Blood Pressure's up
I've been lcing for about 4 months now and been feeling GREAT! My cholesterol is perfect as are my other blood lipids. But each time I check my blood pressure at the pharmacy, it is pretty high. Anywhere from 139/79 to 159/90. I am hoping that losing 50lbs will naturally take care of this, but I am also wondering if there is something else I can do now to help this. A normal day of eating looks a lot like this:
2 egg omelette with feta 3 slices of bacon or sausage 2c coffee w/splenda and cream multiple vitamin Cal/mag supplement 2 slices of deli meat 1 oz of cheeze 1-2 cans of tuna w/ mayo, celery and green onions 1-2 c salad with oil/vinegar dressing Edge low carb bar or 2 slices deli meat and cheese Bison burger, chicken breast, pork chop, steak or fish 2-4 c salad, with dressing raspberries or blackberries Any suggestions anyone wants to make would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! k |
hi katrine,
Your menu looks fine ... might want to cut back on the salty processed foods a bit (including the cheese ... note that natural Swiss and Jarlsberg cheese are low in salt), but truthfully you're not eating a huge amount of salt. Are you taking potassium supplements as recommended in PP, or using NoSalt or HalfSalt substitute? Often increasing the potassium intake will help to balance the sodium level, and can be helpful for high blood pressure. Or, you might be one of a small % of folks who are sensitive to arachidonic acid, found in the FAT of red meat and egg yolks. Here's what the Eades have to say about AA, from the PP FAQ's page: Quote:
Doreen |
Thanks so much Doreen.. I completely forgot about what the Eades said about that. I will get some potassium and try that for a week or two then take my pressure again and see. I almost never salt my food, so that's not it.
After I posted that question, I began to wonder if coffee could be the culprit. If the potassium doesn't do the trick, I think I will try half decalf and half regular for a week and see if that makes a difference. And if that doens't do it, I will try eliminating the eggs and red meat as they suggest. Thanks so much! You are an invaluable source of information and support! K :bhug: |
In my experience, drug store machines do not give a good reading. Usually, when I try them, I have been walking around a mall, shopping and carrying parcels and generally being busy. I am usually waiting (not all that patiently for a prescription) so I am neither calm nor at rest. All of that means that the pressure will be up from my "real " pressure.
If you want a good reading, make an appointment with your Dr. and get there early without needing to rush off afterwards and sit for a while in the waiting room while reading a good book. Then you are liable to get a more reliable reading. Or you could buy one of those home monitors and take the BP when you have been sitting around relaxing for a while. Do you take any medication for high BP? People on ACE INHIBITORS SHOULD NOT take extra potassium!!!!People on ACE INHIBITORS SHOULD NOT take extra potassium!!!! Not Nu-salt, not Half-salt and NOT potassium tablets. I don't think that either of those readings is terribly high for a drugstore machine. The lower number is in a good range. :wave: |
Do you take BC pills?
Hi, Katrine. I have been LCing for 7 months now and it wasn't until I stopped taking my BC pills that my BP finally started to come down. I have a digital cuff at home and so take my BP frequently in all sorts of situations and it has been pretty consitent at about 140-155/85-95. Not good. Until last year it had always been low, then I got sick and it went up and never came down again.
I expected it to lower when I started LCing and it didn't. However, about 1 1/2 months ago I quit taking my BC pills, and a few weeks ago my BP started coming down. Now I'm measuring in the 120s/high 80s. Hope this helps. ;-Deb |
Quote:
Check out this article from HealthandAge.com for more information about Potassium and Drug Interactions Doreen |
Well, I sure appreciate all the good advice. I do NOT take any kind of medication at all for anything. (knock on wood!) . I feel fortunate for that. I think you are right, tofi, about those store machines. The readings really vary a lot. I will definitely visit with my nutritionist and have her take my bp. I don't know if I know how to do it myself. Spose I could learn, tho. Thanks! :roll:
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