So you have decided to lose weight to help decrease your high blood pressure. But you don’t want to feel deprived or constantly hungry. Try this amazing recipe at only 500 calories per serving and you’ll feel like your cheating and losing weight at the same time.
Speaking of losing weight, this is week 3 and I continue to lose weight. We have now lost 4.5 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Still a bunch to go but each week the scale is giving a sigh of relief.
Ingredients
1 large chicken breast
2 wholemeal pita pockets
Handful of lettuce or spinach leaves
1 tomato, sliced thinly
½ cucumber, sliced thinly
20g good quality feta
2 tbsp. Greek yoghurt
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Marinade:
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
Sprinkle oregano & thyme
1 tbsp. olive oil
Sprinkle smoke paprika
Sprinkle a little chilli powder – optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. In a ziplock bag or a container place your marinade. Cut your chicken breast into chunks and place into your marinade. If using a ziplock bag –zip it up and massage the marinade into the chicken until all coated. Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer if you like.
2. When ready heat a griddle pan or your BBQ. Skewer your chicken onto 4 metal skewers (2 per person) and place onto grill. Depending on the thickness of your meat cook for a few minutes turning. Take off the grill and rest onto a plate with some foil.
3. Meanwhile set up your pita pockets onto a plate with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and feta. Place 2 skewers on top of each pita and drizzle with Greek yogurt.
We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…
Animal studies demonstrate that olive leaf extracts lead to significant drops in elevated blood pressure. Remarkably, these effects are evident when supplementation occurs either before or after the animals develop hypertension. This means that the extracts have the ability to both prevent and treat high blood pressure.
The drop in blood pressure is accompanied by reduced pressure in the heart’s left ventricle. This results in improved blood flow to the heart’s own coronary blood vessels. Additional human studies demonstrate the ability of olive leaf extracts to significantly reduce blood pressure measurements.
Clinical Evidence
One particularly fascinating study was conducted among identical twins with borderline hypertension (blood pressure in the range of 120-139mmHg over 80-89 mmHg). Studies of identical twins virtually eliminate genetic variations which may impact study results.
After 8 weeks, placebo recipients showed no change in blood pressure from baseline, but patients supplemented with 1,000 mg/day of olive leaf extract dropped their pressures by a mean of 11 mmHg systolic and 4 mmHg diastolic. The supplemented patients experienced significant reductions in LDL cholesterol.
A human study measured olive leaf extract against captopril, one of the conventional drugs used for treating hypertension.11 In this study, patients with stage-1 hypertension (140-159 mmHg over 90-99 mmHg) took either 500 mg of olive leaf extract twice daily, or 12.5 mg of captopril twice daily, which was increased as needed to 25 mg twice daily.
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After 8 weeks of treatment, both groups experienced a drop in mean blood pressure from baseline (11.5 and 13.7 mmHg systolic; 4.8 and 6.4 mmHg diastolic, respectively), with no significant difference between the two groups. In other words, the olive leaf extract performed as well as the prescription drug.
Spicy tuna is a common name for different rolls of sushi with two things in common: the use of tuna, and a spicy sauce. The tuna this roll is diced into small pieces, so the size of the initial block doesn’t matter. So it’s a great solution for odd shape blocks of tuna you might end up having that won’t fit any other roll.
Let’s start with the sauce
What gives the spicy tuna roll its kick is the spicy mayo sauce. You wouldn’t believe how easy that is to make! The following instructions are for making enough sauce to use in 4 ST rolls. My recommendation is to prepare double that amount and serving the remainder as dipping sauce.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp mayonnaise of your choice (opt for heart healthy)
1 tsp spicy chili sauce (recommended Sriracha)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sesame oil (Kadoya’s).
Ahi Tuna sushi grade (Some people substitute spicy tuna in a can)
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Instructions
1. Mix ingredients for Spicy Sauce
2. Slice tuna into cubes
3. Mix tuna cubes with Spicy Sauce
4. Cover nori sheet with sushi rice, and lay about 2 tbs of Spicy Tuna along the center
5. Add avocado slices and roll
6. Cut 6 or 8 pieces and serve with soy sauce, wasabi and gari
Don’t know how to make rice for sushi? Click this link to find out how
We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…
TIf you suffer from high blood pressure, more than likely your healthcare provider will probably tell you that you have to increase your physical activity in order to lower your blood pressure.
Sometimes, if your blood pressure is not overly high, increasing the amount you exercise can even help keep it under control without medication.
Physical activity actually increases your blood pressure, but only for the short term. Once you’ve stopped exercising, your blood pressure should return to normal quite quickly. The fitter you become the quicker your levels will drop back down to normal.
The American Heart Association recommends that you get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly, or a combination of both each week.
In any event aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week. And if it’s convenient, the gym can be a great place to make sure this happens.
High Blood Pressure and Exercise Precautions
Aerobic exercise is an excellent form of activity for increasing fitness and lowering blood pressure. So using a treadmill or elliptical trainer is a good option in the gym.
Many gyms have aerobic classes. Start by joining a beginner’s level class and build up to the advanced classes when you’ve raised your fitness levels.
Yoga and Pilates are two activities that you can safely enjoy at the gym too, since they not only boost general fitness but reduce stress.
Whatever activity you opt for at the gym start slowly. Always remember to warm up before you exercise to prevent injury and cool down afterwards. Build up the intensity of your workouts little by little.
Stop exercising if you begin to feel dizzy, out of breath, have pains in your arm or jaw, an irregular heartbeat or excessive fatigue.
Monitor your progress and take regular blood pressure readings using a home BP monitor. This can quickly alert you as to whether your fitness regime is helping to reduce your hypertension. Check blood pressure before exercising and at least one hour afterwards.
Weight Training In The Gym.
It may seem counter-intuitive that lifting weights could improve blood pressure, because blood pressure goes up during the actual weight lifting. This week’s review examines whether a weight training exercise plan can in fact help you.
Resistance training at the gym may not be ideal since it can cause blood pressure to rise sharply, however if you use lower weights of 10 lbs or less weight training can be incorporated. Remember however to:
Learn the correct techniques for lifting to reduce risk of injury.
Don’t hold your breath. Holding your breath while you’re exerting yourself can cause BP to spike.
Learn to breathe easily and continuously throughout the training.
Lift lighter weights more frequently. Heavier weights put more strain on the body causing a greater rise in BP. Challenge yourself instead by lifting lighter weights and increasing the repetitions.
Listen to your body. Stop all activity if you start to feel dizzy or out of breath, or if you experience any chest pain or pressure.
Research Review
In one study 15 men above the age of 46 +8 with high blood pressure participated in a weight training program 3 times a week M-W-F with 1 day of rest in between for 12 weeks.
The study was based on 1 Repetition Maximum (1RM) from earlier testing and the volunteers did 3 sets of 12 reps at 60% of their 1 RM of the following exercises:
leg curl
chest press
lat pulldown
shoulder press
biceps curl
triceps extension
Rest between sets was 1 minute and the exercises were not done in a circuit. All three sets were completed for one exercise before moving on.
The Results.
Does weight training improve blood pressure in middle aged men with high blood pressure?
The answer to that is yes, weight training improves blood pressure. Both systolic and diastolic went down after 12 weeks on the program, 16 and 12 mm Hg, respectively (Figure 2). The decrease was enough to shift the group average from being stage 1 hypertension (150/93) to pre-hypertension (134/81).
Conclusion
If your blood pressure is very high your doctor may want to lower it with medicines to start with before commencing you on an exercise program. In any event seek medical advice before embarking on any gym fitness routine.
In a meta-analysis from 2016 on Acute Effects of Exercise on Blood Pressure, the researchers concluded that “Although initially we intended to find the intensity, duration, and type of exercise that best reduced BP, we found that regardless of the participant, measurement features, and exercise characteristics, there was a reduction in BP in the hours that followed an exercise session.”
If you take regular medication ask whether exercising will make it work differently or change the side-effects.
If you take beta blockers to control your high blood pressure they can make it difficult for you to reach your target heart rate (since their job is to slow it down). Even if you don’t reach your target, you will still be getting important cardiovascular benefits.
Further Reading on Exercises Hypertension
Isometric Exercises to Reduce Blood Pressure – Read More…
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the world and our approach to the control and management of CVD mortality is limited. Nattokinase (NK), the most active ingredient of natto, possesses a variety of favorable cardiovascular effects and the consumption of Natto has been linked to a reduction in death from heart problems.
Nattokinase is an enzyme (a protein that speeds up biochemical reactions) that is extracted from a popular Japanese food called natto. Natto is boiled soybeans that have been fermented with a bacterium called Bacillus natto.
Natto has been used as a folk remedy for diseases of the heart and circulatory system (cardiovascular disease) for hundreds of years. Nattokinase, the chemical in natto that is probably responsible for its effects, was discovered by a University of Chicago researcher, Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi.
You won’t find nattokinase in soy foods other than natto, since nattokinase is produced through the specific fermentation process used to make natto.
Nattokinase is used for cardiovascular diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, chest pain (angina), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), hemorrhoids, varicose veins, poor circulation, and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
It is also used for pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, muscle spasms, infertility, cancer, and a vitamin-deficiency disease called beriberi.
Pass Me The Natto
Natto, a traditional food in Japan for thousands of years, is made by cooking fermented soybeans. It has a flavor that has been described as akin to fermented cheese. While some love the taste and the sticky-stringy texture, it’s often served with condiments such as sliced green onions, wasabi or pickled ginger. Cooking, too, helps make it approachable.
Dr Kevin Wang, associate professor of molecular biology at Northeastern State University, US, is one of the leading researchers exploring nattokinase, an enzyme extracted from natto. “Nattokinase has the ability to get into the bloodstream and can directly destroy blood clots, thin the blood and improve blood flow,” he says. “It cleans out the blood vessels, reducing the risk of hypertension and stroke and can also reduce the risk of heart attack.”
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Other Health Benefits
The consumption of natto is linked to longevity, improved gut health, cholesterol reduction, anti-cancer, stronger bones and healthier brains. Natto contains unique compounds such as nattokinase and vitamin K2. Most of the potent health effects are coming from the fermentation process by Bacillus subtilis var natto (also called Bacillus natto). This fermentation process also improves the digestibility of soy and increases nutrient absorption.
Great Source of Probiotics
Natto contains billions of living Bacillus natto bacteria that play a role in improving gut health. Bacillus natto bacteria help to fight against pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella. Before the introduction of antibiotics cultures of Bacillus subtilis were used to treat dysentery and other intestinal problems.
Increases Life Span
Japanese consume about billions of packets of natto each year and enjoy long lives, about 5 years longer than Americans.
Creates Stronger Bones
Vitamin K2 is not found in plants but is only produced by certain bacteria, such as Bacillus natto. This vitamin helps to deposit the calcium in our bones. Vitamin K acts on osteoblasts, bone cells that deposit calcium in our bones. One study found that women who ate more than 160 grams of natto per week showed reduced bone mass loss.
Vitamin K2 has also been found to prevent bone fractures and maintain bone mineral density in people who already have osteoporosis. Olyglutamin acid, another typical compound found in natto, also helps with the absorption of calcium. Japanese researchers showed a link between the consumption of natto and lower rates of cervical bone breakage.
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A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between the incidence of hip fractures in women and natto consumption in each prefecture throughout Japan. The high level of vitamin K2 intake resulting from natto consumption may contribute to the relatively lower fracture risk in Japanese women. Another study confirmed that intake of natto is associated with a beneficial effect on bone health in elderly men, and this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of natto.
Increases Heart health
Natto improves blood circulation by breaking up clots and preventing them from forming. The unique enzymes that play an important role are nattokinase and pyrazine. Nattokinase is concentrated in the typical natto strings and acts as a clot busting enzyme.
Studies suggest that it helps to remove calcium from the arteries. Eating natto can benefit people with high cholesterol or triglyceride levels . Eating 30 g of natto daily during one month reduced cholesterol by 8% in patients with high cholesterol and reduced triglycerides by almost 13% in those with high triglycerides.
Are There Side effects?
In food, nattokinase is safe. More studies are needed to see if nattokinase taken as a supplement is safe for repeated or long-term use.
What Are The Risks?
If you have any blood clotting disorders, don’t take nattokinase supplements unless a doctor says it’s safe. You may need to stop taking nattokinase if you’re planning to have surgery.
Given the lack of evidence about its safety, doctors don’t recommend nattokinase for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Medication Interactions.
If you take any medications regularly, talk to your doctor before you start using nattokinase supplements. The supplements could interact with blood thinners and other drugs that reduce clotting, like aspirin and ibuprofen. They could cause excess bleeding and bruising.
Natto Recipe
Ingredients
1 package Natto
1 Tbsp green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Katsuobushi dried bonito flakes
Japanese yellow mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
3 Shiso leaves, thinly sliced, if you have them
Steamed Rice
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients except Shiso and Steamed Rice. Stir very well until thick. Pour over the rice and top with Shiso.
A Final Thought
There are so many benefits to adding natto to your diet. Some of you may choose to use it in supplement form do to its very pungent flavor. But as always getting the health benefits straight from the source is always much better
Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with NATTOKINASE. Nattokinase might slow blood clotting. Taking nattokinase along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
While anger is a normal emotion and even healthy, when anger gets out of control and simply eats you up from within it can negatively impact your health. That includes elevating your blood pressure. I understand this because as calm as I think I am, I have a temper. When I get angry I get the bad end of the deal. For me it causes severe chest and body pain. So learning how to vent in a healthy way is important.
While it is not so easy to control anger after a bad day at work, an argument with your spouse about finances, or stepping in a pile of dog poop, it is important to manage it.
Uncontrolled anger is one of the many signs of stress, which, according to the American Heart Association, causes temporary blood pressure spikes and other health issues.
Remember your good old “fight or flight” stress hormone that kicks in when you get stressed?
What Is The Connection Between High Blood Pressure And Anger?
Well, when you are expressing your anger by yelling and cursing or even speeding behind the driver who just cut you off on your way home from work, your “fight” mechanisms are in full gear.
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Your heart beats faster and your blood vessels constrict. Eventually, your body will return to normal and regulate itself, unless you react this way often. If yes, it’s time to take a new approach to anger – get positive.
11 Tips To Cooling The Flames of Anger
1. Take A Break
When you feel yourself overcome with anger, just stop for a moment and breathe. Step away from the situation. Counting to 10 can help you relax and get control of your anger.
Some people find repeating a calming phrase helps like “it’s not worth getting heated up”, “tomorrow is another day”, “it’s just work” or “it’s just a word”.
Sometimes taking a break from a person who you believe causes you to feel angry will help. Or maybe it’s just time for a vacation.
2. Think First React Later
Once you feel calmer and your body has relaxed, think about what happened. It’s important to give yourself, and other people involved, time to think things over.
Maybe place yourself in the other person’s shoes to understand their actions.
You want to avoid acting in the heat of the moment because you are likely to say something that could easily make the situation worse and further increase your stress.
3. Speak Through Your Feelings
Reach out to a friend or someone who you can easily speak with, and share how you feel with them. By speaking about how you feel with an objective friend you may discover that it releases the anger.
4. Speak With Those That Anger You
Once you are thinking clearly, express your frustration in an assertive, but non-confrontational manner.
State your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to control them.
Avoid placing blame and criticism on the other person. Speaking in the “I” instead of “you” helps with avoiding defensive reactions and opens the opportunity for open and positive dialogue.
For instance say, “I feel upset that the house is always a mess when I get home” instead of “you never clean”.
5. Be An Active Listener
When you are ready to talk about your anger, it is worthless if you do not truly listen or listen actively to what is being said and not said.
According to WebMD, “listening can help improve communication and can facilitate trusting feelings between people. This trust can help you deal with potentially hostile emotions.”
If you are rusty in this department, then exercise your listening skills.
6. Think About Possible Solutions
It is important to be in the moment and think about what you can do now to prevent these situations. The best way to achieve this is to think about solutions to the problem instead of the problem, which has occurred already
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Does your partner hate to wash the dishes? Then agree to wash the dishes and your partner can agree to do something else. There are many other house chores to negotiate with.
Does your friend forget to call you? Then you call or discuss it with your friend to understand why.
Whenever you are battling with yourself over such things, just remind yourself that anger won’t fix anything, and it might only make it worse.
7. Forgive
By allowing anger and other negative feelings to flood your head and body, you will become bitter and increase your stress levels. Forgiving people who anger you releases you of all the negative and unhealthy tension.
You will feel free and calm. According to Mayo Clinic and leading psychologists, “It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to behave exactly as you want at all times.”
8. Laugh
By laughing at yourself and the situation, you will reduce the tension. Laughter is a great way to feel good and lighten things up. Avoid sarcasm, especially after a tense situation, because it can hurt peoples feelings and make things worse.
9. Exercise
All types of physical activity – moderate to intense – can provide an outlet for your emotions, especially if you’re about to erupt. Go for a walk, run or bike when you are tense and angry, and especially if it escalates.
“Physical activity, Mayo Clinic claims, “stimulates various brain chemicals that can leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out”
10. Practice Relaxation Exercises
When you experience anger, try deep breathing exercises, meditation or yoga. Figure out what works best for you.
You can use RESPeRATE to guide you through deep breathing exercises and within 15 minutes you may discover a very calm you. Listening to music can also work, or you can write in a journal. I find writing in a journal cathartic.
11. Know When You Can’t Do It Alone
There are so many life experiences that inevitably cause anger at times to uncontrollable levels. Losing a loved one, illness, getting fired, and divorce are just a few common life events that can cause severe levels of stress and anger that linger for a long time.
During such periods in life, it can be very, very difficult to learn by yourself how to control your anger. If you feel you are having difficulty managing your anger, you can seek help.
There are many professionals that specialize in anger management and that can help you understand your anger and get it under control.
Additional Resources On High Blood Pressure And Anger
Sleep apnea is no joke: not for the sufferer — and not for anyone who shares a bed with a sufferer!
If you are afflicted with sleep apnea, you’ve probably consulted a doctor or a sleep specialist about the disorder, and their first recommendation was to use a CPAP machine. And if you’re using CPAP, you might be like a lot of users – you find it uncomfortable, unnatural, and with unexpected side effects.
But don’t worry – unbeknownst to many sleep apnea sufferers, there ARE proven and effective home remedies for sleep apnea. That’s right – you’re not doomed to a life blighted by impaired sleep and all the negative side effects of sleep apnea and CPAP!
Today we will cover 1 of the 20 natural remedies for sleep apnea that actually work (with links to scientific studies that prove their effectiveness). You’re bound to find a remedy, or a combination of remedies, to alleviate or eliminate your sleep apnea from this list.
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What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.
Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound.
Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. When your breathing pauses or becomes shallow, you’ll often move out of deep sleep and into a light sleep.
As a result, the quality of your sleep is poor, which makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is a leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness.
Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Doctors have identified several factors that contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. These include:
being aged 40 years and older
being overweight
having a family history of sleep apnea
heavy alcohol consumption
having a large overbite
having a large tongue, tonsils, or uvula
having a small jaw
smoking
Undetected Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed. Doctors usually can’t detect the condition during routine office visits. Also, no blood test can help diagnose the condition.
Most people who have sleep apnea don’t know they have it because it only occurs during sleep. A family member or bed partner might be the first to notice signs of sleep apnea.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. In this condition, the airway collapses or becomes blocked during sleep. This causes shallow breathing or breathing pauses.
When you try to breathe, any air that squeezes past the blockage can cause loud snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea is more common in people who are overweight, but it can affect anyone. For example, small children who have enlarged tonsil tissues in their throats may have obstructive sleep apnea.
Ways To Helps Relieve Sleep Apnea
1. Mouth and Throat / Orofacial Exercises
Mouth and throat exercises (also called “orofacial” or “oropharyngeal” exercises) are by far the most exciting recent development in sleep apnea treatment options without CPAP.
What are orofacial exercises? Simply put, they are exercises that strengthen the muscles in your mouth, throat, jaw, and other areas of the face. Remember that obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your upper airway collapses while you’re asleep. The way to prevent your upper airway from collapsing is to strengthen the muscles around the upper airway.
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By doing orofacial exercises, you are encouraged to exercise those muscles contained within your:
Mouth
Jaw
Throat
Tongue
Soft palate
This is backed up by conclusive evidence from a number of clinical studies confirming that orofacial exercises are effective in reducing (or outright eliminating) obstructive sleep apnea.
For example, one research study discovered that patients who followed just a short three-month daily orofacial exercise program experienced the following results:
A decrease in the intensity and frequency of snoring.
A decrease in daytime sleepiness.
Increase in the overall quality of sleep.
A remarkable decrease in the severity of obstructive sleep apnea – this is based on measuring their apnea-hypopnea index.
However, there is one caveat: participants had to stick to a regular routine of these orofacial exercises on a consistent basis for this therapy measure to work.
These exercises are not difficult to learn and usually don’t take more than 20 minutes or so to practice before getting them right.
This is just 1 of 20 natural cures for sleep apnea. Please go to the link provided for the complete list.
Beet juice for high blood pressure is powerful medicine. Some of its effects relate to the minerals it contains, such as potassium and magnesium, but its true pharmacological action is due to a high content of nitrates.
In a small study published in 2010 in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found that adding half a liter of beet juice (also called beetroot juice) to healthy young men’s (ages 19 to 38) diets each day improved their exercise performance and duration.
In another study, published in 2009, endurance athletes saw a similar benefit from beet juice.
Furthermore, another study, published in 2011 in the Journal of Applied Physiology, found that beet juice benefited people ages 54 to 80 who had peripheral vascular disease — a stiffening of the arteries that carry blood to the legs, arms, stomach, or kidneys.
Drinking Beet Juice For High Blood Pressure
When you drink beet juice, these nitrates are rapidly converted into nitrites by bacteria (Veillonella and Actinomyces species) that live on the surface of your tongue, and which are also present in saliva.
The nitrites are absorbed into your circulation, where they are used to make a gas called nitric oxide (NO). NO is a cell-signaling molecule which has a powerful relaxing effect on small muscle fibers in your blood vessel linings. This causes the blood vessels to dilate so that your blood pressure falls.
The powerful action is also how drugs such as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) and sildenafil (Viagra) work – and why GTN is notorious for causing a headache.
The discovery of how nitric oxide dilates blood vessels was so important for cardiovascular health that the researchers were awarded a Nobel Prize in 1998.
Research involving 68 people with hypertension showed that drinking a glass (250ml) of beet juice every day can lower high blood pressure by, on average, 7.7/5.2 mmHg, within four weeks.
These reductions were recorded using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and compared with the effects of drinking a placebo beet juice from which the nitrates were extracted.
This showed that the blood pressure lowering effect was due to the nitrates rather than other beetroot components.
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In those drinking the whole beetroot juice, the ability of blood vessels to dilate (known as endothelial function) improved by around 20% and arterial stiffness was significantly reduced – in other words, drinking beet juice can improve the elasticity of your arterial walls.
The benefits were seen within one hour, reached their maximum effect after four hours, and were still evident 24 hours later. These results mean that beetroot juice is at least as effective as many prescribed anti-hypertensive medications.
A Healthy Liver:
Consuming beet juice is also a great tonic for cleansing the liver. Why cleanse the liver? With an increase in toxins within the body the liver takes a hit.
A toxic liver will actually increase your blood pressure. Take for example the analogy of a car that has sludge built up in the oil system.
This sludge actually can cause the engine to work harder but perform below average. With a toxic liver, your blood becomes like that sludge. Your heart has to work harder to pump the blood throughout your body.
Cleansing the liver you also cleanse the blood, creating a sludge free happy system that also lowers your blood pressure. There are various recipes out there for juicing, the one I really like can be found here.
Click Here To Read more about beet juice and liver cleansing.
Beet juice and diabetes
Some people, who are diabetic, will tend to stay away from this juice. The reason cited is the sugar content in beets. So I did some poking around to see what I could find.
For the over-weight beet-juice drinkers, insulin resistance was improved and blood sugar didn’t go up as much in the 60 to 90 minutes after consuming the sugar—compared to when they rinsed with mouthwash first. Their insulin resistance and blood sugar still were slightly higher than in their nonobese counterparts, but it was a big improvement for them.
That’s a key benefit, since elevated insulin resistance plus high blood sugar, over time, increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For the obese, who likely started with low nitric oxide levels, drinking beet juice apparently boosted nitric oxide levels high enough to help them better metabolize sugar.
Obese adults at risk of developing insulin resistance may benefit from adding healthful nitrate-rich foods—including a glass of beet juice—to their meals.
What about the sugar naturally contained in beet juice itself? It’s true that there’s a lot of sugar in beets—and even more in beet juice. But evidence suggests that the physiological benefits outweigh the sugar—just make sure you skip less healthy sources of sugar such as soda, candy, and other sweets. You can also experiment with other nitrate-rich foods, such as spinach.
If you have any questions or concerns please consult your health care physician. Also, I think it is always a smart practice to let those who provide for your healthcare to know any changes you are making to your health regimen. Most physicians will be happy with the changes you are making.
How to make beet juice
There are a variety of beets juice recipes for you to choose from, but is here is one of my favorites. It is crisp, clean, and powerful.
Ingredients:
2 large raw beets, peeled
3-4 large Gala or Honeycrisp apples
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
a large fistful of organic parsley
1 organic lemon, juiced
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Instructions:
Place all of the ingredients in the juicer and juice.
Here’s another recipe with Raw Beets, though not juice.
Raw Beet Salad Recipe
This amazing beet salad recipe will aslo help you get the most nitric oxide in your diet. Remember though juicing will get you the maximum. You can juice more beets then you can consume.
Ingredients:
4 beetroot (500g)
4 carrots (400g)
1 red onion (100g)
1c mint leaves
1/4c pumpkin seeds*
1/4c sunflower seeds*
1/2c raisins
Orange Balsamic Dressing
1 orange (peel removed)
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chia seed oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Wash and scrub the beetroot and carrots, and slice off any rough bits. You don’t need to peel them, especially if they’re organic, as a lot of nutrients are in fact in the skin.
2. Slice them into match-sticks by slicing them thinly (do the carrots on a diagonal), then grab a bunch of slices and lay them flat and chop into matchsticks.
3. Now that’s the hard way – if you have a grater or a mandolin you can also use that, or easier still a food processor with a grating attachment or chopping function. I’ve sliced them manually above though to show you it can be done (and looks quite nice!).
4. Thinly slice the red onions and mix together with the remaining ingredients, reserving a few mint leaves, seeds and raisins to sprinkle on top.
5. If you’re using dried and activated seeds they’ll be crunchy already so add as is, otherwise pop your seeds in a pan on low heat for 5 minutes, shaking regularly until they just start to go brown and aromatic.
6. Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, then mix through the salad.
7. Sprinkle with reserved mint, seeds and raisins and serve!
We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…
Do you feel weak or tired, sometimes to the point of exhaustion, much of the time? If so, you’re not alone. This is actually one of the main reasons that people refuse to take their blood pressure medications.
Chronic fatigue has many causes, including illnesses such as anemia and multiple sclerosis as well as depression and other psychiatric disorders. But it’s also often a side effect of drugs previously prescribed for other conditions.
Can Blood Pressure Medication Cause Fatigue?
Could one or more of the medications you’re taking be making you feel listless or lethargic? Read below to learn about the major hypertensive medications that can cause chronic fatigue. If you suspect that your symptoms might be linked to a medication you’re taking, talk to your doctor or health care provider right away. It’s important that you do not discontinue them on your own.
Why they’re prescribed: All blood pressure medications, and there are at least eight categories of them, are used to lower the pressure inside blood vessels, so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood throughout the body.
Top-selling blood-pressure medications include:
lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), an ACE inhibitor
Amlodipine (Norvasc), a calcium channel blocker
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ and various other brand names), a Thiazide diuretic
Furosemide (Lasix), a loop diuretic
Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), a beta blocker
Fatigue is one of the most common side effects that occur in these medications as with Aliskiren (Tekturna, Tekturna HCT), which belongs to a newer class of drugs called renin inhibitors.
How they can cause fatigue?
Blood-pressure medications may slow down the pumping action of the heart as well as depress the entire central nervous system, or, in the case of diuretics, deplete electrolytes that the body needs. Diuretics have also been known to cause constipation in some patients.
Check the safety information that comes with your blood pressure medications and you may well see “extreme tiredness” listed as a side effect. That’s an important sign that your fatigue could be drug-induced.
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Alternatives
Talk to your doctor or other health care provider about switching to another type of blood pressure medication. For older patients, a benzothiazepine calcium channel blocker, such as diltiazem (Cardizem), is often the best choice.
An omega-3 fish oil supplement may help to lower your blood pressure, too. Be aware, though, that omega-3s can slightly raise levels of LDL or bad cholesterol, and other research has shown these may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
A natural benefit: Omega-3 fatty acids are also thought to be natural fatigue fighters. One 2015 study shows that metabolism increased while resting and exercise heart rate dropped in older women who took omega-3 supplements that contain 2 g EPA, 1 g DHA for 12 weeks.
However, whether omega-3 actually improves resting metabolism and exercise heart rate remains unclear because there are many conflicting studies.
References and Further reading about blood pressure medication:
Now take another step to lower blood pressure naturally. Share RESPeRATE clinical brochure with your doctor:
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