Active Low-Carber Forums
Atkins diet and low carb discussion provided free for information only, not as medical advice.
Home Plans Tips Recipes Tools Stories Studies Products
Active Low-Carber Forums
A sugar-free zone


Welcome to the Active Low-Carber Forums.
Support for Atkins diet, Protein Power, Neanderthin (Paleo Diet), CAD/CALP, Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution and any other healthy low-carb diet or plan, all are welcome in our lowcarb community. Forget starvation and fad diets -- join the healthy eating crowd! You may register by clicking here, it's free!

Go Back   Active Low-Carber Forums > Main Low-Carb Diets Forums & Support > Low Carb Health & Technical Forums > General Health
User Name
Password
FAQ Members Calendar Search Gallery My P.L.A.N. Survey


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   ^
Old Thu, Aug-22-02, 21:32
katrine77's Avatar
katrine77 katrine77 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 126
 
Plan: Zone
Stats: 235/190/145 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 50%
Unhappy 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
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2   ^
Old Thu, Aug-22-02, 22:12
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 37,415
 
Plan: LC, GF
Stats: 241/190/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
Default

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:
Can I really eat all the red meat and egg yolks I want?

Most people can. However, there are a few concerns to keep in mind. First, you can’t do the Protein Power Plan halfway. You can’t increase your protein foods haphazardly and continue to eat carbohydrates as you do now and expect to see results. In fact, you’ll be worsening your problems if you do so.

Second, there are some people who may have problems with large amounts of red meat and large quantities of egg yolks. These people: have elevated blood pressure and/or cholesterol, retain abnormally high amounts of fluid, and/or suffer from inflammatory conditions such as skin rashes, asthma, allergies, bursitis, or arthritis.

It’s not the cholesterol in red meat and egg yolks that is the problem. It’s the fact that they are high in arachidonic acid, which can promote or worsen the above conditions.

Here is the strategy for these folks to follow: Eliminate red meat and egg yolks from your diet completely for three weeks. At the end of the three week period, take stock of your health. Has it improved? Eat a large portion of red meat and eggs for a couple of meals and observe what happens. If your problems reappear of get worse, you are sensitive to arachidonic acid and should have these foods only once in a while. When you do have them, make sure to remove as much of the fat from the beef as possible. Grill the beef. This will reduce the arachidonic acid by as much as 35%. Another option is to marinate the meat in a combination of red wine and olive oil or light sesame oil for 24 hours before grilling.

As far as eggs are concerned, have no more than one or two whole eggs at a sitting, and eat egg whites the rest of the time. Also, you should avoid margarine altogether (as everyone should).

http://eatprotein.com/answers6.html#6b
Perhaps this is the problem for you??

Doreen
Reply With Quote
  #3   ^
Old Thu, Aug-22-02, 22:33
katrine77's Avatar
katrine77 katrine77 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 126
 
Plan: Zone
Stats: 235/190/145 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 50%
Default

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
Reply With Quote
  #4   ^
Old Fri, Aug-30-02, 08:43
tofi's Avatar
tofi tofi is offline
Posts: 6,204
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 244/220/170 Female 65.4inches
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Ontario
Default

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.

Reply With Quote
  #5   ^
Old Fri, Aug-30-02, 09:25
DebPenny's Avatar
DebPenny DebPenny is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,514
 
Plan: TSP/PPLP/low-cal/My own
Stats: 250/209/150 Female 63.5 inches
BF:
Progress: 41%
Location: Sacramento, CA
Default 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
Reply With Quote
  #6   ^
Old Fri, Aug-30-02, 12:32
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 37,415
 
Plan: LC, GF
Stats: 241/190/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
Default

Quote:
Originally posted by tofi
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.[/B]
Thanks for this excellent reminder Other persons who should seek advice from their dr or pharmacist before using supplemental potassium are those taking certain diuretics for fluid retention/ high BP ... triamteriene, spironolactone, amiloride. These cause the kidneys to retain potassium.

Check out this article from HealthandAge.com for more information about Potassium and Drug Interactions

Doreen
Reply With Quote
  #7   ^
Old Fri, Aug-30-02, 19:19
katrine77's Avatar
katrine77 katrine77 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 126
 
Plan: Zone
Stats: 235/190/145 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 50%
Default

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!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
What is The Schwarzbein Principle? wcollier Schwarzbein Principle 35 Mon, Oct-10-11 19:57
Blood thinners with low-carbing? odyssey General Health 1 Wed, Aug-24-05 22:34
Meal-Related Monitoring of Blood Glucose Helpful to Control Type 2 Diabetics doreen T Dr.Bernstein & Diabetes 1 Sun, Dec-15-02 18:42
CoQ10 Therapy Can Improve Glucose and Blood Pressure Control in Type 2 Diabetics doreen T Dr.Bernstein & Diabetes 1 Sun, Dec-15-02 18:24
Small reduction in blood sugar can lower health costs doreen T LC Research/Media 3 Thu, Jan-11-01 10:26


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:49.


Copyright © 2000-2024 Active Low-Carber Forums @ forum.lowcarber.org
Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.