Time to
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Chill Out
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Darlene Booth
R.H.N. |
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| ..... Hypertension is often referred to as the silent killer because the symptoms are subtle and will often go undetected until a major issue such as stroke or heart attack sound the alarm. It is often difficult to pinpoint exactly where the |
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.skimp on the sleep. If there are situations in your life that have you up against a wall then enlist help in finding solutions. Sometimes a new perspective is all we need.
..... 2. Clean up your act. I know we keep |
problem stems from or what exactly causes it. It can take many years to develop hypertension or it could come on quite suddenly as a symptom of another condition.
Sometimes we only have to check our vocabulary to begin to understand the relationship between our emotions and our health. When was the last time you heard “that makes my blood boil” in relationship to a stressful situation? When I hear that I get a visual picture of a red face, bulging eyed cartoon character about to explode. You can |
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hearing it but what does it take to follow
it through? Excessive sugar, salt, caffeine,
alcohol, junk food, drugs and cigarettes
rob us of our vital energy and contribute
to more stress in the body and may co-
tribute to hypertension and many other
disorders.
..... 3. Make healthy choices. The occasional
rib eye steak is likely not a problem for
most people but studies have shown that vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure. I suggest that processed foods
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almost hear the kettle begin to whistle as his blood pressure is rising. While this is an extremely exaggerated ?illustration, stress can be a contributing factor to many conditions including high blood pressure.
..... When the body is under stress it engages our fight or flight response. The heart beats faster, the blood vessels constrict and we can leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is a fear response that Mother Nature has instilled to protect us. The trouble here is that the adrenal system does not know the difference between facing a bear or your boss so this juice is often pumping as we go about our daily routines. This may cause many temporary spikes in blood pressure over the period of a day. While the blood pressure generally returns to normal, these temporary spikes can add up and over long term and result in damage to the organs in the same way as persistent hypertension.
..... Many of the tools we use to deal with stress also may contribute to the elevation of blood pressure. We often turn to drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and unhealthy foods for comfort. What we weave is a chain of events that over time erodes our quality of life.
If hypertension is a concern for you it may be time to look at adopting some new habits in how you manage your life. Discuss any changes with your Doctor before you implement them.
..... 1. Become a stress buster. Look for ways to simplify your
life. Often we take on far too many obligations. Evaluate your priorities and lighten the load where you can. Breathe! Take time for yourself in meditation, daily exercise and don’t |
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in general are likely more of a problem than quality ani- mal proteins but that is an individual choice. The bottom line here is that fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are a better choice than manu- factured foods of all kinds [even the organic ones.] Once again, Mother Nature knows best. Choose whole foods over processed.
..... 4. Spice it up! Garlic, onions, cayenne pepper, ginger,
oregano and basil may have beneficial effects on lowering
blood pressure. Hawthorn, rosemary, fennel, chamomile,
parsley, ginkgo biloba and dandelion leaf are among the
many herbs that may help as well. Herbs are powerful
medicine so it is wise to work with a natural health care
practitioner to find out your individual needs..
..... 5. Support your system. Supplemental support can be
helpful if the body is suffering from a deficiency of nutrients.
When it comes to stress my first recommendations are
B-complex vitamins and Vitamin C. Calcium and ma-
nesium, Selenium, Coenzyme Q10 and fish oil suppl-
ments are also among the many nutrients that help
support the cardiovascular system.
..... Optimal health is a destination. Listening to our body is the journey. When symptoms of disease arise it is often a signal that something we are doing is not working. Prevention is the key. Take time to chill out and don’t wait for the kettle to whistle before you take action!
..... Good Health to You! |
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