High Blood Pressure

So you've just been diagnosed with high blood pressure or have been told that you are on the road to this diagnosis if you don't make some changes, and you don't know where to start.

First, let's take a look at what this diagnosis means. Blood pressure is "the measurement of the force with which the heart pushes blood through the circulatory system." High blood pressure, also called hypertension, occurs when blood cannot easily flow through the aforementioned system. A few things disrupt proper blood flow:

  • thick blood
  • plaque filled arteries
  • excessive insulin and blood sugar levels
  • stress

The first 3 bullets are most often brought on by poor nutrition. Eating too much processed foods, which are high in sodium, sugar and chemicals, and not enough vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes can cause a host of lifestyle diseases including this one.

High blood pressure can be reversed by making daily changes like converting to a whole foods plant-based diet, exercising regularly, and managing stress levels through meditation and other healthy avenues.

Know that none of these lifestyle changes have to be boring. You can add your twist to each one so that they're enjoyable for you and fit YOUR life.

Yes, your doctor can put you on meds so you don't have to do any of the above but that is only treating the symptoms, not the cause AND those meds will have side effects that you do not want to have to deal with.

According to the CDC, "Nearly half of adults in the United States (47%, or 116 million) have hypertension". And we all know that this disease disproportionally affects black and brown people for a ton of reasons like systemic racism, poor access to healthy foods, etc.

The consequences of not reversing this diagnosis are dire. They include damage to the heart and arteries (heart disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure), stroke, vision loss, kidney disease/failure, sexual dysfunction and more. Ugh. I know you all don't want any parts of that.

We can go a lot deeper on this topic but in the interest of saving time, I will leave you with the above basics. If you're ready to make some changes or to learn more, schedule a free discovery call so I can help you get started.

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