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High blood pressure is one of those things that most of us know it’s not a good thing, but most don’t really know what is causing it or what to do about it.
High blood pressure can have a number of serious, even life-threatening effects:
Impaired blood flow to the extremities
Erectile dysfunction
Fatigue and shortness of breath
Headaches
Vision loss
Dizziness
Stroke
Heart attack
But beyond taking a beta blocker, reducing salt intake and managing stress, most people don’t know what to do about high blood pressure.
What causes high blood pressure?
Primary is the high blood pressure that is brought on slowly by the narrowing of arteries through plaque accumulation, and by causing the kidneys to retain water, which increases the volume of blood.
Secondary is more sudden, but can be attributed to things like kidney disease, thyroid function, and other underlying conditions.
For the most part, we’ll be talking about Primary hypertension, but diet and lifestyle changes can have a positive impact on conditions that may lead to Secondary, as well.
What causes the plaque and narrowing of arteries that leads to Primary hypertension is what most people disagree about.
Popular medical advice states that a diet high in sodium and saturated fats leads to hypertension, but that info hasn’t really aged well.
This creates a narrowing of the arteries, and as pressure builds, the lining of the arteries becomes damaged, requiring more immune response, which leads to plaque developing in the arterial wall.
Which leads to higher blood pressure, and so on and so on.
When we don’t give our cells the fuel they need to produce energy, they become insulin resistant and lead to the immune response that is inflammation.
Saturated fats and salt are not to blame for growing rates of hypertension; in fact, diets high in ultra processed foods are.
What to do about high blood pressure
You’ve heard me say this before, because all of these problems come down to one question: Is your metabolism functioning well?
But the underlying issue of hypertension is chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
A dysfunctional metabolism = chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
So, deal with the inflammation and oxidative stress, deal with the hypertension.
How do you do that, you ask?
First off, if you are being treated for high blood pressure by your doctor, please talk to them before making any changes to your diet, lifestyle or supplement intake and let them know what you want to change.
Start by reducing or removing foods with lots of carbohydrates and sugar, but not much else. This includes breads, pastas, pastries, desserts, and sugary drinks.
Reduce alcohol consumption to about a drink or two a week.
Focus on getting plenty of protein, fiber and fat from whole foods in your diet. This includes fresh meat, eggs, dairy, fish, legumes, roots and green veggies.
Set a consistent eating window, and give yourself at least 12 or more hours of fasting every night (it’s ok to start with shorter if you need to).
Get outside and move your body every day. Walk, jog, bike, rollerskate, prancercise, whatever it takes. Movement sops up blood sugar and reduces inflammation.
Connect with friends and family often. Community connection helps lower stress and switch off our fight or flight response.
Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Try not to drink alcohol before bed, and shut the screens off at least an hour before hitting the hay.
If you have a blood pressure monitor at home, check your blood pressure regularly and inform your doctor of any dramatic changes.
There are definitely some top-notch supplements out there that can be useful for getting blood sugar balanced and reducing inflammation.
High blood pressure is a serious concern, especially for men over 40. But simple diet and lifestyle changes can go a long way to dialing that back and lowering your risk.
If you’re dealing with high blood pressure, insulin resistance or pre-diabetes and are ready to make some changes, we should talk.
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