and getting some exercise every day. But you might be wondering if there are any foods or supplements that can give you faster results.
Here are the superfoods for keeping your arteries healthy and to help control your blood pressure naturally –
Almonds, Apple cider vinegar, asparagus, beets, black tea, blueberries, cashews, cayenne peppers, celery, cherries, chicken, chocolate, eggplant, fish, garlic, grapefruit, dark green vegetables, green tea, lemon peel, oatmeal, onions, parsley, peanuts, plums, red wine, cooked tomatoes or tomato products (like tomato sauce or juice), and walnuts.
You also need to make sure that you are getting enough of these essential nutrients – Calcium, magnesium, potassium (electrolytes), Vitamins C & E, Glutathione (helps body absorb vitamins C & E), niacin, selenium, and zinc.
I tried L-arginine twice. The first time was about 10 years ago, and it worked for me. Recently I was under a ton of stress, and again, it started raising my blood pressure. This time L-arginine did not work for me. But the brand I used before is no longer available. I don’t know if that has something to do with it or not.
This time, I ventured into herbal supplements. There was grape seed, and bilberry, and garlic, and turmeric, and resveritrol, and hawthorne. After doing some research, I settled on trying hawthorne. It worked.
And then it didn’t.
Over the years, my blood pressure became resistant. Nothing seemed to work. I was on 2 blood pressure medications and still it remained in the 140-150 range. During my cancer treatments it was discovered that I had calcification in an artery and in veins. I started taking an enzyme formula called Heal-n-Soothe to help disolve the build-ups. Suddenly I was getting normal, and lower blood pressure readings. I don’t know if it will work for you. I also don’t know yet if it is actually helping to disolve the blockages. I’ll keep you posted.
You’ve heard that if you have high blood pressure, you should cut down on salt. The truth is, sodium is the 4th electrolyte. People who eat a lot of packaged foods, or eat out a lot get too much sodium, and not enough of the other nutrients – causing a chemical imbalance. (You’ll hear that term a lot more in the future.) BUT – if you cook your own natural food and do not cook with salt – you may have a sodium deficiency, which can cause high blood pressure. Ironic, ey?
Everything in moderation is the key!
If you are over 40, or taking any statin drugs, you should be supplementing with CoQ10.
As we age, our bodies don’t produce or process nutrients as readily as they used to. Many of us have deficiencies in some of these important nutrients. These nutrients, and other nutrient deficiencies can cause many other so called ‘age related’ illnesses. It is vitally important that you focus on getting your nutrition and some exercise every day.
Don’t let the word exercise scare you. It can be as simple as taking a walk, or working in your garden, or even cleaning your house. You just need to get yourself moving around.
The whole secret is to eat foods that give you the nutrients you need, and to get out from behind the TV and do something you enjoy. That’s not that hard, is it?
But how much can lifestyle changes really matter?
“Cutting back on salt and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can drop high blood pressure by about 5 points. Losing weight also helps. Dropping 11 pounds can shave off more than 4 points from your systolic blood pressure, studies show. In a 2016 review, Swedish researchers found that physical activity can reduce systolic pressure by an average of 11 points in people with hypertension. “If you have moderately elevated blood pressure, healthy changes might mean you won’t need medication,†says Glenn M. Chertow, M.D., professor of medicine at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.”
So realistically, you’re looking at about 20 points which is spot on for most people.
If you have stress related high blood pressure, we’ll be talking about other methods to help that in an upcoming issue as I learn through dealing with my own problem.
Be sure to read Arteries and Healthy Heart too!