How can I lessen my chances of high blood pressure? -

Both sides of my family have hypertension going back several generations (some of them are overweight, others are not -- for example, my dad is 5 7quot; and weighs 140 pounds yet he has to be on medicine for his B/P). I am a 37-year-old female. A couple of years ago, I bought a blood pressure machine and my readings have always averaged something like 105/60, but since I have gained a lot of weight they average 118/85. I am working on losing weight now. Will this lower back to my normal level? How can I further lessen my chances of getting genetic hypertension besides the obvious avoiding salt, gettng more exercise, etc?

Keep your weight at a healthy # Avoid Salty foods Avoid foods high in fat Exercise

Other than what you mentioned - losing weight, avoiding salt, exercising - make sure you are eating healthy and do what you can to minimize stress in your life. If you do all of that, your BP will probably hit the normal range. But you may still end up needing medication anyway, that s just how it is for some people.

drink lots of water don t smoke don t drink alcohol in excess diet high in potassium and magnesium find healthy ways to manage stress - yoga and or meditation

There are a number of things you can do naturally, other than what you mentioned, to lower your blood pressure. 1. Robert O. Young s alkaline diet has been found to be very effective at lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease -- even in people who are genetically predisposed to these conditions. He has a number of books out that are inexpensive and very helpful, including: quot;The ph Miraclequot; and quot;Sick amp; Tired? Reclaim Your Inner Terrain.quot; The second book is quite technical and would be appropriate for those who want not just the diet, but an in-depth understanding of biological principles (as interpreted by Dr. Young, a naturopathic doctor who has become quite famous for reversing hard-to-treat illnesses). 2. Many people who have quot;silverquot; dental amalgam fillings experience high blood pressure. The truth is, these fillings are made from 50% mercury and are highly toxic. Symptoms are often reversed when these fillings are properly removed by a trained, quot;mercury-freequot; dentist. You can read quot;Uninformed Consentquot; by Hal Huggins, DDS, or the following article for more: Dr. John McDougall has been successfully reversing hypertension and heart disease for over 3 decades with a plant and starch based diet. His book, quot;The McDougall Plan: 12 Days to Dynamic Healthquot; could be extremely helpful to you and your whole family. Here is an article from Dr. McDougall s website: Dean Ornish and his colleagues at the Preventive Medicine Research Institute have made it clear that food, diet and lifestyle choices absolutely can alter how our genes are expressed. We are convinced that there is a non-invasive, diet and exercise plan out there that can help you and even your father if he is so inclined. These should be excellent starting points. Best of luck, and take good care of yourself. - limeincoconut.com