Lower Pressure Blog

Superfoods For Healthy Blood Pressure

Quercetin lowers your blood pressure. It belongs to a family of “Super-Foods”. So what makes a “super-food” super? Or what key super-foods like red wine, green tea, kale and blueberries all have in common? The answer is quercetin, a natural compound tied to what all of us seek: better longevity, heart health, endurance, immune system and more.

What Is Quercetin?

Quercetin is a plant pigment found in many foods such as onions, apples, berries, tea, grapes, and red wine. It’s not a nutrient but is classified as a flavonoid. Once thought to be vitamins, flavonoids were given such names as vitamin P and vitamin C2. Like many other plant chemicals, it is sold as a supplement. Oral quercetin is relatively well absorbed, and it is metabolized mainly to isorhamnetin, tamarixetin and kaempferol.

Flavonoids, such as quercetin, are antioxidants. They scavenge particles in the body known as free radicals which damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA, and even cause cell death. Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals. They may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage free radicals cause. In test tubes, quercetin has strong antioxidant properties. But researchers are not sure whether taking quercetin (and many other antioxidants) has the same effects inside the body.

Quercetin may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Quercetin can also help stabilize the cells that release histamine in the body and thereby have an anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effect.

What Are Free Radical?

Free radicals may be formed through natural human physiological processes as well as from the environment. They may be the result of diet, stress, smoking, alcohol, exercise, inflammation, drugs or exposure to sunlight and air pollutants. While there are many types of free radicals that can be formed, the most common in aerobic (oxygen breathing) organisms are oxygen free radicals, often referred to as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which include superoxides, hydroxyl anions, hydrogen peroxide and singlet oxygen.

A free radical is an atom or group of atoms that has an unpaired electron and is therefore unstable and highly reactive. Free radicals may form spontaneously or they may be the result of exposure to heat, light or something in the environment. Sometimes the body’s immune system creates them on purpose to neutralize viruses and bacteria.

How Does Quercetin Help?

Research now shows us that inflammation is the root of most diseases, including heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline, some mental disorders, and autoimmune disorders. The most well-researched effects of quercetin on fighting inflammation have been found in foods (especially fruits and veggies) that naturally supply flavonoids and other polyphenols, so we still have more to learn about the long-term effects of taking antioxidant supplements to lower inflammatory diseases.

At this time, practitioners and patients report using quercetin to effectively fight conditions related to inflammation, including:

• hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• high cholesterol
• heart disease and circulation problems
• insulin resistance and diabetes
• eye-related disorders, including cataracts
• allergies, asthma and hay fever
• stomach ulcers
• cognitive impairment
• gout
• viral infections
• inflammation of the prostate, bladder and ovaries
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• cancer
• chronic infections of the prostate
• skin disorders, including dermatitis and hives

Flavonoids To The Rescue

Flavonoids, including quercetin, are important anti-inflammatory because they act as antioxidants, which mean they literally fight the natural process of “oxidation” that takes place over time as we age. Quercetin can help stop damaging particles in the body known as free radicals, which negatively impact how cells work — including damaging cell membranes, changing the way DNA works, increasing cell mutations and causing healthy cells to die.

Lowering High Blood Pressure

According to a study published in the journal “Molecule” January 29, 2017.  “Quercetin shows its anti-hypertensive actions via modification of various factors controlling blood pressure, such as vascular compliance (reciprocal of elastance) and resistance, total blood volume dependent on body fluid volume, autonomic nervous system, and rennin-angiotensin-system via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative abilities.

In addition to these abilities, quercetin has a unique action on the regulation of ENaC gene expression. This action is mediated via control of [Cl⁻]_c by activating NKCC1. In this review, we show the novel idea on the role of “cytosolic Cl⁻“ in the antihypertensive action of quercetin on the volume-dependent regulation of blood pressure.” I know that is a mouthful to take in, but basically, it shows how quercetin works on a multi-faceted level in lowering high blood pressure.

What Foods Contain Quercetin?

Capers

The unique flavor of capers makes them a very desirable ingredient in the Mediterranean basin. They range in size from as small as a peppercorn to as large as a green olive. High in flavonoid compounds, capers are the highest source of quercetin (180mg per 100g).

Lovage Leaves

Lovage, a member of the parsley family, is a widely-used herb in parts of Europe and southwest Asia. Contains 170mg per 100g.

Red Onions

Red onions are one of the best natural sources of this flavonoid. Red onions have long been known to have many health benefits including preventing heart disease, cancer, and common colds and coughs. Contains 19.93mg per 100g.

Berries

Elderberries, of all the berries, are very rich in quercetin, but blueberries, and all other berries, also contain high amounts of quercetin.

Kale

One cup of kale has only 36 calories, 5 grams of dietary fiber and 0 grams of fat. It is great for aiding in digestion and elimination with its great fiber content. Contains 7,71mg per 100g.

Apples

The phytochemical composition of apples varies greatly between different varieties of apples. A large red apple, for example, contains about 10 mg. Organic apples are the best since the quercetin is in the peel.

Spinach

Spinach eases constipation and protects the mucous lining of the stomach so that you stay free of ulcers. It also flushes out toxins from the colon. Contains 4,86mg per 100g.

Raw Black Plums

They contain 12.5 milligrams per serving. Plums are relatives of the nectarine, peach, and almond and belong to the Prunus genus of plants. In addition to their high content of this antioxidant, they contain no saturated fats and are low in calories (46 calories per 100 g).

Fresh Fruits and Veggies Means Better Health

Eating lots of fruits an veggies should supply you with a healthy dose of quercetin. If, because you do not like veggies, you wish to take a supplement to be careful. Consuming this supplement inhibits an important enzyme (CYP3A4) involved in the metabolism of many frequent medications, which can alter the blood levels and effects of the drugs. Very high doses may damage the kidneys. You should take periodic breaks from taking the supplement.

If you choose to take a supplement please talk with your healthcare provider concerning quercetin. It has been no to interact with some antibiotics and other medications.

Sleep is absolutely necessary for good health and good spirits, but many people have trouble falling asleep at night. Science has been exploring possible minimally invasive treatments, many of which aim to alleviate worry and promote relaxation. But the insomnia cure seems to be simpler than we believe: certain songs could help us sleep.

A playlist created by DJ and sleep specialist Tom Middleton has been approved by several scientists for its beneficial effects. His album titled Sleep better contains acoustic sounds with a slow rhythm that helps you fall asleep. Could this be the definitive cure against insomnia and all its derived ills?

The Music Man Who Couldn’t Sleep

Since the 1990s, Middleton has been producing music under different names, notably Reload, Cosmos, and The Modwheel. But, in addition to being a pioneering electronic musician, he has worked as a sound designer, DJ, and music producer; including as a certified sleep science coach with training in mental health first aid. In addition, he is co-president of the AFEM Health Group.

But all this success hasn’t stopped the sound scholar from having trouble sleeping. He himself claimed that during his tours he experienced episodes of insomnia, which, in part, motivated him to create a musical work to help people sleep.

The Album With Scientifically Based Bedtime Songs

For this, he did not work solely on the basis of his inspiration and musical experience; He also consulted the scientific basis to give it greater validity and provide a certified product to the vast music market.

“What’s on the market right now has never been scientifically proven, it’s not based on real science,” Middleton said of his work. “I thought it would be really interesting to see what research has been done, what sounds are known to be effective, and what noises have been tested.”

The documents and opinions of other experts were mixed and coordinated with his own experience in his tours as a musician to give an impressive result. “I added to that the intuition I had developed of playing festivals and chill-out clubs all these years,” he explained.

Make Music Part Of Your sleep routine

To take advantage of its benefits, it is best to start listening to the songs before it is time to go to sleep. In this way, we can prepare our body and mind for rest.

Once in bed, it is recommended to close your eyes and try to relax listening to soft and slow melodies. In theory, the harmony and continuity of the sounds on the Sleep Better album are conducive to clearing the mind, relaxing the body as we head towards deep sleep. But it is also known that the soft sounds of nature and animals can help in this.

The songs on the record are designed to lower the heart and respiratory rates of those who listen to them and, consequently, lower blood pressure. With this, a sufficiently relaxing effect is sought to drive listeners to sleep.

“So far it has been quite effective,” said its creator. “When we tested it, we noticed that the heart rate is slowing and people are falling asleep.”

Additional Helps For Insomnia

So everything indicates that it works. Middleton himself claimed that he and his team had to add a disclaimer to the music product. “Don’t listen to this while driving, operating machinery or underwater,” he said with a laugh.

But not everything is rosy with this cure for insomnia. Despite the great benefits that music offers for our health, experts advise against sleeping listening to it all night. Instead, listening to it before bed and scheduling it to turn off is a safer and more convenient way to enjoy its benefits.

Time To Lower Your High Blood Pressure

Lower your blood pressure in 6 weeks? Sounds like a fantasy. But it isn’t. Last week I discussed the importance of lifestyle changes. This week we have a battle plan in place. Many physicians like, Joel Fuhrman M.D, Michael Greger M.D, and Caldwell Esselstyn M.D attest to the power of food. By eating the correct foods people have reversed diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and the like. Are you ready to take responsibility for your health? Then let us begin.

What if you had the chance to lower your blood pressure to normal levels in 2 weeks without medication? What if by following the regimen your had your medication drastically reduce? Tell me would you be willing to do what you had to, to lower your blood pressure? Some of you would. The sad reality is that most people would not. They would rather pop a pill and hope for the best.

The New Start Lifestyle

A new dietary regimen has broken the horizon with the amazing results that participants of the study have experienced. A program called “New Start Lifestyle” developed by M. Alfredo, the associate professor at the Department of Public Health, Nutrition & Wellness at Andrews University in Michigan, along with his team of researchers.

NEWSTART program is a physician monitored, scientifically researched lifestyle change program based on eight fundamental principles proven to help you achieve optimum health: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest and Trust. This health recovery program is designed to prevent and reverse disease through natural methods.

The program will not only help in lowering blood pressure, but will also assist in reducing neuropathy, rejuvenate the immune system, increase energy levels, reverse heart disease, and assist patients in overcoming depression.

During Meija’s study, 117 patients diagnosed with high blood pressure underwent two weeks of lifestyle intervention. The program included a whole-food, plant-based diet involving fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds that centered around foods rich in potassium. The study’s participants also ensured to sleep adequately, drink sufficient water, and exercise regularly.

What Were The Results?

In just two weeks, half of the participants reduced their blood pressure to the recommended level without medication or other medical devices. Ninety-three percent of participants were able to reduce or eliminate their blood pressure medicine following the two-week period because of drastically reduced blood pressure levels.

These results are equivalent to the effects of standard blood pressure medications. In all, 93 percent of the participants were able to reduce their dose or eliminate medications entirely.

While it requires a substantial amount of willpower, making lifestyle changes should always be first and foremost for people who want to lower their blood pressure.

According to Dr. Andrew Freeman, a cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Colorado, says the findings make plenty of sense.

Exercise A Lifestyle Choice

“Exercise, particularly cardio and aerobic exercise, has been known to be a potent dropper of blood pressure for a long time, and we know that fruits and vegetables rich in potassium and naturally occurring nitrates can actually lower blood pressure as effectively as many of the medications,” he said. “So that, to me, is no surprise. It’s nice that they put it all together in this study.”

Freeman says that for many patients, the prospect of taking a simple medication is seen as easier and more appealing than undergoing lifestyle changes.

But even for patients who are prescribed medications for high blood pressure, lifestyle will always be a factor.

Sometimes, it isn’t just patients who gloss over lifestyle changes — it’s doctors as well.

Freeman points to a 2017 study that he co-authored in which 90 percent of the more than 900 cardiologists surveyed reported that they’d received no or minimal nutrition education during their training.

A recent meta-analysis showed vegetarian diets are good, but strictly plant-based diets may be better. In general, vegetarian diets provide protection against cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, and even death. But, completely plant-based diets seem to offer additional protection against obesity, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease mortality. Based on a study of more than 89,000 people, those eating meat-free diets appear to cut their risk of high blood pressure in half. But, those eating meat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free may have 75% lower risk.

The Game Changing Diet & How To Start

The program revolves around following a vegan diet with primarily plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds, and nuts.

Before we continue, there are many people who see this as some kind of hug trees and animals propaganda. Yes, I have been accused of dispensing this to the masses. Look I love animals but my primary concern is my health and yours. You can research this until the cows come home, no pun intended, but there is enough research to prove that this does work. If you’re a neigh-sayer, neigh somewhere else please.

Transitioning to a vegan diet is one of the most beneficial things you’ll ever do for yourself and the entire planet, but is it as easy as people make it sound? Yes! I understand it can be intimidating transitioning to a vegan diet after being an omnivore your entire life. I grew up in Upstate New York, where regular meals included pork, chicken, eggs, dairy, or beef at every single meal (if not more than one of those options). Yes, I know. Sad to say, but true.

Some Tips For Getting Started

• When you’re learning to transition to a vegan diet, remember not to overwhelm yourself or feel like every meal has to be complicated or cooked gourmet style. Just take it day by day and even better, meal by meal. There’s no need to be stressed or intimidated by going vegan. In fact, the simpler your meals, the better they are for you.
• I grew up thinking that if there wasn’t meat at a meal, I’d be left eating salad and steamed broccoli. Little did I know just how incredibly tasty and creative vegan meals could be! I started looking up vegan recipes on the web and quickly found inspiration and ideas for ingredients. This was key to my success and one of the first things I tell others to do too. Some of my favorite vegan recipes can be found on the Recipe Monster channel.
• Keep your end goal in mind, but go at your own pace. Some people manage to go vegan overnight and if that’s the right approach for you, fantastic. But don’t be concerned if you feel you need more time. Like any other lifestyle change, going vegan not only takes getting used to, but it takes time to determine what will work best for you. It’s not a one size fits all experience and there are numerous approaches you can take.
• Make sure you don’t miss out on essential nutrients. Just because you’re vegan that doesn’t mean you’re 100% healthy, as there are vegan versions of almost every type of junk food you can think of. As long as you eat a wide variety of tasty plant foods, planning a healthy diet that incorporates all the vitamins and nutrients you need will be a breeze.
• Treat your taste buds to new foods and new flavors. Leaving your food comfort zone will take you on a voyage of discovery of new cuisines. There are thousands of vegan recipes out there from every corner of the globe. Whatever your culinary preference, you’ll encounter amazing new dishes and interesting variations on your old favorites. Yet you don’t have to be an award-winning chef to achieve this. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of meals you can easily prepare from things already in your kitchen or local supermarket ingredients.
• Dont give up. If you believe in yourself, vegan living will soon become second nature. There is always a better reason to stick with your decision than to go against it. If you’re having issues with friends or family, don’t give up: our sections on socializing and solutions to these problems can give you some advice. Remember, there are lots of vegan groups online and off that you can join.

What Am I Allowed To Eat?

A popular myth is that vegans subsist only on soybeans and salad. In reality, vegans eat everything non-vegans eat, but without the animal products and likely with more variety from special foods.

Spend some time with a vegan and you may be surprised to learn a vegan’s diet is not just the standard diet minus animal products. There are several kinds of foods which have gained recognition as vegan staples.

Tempeh (“tem-pea” or “tem-pay”) is like tofu, but fermented and pressed to be thick and savory. An easy way to prepare tempeh is to fry or grill with blended seasonings meant for grilling. Check your ingredients, of course, but surprisingly many are vegan.

Tofu is a solid food made from pressed soybean curd. It’s one of the most unusual vegan staples in that it can be used to make a breakfast dish like scrambled tofu, a dinner dish like Sriracha peanut butter fried tofu, or even a chocolate mousse dessert.

Seitan is a chewy and naturally brown substance made from wheat gluten, an isolated protein found in wheat. Seitan is usually cut into strips and baked or fried to provide some protein and chewiness to a dish. I like getting the large chunkier pieces for making beef stew.

Nutritional yeast is very different from the yeast used in bread. Nutritional yeast, which comes powdered or in flakes, is most often used to provide a cheesy consistency. Unlike cheese, nutritional yeast also lasts far longer and has no cholesterol. Sprinkle in soup, on popcorn, or add water to make cheesy sauces.

Fruits And Vegetables Protect Against Disease

Vegetables and fruit contain phytochemicals or plant chemicals. These biologically active substances can help to protect you from some diseases. Scientific research shows that if you regularly eat lots of fruit and vegetables, you have a lower risk of:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Stroke
• Heart (cardiovascular) disease – when fruits and vegetables are eaten as food, not taken as supplements
• Cancer – some forms of cancer, later in life
• High blood pressure (hypertension).

Types Of Fruits

Fruit is the sweet, fleshy, edible part of a plant. It generally contains seeds. Fruits are usually eaten raw, although some varieties can be cooked. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and flavors. Common types of fruits that are readily available include:

• Apples and pears
• Citrus – oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, and limes
• Stone fruit – nectarines, apricots, peaches, and plums
• Tropical and exotic – bananas and mangoes
• Berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, and passionfruit
• Melons – watermelons, rockmelons, and honeydew melons
• Tomatoes and avocados.

This is only a small snapshot of what is available. Break each category into the different varieties and you would be overwhelmed by the choices you have.

Types Of Vegetables

Vegetables are available in many varieties and can be classified into biological groups or ‘families’, including:

• Leafy green – lettuce, spinach and silverbeet
• Cruciferous – cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli
• Marrow – pumpkin, cucumber, and zucchini
• Root – potato, sweet potato, and yam
• Edible plant stem – celery and asparagus
• Allium – onion, garlic, and shallot.

Types Of Legumes

Legumes or pulses contain nutrients that are especially valuable. Legumes need to be cooked before they are eaten – this improves their nutritional quality, aids digestion and eliminates any harmful toxins. Legumes come in many forms including:

• Soy products – tofu (bean curd) and soybeans
• Legume flours – chickpea flour (besan), lentil flour and soy flour
• Dried beans and peas – haricot beans, red kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils
• Fresh beans and peas – green peas, green beans, butter beans, broad beans and snow peas.

Colors Of Fruits And Veggies

You will get the most health benefits and protection against disease if you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The dietary guidelines recommend that adults eat at least five kinds of vegetable and two kinds of fruit every day.

Foods of similar colors generally contain similar protective compounds. Try to eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables every day to get the full range of health benefits. For example:

Red foods – like tomatoes and watermelon. These contain lycopene, which is thought to be important for fighting prostate cancer and heart disease.

Green vegetables – like spinach and kale. These contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect against age-related eye disease.

Blue and purple foods – like blueberries and eggplant. These contain anthocyanins, which may help protect the body from cancer.

White foods – like cauliflower. These contain sulforaphane and may also help protect against some cancers.

How To Select Your Fruits And Veggies

To maximize nutrients and appeal, buy and serve different types of fruit and vegetables. Try to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, and choose for freshness and quality. You should:

• Eat with the seasons – this is nature’s way of making sure our bodies get a healthy mix of nutrients and plant chemicals.
• Try something new – try new recipes and buy new fruit or vegetables as part of your weekly shopping.
• Let colors guide you – get different combinations of nutrients by putting a ‘rainbow’ of colors (green, white, yellow-orange, blue-purple, red) on your plate.

Saying Nuts To Heart Disease

Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet may be good for your heart. Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients. And they’re a great snack food — inexpensive, easy to store and easy to pack when you’re on the go.

One drawback to nuts is that they’re high in calories, so it’s important to limit portions. But choosing nuts instead of a less healthy snack may just help you stick to a heart-healthy diet.

• Walnuts- Walnuts are probably the best nut for your heart health. The unsaturated fat found in walnuts – omega-3 fatty acids may help in preventing the development of erratic heart rhythms. Omega-3 fatty acids may also prevent blood clots. Moreover, walnut kernels are known to contain double the amount of antioxidant content than other nuts.
• Pistachios: A study carried out by Diabetes Foundation of India (DFI) and the National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation shows that pistachios have beneficial effects on glycemic and lipid parameters. Pistachios have a low glycemic index, are naturally cholesterol free, and are good sources of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. These qualities make them great for preventing the risk of obesity and heart disease.
• Almonds: Almond is one healthy nutty delight. Regular consumption of almonds has been linked to lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in innumerable studies. They are rich in monounsaturated fats, fiber, phytosterols, plant protein, tocopherol, arginine, magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium, and potassium makes them heart protective. Arginine, found in almonds, is a type of an amino acid that is required to make a molecule called nitric oxide which is known to relax constricted blood vessels and ease the flow of blood.

Again the above list is not exhaustive. Please take the time and investment to educate yourselves on your body and what is best for it

Why Do We Crave Junk Food?

There are a few reasons behind that. First, junk foods have a lot of sugar. We customarily associate the word ‘sugar’ with the white powdery stuff (or tiny crystals) that we put in tea, milk and a bunch of other foods to make them sweet, but that white powder is actually only one type of sugar called sucrose. There are many other types of sugar too, which may or may not be sweet in taste (but most of them are).

Junk foods contain a lot of added sugars, a ton of calories, and a sizable amount of trans and saturated fats. Furthermore, they are low in vitamins, minerals and fiber content. Deep-fried foods taste better than bland foods, and as we grow up, we tend to get ‘hooked’ on these foods.

These kinds of sugar-laden, fatty foods cause the brain to release certain neurotransmitters, called dopamine and oxytocin, which induce the feeling of relaxation, pleasure, and enjoyment in an individual. That’s why such foods (that are high in sugar and fats, like cakes, pastries, burgers etc.) are called ‘comfort foods’.

How To Make Healthy Food Choices

The food we put into our bodies is our fuel. It provides us with nutrients—the vitamins, minerals, and other compounds our bodies need to function and thrive. Research shows that good food choices are especially important for children’s growing bodies and minds. Smart choices have both immediate and long-lasting benefits for you and your family.

The trick to making better food choices is learning how to “trade up”—nutritionally speaking. Look at the foods you’re currently eating and see if you can find some healthier choices to make instead. If your dietary patterns are generally good, and if you’re eating regular meals and snacks and including a variety of foods, then it’s just a matter of plugging in some healthier choices in place of those that aren’t doing you much good.

The first step in improving your diet is to take a good, hard look at your current eating habits. Write down everything you eat for a couple of days. You can’t make changes if you don’t really know what you’re working with or where your trouble spots are.

Once you’ve done that, look your food diary over without judging yourself. Just be objective. Look over your eating patterns and the food choices you’re making, and simply acknowledge that there are some things that you probably want to do differently. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for the things you’re doing right. Also, it took me about 4 weeks to get results but my diet had been horrible, so be patient, you are worth having great health.

Enjoy these scrumptious heart healthy scallops. Pan seared scallops with snow peas and orange. I enjoy pan searing my scallops in a good white wine with shallots, garlic, and mushrooms. Avoid searing them in butter as good as they taste they lose their heart healthy certificate.  Place on a bed of fluffy couscous and serve with a fresh garden salad, and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 16 sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 orange
• 3/4 pound snow peas, halved lengthwise

Instructions:

1. Cook the couscous according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Pat the scallops dry and season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook until opaque throughout and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover.

4. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 4 strips of zest from the orange. Thinly slice them.

5. Wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the snow peas, orange zest, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

6. Cook, tossing, until the snow peas are just tender, about 2 minutes. Serve with the scallops and couscous.

We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…

High blood pressure effects so many people. In fact half of the adults in America are living with high blood pressure. It does not matter your race, gender,or cultural background, high blood pressure comes for everyone. So what can you do to help yourself lower high blood pressure or prevent it?

We are pleased to invite you to our new “Lower Pressure Group“!

What is Lower Pressure?

Lower Pressure is a (closed) Facebook group that is aimed at helping people who suffer or are at risk of high blood pressure.

What will you find in the group?

• Interesting discussions on heart health-related topics
• Healthy Recipes and Dietary News
• Blood pressure related articles from our bi-weekly newsletter
• Customer support for ReSPERATE
• Information and announcements about our products
• Speak with users about RESPeRATE and their success.

How can you join?

Simply visit this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lowerpressure/ and click ‘join’!

We hope that we can start productive discussions about the many challenges we come across, living with high blood pressure, and we invite you to join us, building a supportive, caring community.

Eli and your RESPeRATE team

A healthy diet—along with regular exercise, stress control, and medications if needed—is a cornerstone of treatment for high blood pressure (hypertension). But what do you need to eat to lower your pressure, and how much?

A good place to start is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. It’s scientifically proven to combat hypertension, but it’s not for everyone. “A healthy diet, such as DASH, does take discipline and commitment,” says Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of cardiology, VA Boston Healthcare System. “People can certainly do it, but it can be challenging.”
Some men may also find a Mediterranean-style diet to be an appealing and effective way to improve blood pressure.

How to DASH it

We’ve known that DASH lowers blood pressure since a landmark study was published in 1997 in The New England Journal of Medicine. After two months of DASH-style eating, study participants lowered their systolic pressure (the upper number of your blood pressure reading) by about 10 mmHg and their diastolic pressure (the lower number) by 5 mmHg. This reduction is comparable to the effect of a blood pressure medication.

The DASH diet is quite different from the conventional meat-centric American diet, which may contain up to a third (or more) of its calories as fats. In the DASH diet, you keep fat intake to within 27% of total calories, eat plentiful servings of fruit and vegetables, choose whole instead of processed grains, and eat low-fat or nonfat dairy products and small portions of poultry, fish, and nuts as your primary source of protein, rather than red meat (see “The DASH eating plan”).

The mix of nutrients in the DASH diet includes abundant amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. Potassium is particularly important. Foods that are high in potassium include sweet potatoes, tomato paste, and low-fat yogurt. “It’s harder to control blood pressure— even with medications—if there isn’t enough potassium in the diet,” says Dr. Michelle Hauser, a clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a certified chef and nutrition educator.

The importance of salt restriction

The DASH diet also is low in salt. The average American man takes in 4,200 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. That’s nearly three times what’s healthy. The primary sources of the excess salt are processed foods such as soups, cold cuts, cured meats, frozen dinners and other packaged foods, and breads and snacks. Breads are a particularly underappreciated source of sodium—especially fast food bagels and croissants. A single serving of these products may contain 500 mg of salt!

The low-salt version of DASH, which works best overall for hypertension, requires cutting back to 1,500 mg of sodium per day, or the amount in two-thirds of a teaspoon of table salt. A moderate-salt version, with 2,200 mg per day, also lowers blood pressure, but not as much as the low- salt plan.

The challenge of DASH

DASH is medically proven to work, but it does require you to eat a lot of servings of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains—15 to 18 per day, although each serving is typically either a half-cup of cooked vegetables or grain or a whole cup of raw leafy vegetables. That still demands planning, shopping, and the cooking skills to make a plant-based diet tasty.

The nutrition goals of the DASH plan read a bit like a spreadsheet instead of a grocery list. If you are detail-oriented and don’t mind reading nutrition labels and crunching some numbers, the DASH diet is reliable and effective. “Typically, I have seen a lowering of 5 to 10 mmHg in people who are very good about restricting their salt intake and losing weight,” Dr. Bhatt says. “Few people are able to commit to that type of lifestyle change, but those that do certainly reap the benefits.”

The Mediterranean option

Another option is to just follow a healthy style of eating, taking care not to overindulge in animal fats and sugary foods. Adopting a Mediterranean eating plan can help to achieve that.

“I steer people toward a Mediterranean diet, but not because it’s better at lowering blood pressure than the DASH diet. They both work really well,” says Dr. Hauser. “It’s because I think Mediterranean-style eating makes it easier to make things taste good without following a lot of stringent rules. You get a lot of delicious, interesting flavors, textures, and smells, which are the qualities that we really crave in our food.”

The Mediterranean diet includes

• generous servings of fruits and vegetables
• whole-grain breads and cereals
• very limited red meat
• moderate wine consumption (no more than two 5-ounce glasses a day for men and one a day for women)
• healthy fats from nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

Mediterranean-style eating can be part of a plan for reining in hypertension with nutrition. “The Mediterranean diet is not medically proven in the sense of lowering blood pressure by a specific number of points over two weeks, like the DASH diet,” Dr. Hauser says. “But there are lots of studies showing that people eating their traditional foods in the Mediterranean areas of the world have less heart disease and less high blood pressure.”

But don’t dash away from the DASH diet too soon. With planning and help from a checklist, you can make it work. “For people who are really serious, a consultation with a nutritionist can be a great help,” Dr. Bhatt says.

This weeks question comes from Michelle B, New Bedford CT. Do purple potatoes lower high blood pressure? It is a very interesting question because white potatoes have been shown to increase high blood pressure.

Purple potatoes are high-antioxidant foods that are eye-catching since the skin and the flesh are both purple, making them a beautiful adornment to any plate. But it’s not just the color that’s appealing. Purple potatoes offer a host of awesome benefits from working as a healthy food-coloring agent to helping regulate blood pressure to aiding athletic performance and more.

The Purple Potato Study

A small study presented by the American Chemical Society found that eating purple potatoes may lower blood pressure. This could be because of their effect on the capillaries and blood vessels, along with the high concentration of a phytochemical called chlorogenic acid, which has been linked to lower blood pressure found in some studies.

This research shows that plain purple potatoes, baked or cooked in the microwave, lowered the blood pressure of subjects that were reviewed by 3 percent to 4 percent, with no weight gain, and was likely due to the antioxidant behavior and phytonutrient density that these colorful gems exude.

“The potato, more than perhaps any other vegetable, has an undeserved bad reputation that has led many health-conscious people to ban them from their diets,” says Joe Vinson, Ph.D., of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, who headed the study. “Mention ‘potato’ and people think ‘fattening, high-carbs, empty calories’. In reality, when prepared without frying and served without butter, margarine or sour cream, one potato has only 110 calories and dozens of healthful phytochemicals and vitamins. We hope our research helps to remake the potato’s popular nutritional image.”

Lowers Blood Pressure

The average diastolic blood pressure of the study subjects dropped by 4.3 percent and the systolic pressure decreased by 3.5 percent, said Vinson, who has done extensive research on healthful components in foods. The majority of subjects took anti-hypertensive drugs and still had a reduction in blood pressure. None of the study participants gained weight.

Although researchers used purple potatoes, they believe that red-skin potatoes and white potatoes may have similar effects.

Classic French Onion Soup is one of the most tantalizing dishes one can make in a pot. The taste of the onions, butter, cream, the melted cheese, and wine. Wow, my mouth just waters. As you can see from the ingredients though it really can’t be labeled heart healthy.

So this week I present you with a recipe that will both satisfy your taste buds and your heart. Enjoy with a hearty full grain bread and a small glass of red wine.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 cups thinly vertically sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion
• 4 cups thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 8 cups less-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 8 (1-ounce) slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute.

4. Place 8 ovenproof bowls on a jelly-roll pan. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Divide bread evenly among bowls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…

What is Valerian Root?

Valerian root is a herb. It is native to Europe and parts of Asia but also grows in North America. Medicine is made from the root.

Taking valerian supplements every day could have a gentle lowering effect on blood pressure, a nutritionist revealed. It’s one of the best natural remedies for high blood pressure, added nutritionist Dr. Sarah Brewer.

“Valerian is one of the most effective natural remedies for high blood pressure, where this is linked to anxiety and stress”, she said on her website, MyLowerBloodPressure.com.

How does Valerian Root work?

“The roots of Valerian have been used as a sedative since medieval times to calm anxiety, reduce muscle tension and improve sleep quality. Valerian is recognized as one of the most calming herbs available.”

The herbal remedy works by counteracting the effects of stress, added Brewer.

Its sedative properties block certain enzymes in the brain, which subsequently allows the amount of the chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to rise. “By allowing GABA levels to rise, it damps down the over-stimulation that causes whirring thoughts during times of anxiety,” added the nutritionist.

“It produces a gentle lowering effect on the high blood pressure that often accompanies stress.”

Valerian could also be used to help with sleep disturbance, panic attacks, and nervous anxiety said, Brewer. But the remedy may cause mild drowsiness. Its effects may be enhanced when drinking excessive alcohol.

Valerian Root anti-anxiety effects

Drugs such as alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium) also work by increasing the amount of GABA in the brain. The valerenic acid and valerenol contained in valerian root extract act as anti-anxiety agents.

It’s pretty amazing that a herbal remedy like valerian root can have the same anti-anxiety effects of prescription drugs without all the serious side effects of psychotropic drugs. If you are taking other calming medications or antidepressants, do not take valerian at the same time.

Now that you know that valerian root can be so calming to the mind and body, it’s probably not surprising to hear it can also help lower blood pressure, improving heart health. The same active components that make valerian root so effective for stress and anxiety management can also help the body properly regulate its blood pressure.

High blood pressure is something you definitely want to avoid since it increases the chance of stroke and heart attack. Valerian root supplements can help naturally reduce blood pressure and keep it at a healthy level, which has a direct positive impact on your heart health.

Speak to a doctor before taking valerian supplements if you’re also taking other prescribed medication.

References and more information

• A COMPREHENSIVE PHARMACOGNOSTIC REPORT ON VALERIAN – Read here
• Valerian for Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – Study Review
• Read about Valrian Root Oil