Superior Cleansing » Blood Pressure

12 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Melanie Iacono — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:34:04 +0000

: 12 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Beat high blood pressure

High blood pressure is one of the most preventable conditions.

But it plays a contributing role in more than 15% of deaths in the United States, according to a new Harvard study. Although it causes no symptoms, HBP boosts the risks of leading killers such as heart attack and stroke, as well as aneurysms, cognitive decline, and kidney failure. In fact, 28% of Americans have high blood pressure and don’t know it, according to the American Heart Association. If you haven’t had yours checked in 2 years, see a doctor.

Fortunately, most people can reduce their blood pressure without medication. First get to a healthy weight. Then add these strategies.

1. Go for power walks

Hypertensive patients who walked at a brisk pace lowered pressure by almost 8 mmhg over 6 mmhg. Exercise helps the heart use oxygen more efficiently, so it doesn’t work as hard to pump blood. Get a vigorous cardio workout of at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Try increasing speed or distance so you keep challenging your ticker.

2. Breathe deeply

Slow breathing and meditative practices such as qigong, yoga, and tai chi decrease stress hormones, which elevate renin, a kidney enzyme that raises blood pressure. Try 5 minutes in the morning and at night. Inhale deeply and expand your belly. Exhale and release all of your tension.

3. Pick potassium-rich produce

Loading up on potassium-rich fruits and vegetables is an important part of any blood pressure–lowering program, says Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medical. Aim for potassium levels of 2,000 to 4,000 mg a day, she says. Top sources of potassium-rich produce include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, orange juice, potatoes, bananas, kidney beans, peas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and dried fruits such as prunes and raisins.

4. Read food labels for sodium

Certain groups of people—the elderly, African Americans, and those with a family history of high blood pressure—are more likely than others to have blood pressure that’s particularly salt (or sodium) sensitive. But because there’s no way to tell whether any one individual is sodium sensitive, everyone should lower his sodium intake, says Eva Obarzanek, PhD, a research nutritionist at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. How far? To 1,500 mg daily, about half the average American intake, she says. (Half a teaspoon of salt contains about 1,200 mg of sodium.)

Cutting sodium means more than going easy on the saltshaker, which contributes just 15% of the sodium in the typical American diet. Watch for sodium in processed foods, Obarzanek warns. That’s where most of the sodium in your diet comes from, she says. Season foods with spices, herbs, lemon, and salt-free seasoning blends.

5. Indulge in dark chocolate

Dark varieties contain flavanols that make blood vessels more elastic. In one study, 18% of patients who ate it every day saw blood pressure decrease. Have 1/2 ounce daily (make sure it contains at least 70% cocoa).

6. Take a supplement

In a review of 12 studies, researchers found that coenzyme Q10 reduced blood pressure by up to 17 mmhg over 10 mmhg. The antioxidant, required for energy production, dilates blood vessels. Ask your doctor about taking a 60 to 100 mg supplement up to 3 times a day.

7. Drink alcohol—but not too much

According to a review of 15 studies, the less you drink, the lower your blood pressure will drop—to a point. A study of women at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, for example, found that light drinking (defined as one-quarter to one-half a drink per day for a woman) may actually reduce blood pressure more than no drinks per day. One “drink” is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits.

Other studies have also found that moderate drinking—up to one drink a day for a woman, two for a man—can lower risks of heart disease. “High levels of alcohol are clearly detrimental,” says Obarzanek. “But moderate alcohol is protective of the heart. If you are going to drink, drink moderately.”

8. Go decaf

Scientists have long debated the effects of caffeine on blood pressure. Some studies have shown no effect, but one from Duke University Medical Center found that caffeine consumption of 500 mg—roughly three 8-ounce cups of coffee—increased blood pressure by 4 mmhg, and that effect lasted until bedtime. For reference, 8 ounces of drip coffee contain 100 to 125 mg; the same amount of tea, 50 mg; an equal quantity of cola, about 40 mg.

Caffeine can raise blood pressure by tightening blood vessels and by magnifying the effects of stress, says Jim Lane, PhD, associate research professor at Duke and the lead author of the study. “When you’re under stress, your heart starts pumping a lot more blood, boosting blood pressure,” he says. “And caffeine exaggerates that effect.” If you drink a lot of joe, pour more decaf to protect your ticker.

9. Take up tea

Lowering high blood pressure is as easy as one, two, tea: Study participants who sipped 3 cups of a hibiscus tea daily lowered systolic blood pressure by 7 points in 6 weeks on average, say researchers from Tufts University—results on par with many prescription medications. Those who received a placebo drink improved their reading by only 1 point.

The phytochemicals in hibiscus are probably responsible for the large reduction in high blood pressure, say the study authors. Many herbal teas contain hibiscus; look for blends that list it near the top of the chart of ingredients—this often indicates a higher concentration per serving.

10. Work (a little) less

Putting in more than 41 hours per week at the office raises your risk of hypertension by 15%, according to a University of California, Irvine, study of 24,205 California residents. Overtime makes it hard to exercise and eat healthy, says Haiou Yang, PhD, the lead researcher. It may be difficult to clock out super early in today’s tough economic times, but try to leave at a decent hour—so you can go to the gym or cook a healthy meal—as often as possible. Set an end-of-day message on your computer as a reminder to turn it off and go home.

11. Relax with music

Need to bring down your blood pressure a bit more than medication or lifestyle changes can do alone? The right tunes can help, according to researchers at the University of Florence in Italy. They asked 28 adults who were already taking hypertension pills to listen to soothing classical, Celtic, or Indian music for 30 minutes daily while breathing slowly. After a week, the listeners had lowered their average systolic reading by 3.2 points; a month later, readings were down 4.4 points.

12. Seek help for snoring

It’s time to heed your partner’s complaints and get that snoring checked out. Loud, incessant snores are one of the main symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). University of Alabama researchers found that many sleep apnea sufferers also had high levels of aldosterone, a hormone that can boost blood pressure. In fact, it’s estimated that half of all people with sleep apnea have high blood pressure.

If you have sleep apnea, you may experience many brief yet potentially life-threatening interruptions in your breathing while you sleep. In addition to loud snoring, excessive daytime tiredness and early morning headaches are also good clues. If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor if OSA could be behind it; treating sleep apnea may lower aldosterone levels and improve BP.

For original article click here.

Seven Ways to Love Your Heart

Melanie Iacono — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:36:03 +0000

Living heart healthy can be easier with Isagenix products.

Today, on Go Red For Women day, our hearts go out to all those who’ve lost a grandmother, mother, wife, or daughter to heart disease or stroke.

American Heart Month has been officially kicked off—recognizing heart disease as the No. 1 killer in the U.S. (and stroke as No. 3)—and we’re drawn once again to encourage you to get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight.

These are all vital components for protecting your heart. This is a time to share the ways to reduce risk of heart disease and stroke – a time to help save lives.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, another coronary event happens every 25 seconds.

It’s of no help that, by February, experts say most of us have forgotten our New Year’s diet resolutions and have returned to the same unhealthy, Western-style foods, which appeal to our wired taste buds, but also include the junk “foods” that raise blood pressure and clog arteries.

With the exception of a few communities secluded in the mountains of Colorado, experts say that by February most of us have given up on exercising daily, trading in the hour running on the treadmill for more time on the couch.

The more hours of TV watched per day, suggests an Australian study, the shorter your lifespan.

We don’t think achieving your heart-healthy goals has to be difficult, which is why we’re sharing ways that Isagenix products can help you protect your heart, and keep it pumping at its optimum, so you can live healthier and longer.

1. Cut sodium, control calories with IsaLean® Shake.

There is no risk factor for heart disease more significant than high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure is linked to a high-sodium diet and being overweight.

Americans overeat and consume too much sodium from processed foods daily. By reducing calories and sodium in your diet, you can drastically reduce risk of high blood pressure.

Make a simple healthy choice of having an IsaLean Shake in place of any fast-food meal and it’ll make quite a difference for your heart.

With less than 200 mg sodium per serving and less than 30 mg of cholesterol, IsaLean® Shake can serve as a meal replacement that is easy and quick to make, is high in protein and low in fat, and is definitely healthier than any hamburger and fries.

IsaLean® Shake also features high-oleic olive and sunflower oils along with alpha-linolenic acid from flax seed as its main sources of fats. Consumption of these sources of fats, as supported by studies on the Mediterranean diet, has been linked to better control of blood pressure and heart health.

2. Eat a high-fiber diet with help from Oatmeal Berry SlimCakes® andFiberPro™

The average American receives less than half the amount of fiber than recommended, which puts her or him at significantly higher risk for heart disease. The National Fiber Council advises women 50 years and younger receive dietary fiber in amounts as high as 25 grams per day, men 50 years and younger as high as 38 grams per day.

Fiber-rich foods help keep you feeling full, help you manage weight by curbing cravings and can help you keep blood cholesterol in check.

Eating a SlimCake, which contains 5 grams of fiber from whole oats, inulin and flax seed, provides you with soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

In addition, adding a scoop of flavorless FiberPro in all your beverages can also help you control calories and help maintain healthy blood sugar by lowering the glycemic response from every meal. Tight blood sugar control is linked to improved heart health.

3. Get enough heart-healthy fish oil omega-3s daily with IsaOmega Supreme®

Eating fish at least two times a week or taking fish oil supplements daily may reduce the risk of heart disease* because fish oil contains eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

These two types of omega-3s, according to the American Heart Association, can help prevent cardiovascular events, decrease the risk of arrhythmias, reduce triglyceride levels, slow the growth of atherosclerotic plaque and may slightly lower blood pressure.

IsaOmega Supreme is one of the most potent omega-3 supplements on the market today with high concentrations of both EPA and DHA. Taking two softgels of IsaOmega Supreme daily can support your overall heart function.

4. Replace sugary sodas and fruit drinks with IsaFruits® and Isagenix Greens!™

The average American consumes 22.2 teaspoons of added sugar daily, which leads to weight gain and obesity, and raises your risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Unfortunately, sugar-sweetened drinks and foods surround most of us at every meal making it difficult to keep to a reduced-calorie diet.

You can still enjoy great-tasting fruit beverages by choosing naturally sweet IsaFruits® or Isagenix Greens!, each containing only 1 gram of sugar per serving, and providing a broad spectrum of nutrients, including antioxidants, from fruits and “green foods”.

5. Don’t forget to take your Isagenix Antioxidants, which includes CoQ10

You may have heard that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help you lower risk of heart disease, attributed in part to fiber and to antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. These antioxidant vitamins can keep cholesterol from becoming oxidized by neutralizing free radicals.

In addition, a rich supply of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is absolutely vital for a healthy heart but, unfortunately, as our bodies age, the natural amounts of coQ10 are diminished.

To be sure you’re getting enough vitamins C and E, and coQ10 daily along with a broad spectrum of other antioxidant nutrients, you can take Isagenix Antioxidants, 3 capsules daily.

6. Enjoy regular “deep cleansing” with Cleanse for Life™

Taking a day or two off of eating food can be good for your heart, according to American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2007.

The effects of intermittent fasting could only be augmented by “deep cleansing” such as performed with Cleanse for Life. The supplement includes antioxidants and health-promoting, detoxifying botanicals.

In addition, giving your body time to cleanse once or twice a week, as part of the Isagenix Cleansing and Fat Burning System, can help give you a fast start to losing weight and improving your health.

7. For your Valentine, make it a box of IsaDelight® dark chocolates

If you are a lover of dark chocolate, then there’s no doubt you are also a fan of its heart-healthy cocoa antioxidants. However, not all dark chocolates are the same.

To make sure you’re getting the right kind of dark chocolate, choose one with a high ORAC score.

Just two IsaDelight dark chocolate pieces can produce an ORAC of 5,200 of which is the . The ORAC score is a measure of antioxidant strength.

To your heart it means IsaDelight has enough antioxidant cocoa flavanols to help protect your cholesterol from oxidation and help promote healthy blood pressure.

*Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One serving of IsaOmega Supreme provides 1,200 grams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. See Supplement Facts Panelfor details on nutrition content.

Is The Biggest Loser Lacking Something??

Spencer Iacono — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:21:32 +0000

Have you ever had the scare of a loved one, perhaps a parent, being
told that if they didn’t change their eating habits, lose weight and
start exercising that they might not make it too much longer?

Let me first tell you that I am an avid watcher of the TV reality
show called “The Biggest Loser.” I get a little emotional nearly
everytime I watch that show! Why is that? Well, because I love
it when people change for the better, whether it be losing weight
overcoming an addictive habit, learning how to be unselfish…

But the real satisfaction comes to me when I see that someone has
made a serious breakthrough in their lives. When they have
discovered something non-traditional, or unfamiliar to the masses
but which has been proven to be a more effective tool in whatever
goal they are pursuing.

Let me share with you an e-mail I received from my Uncle Ron just
a few days ago. Uncle Ron has been overweight nearly his entire adult
life and has struggled to keep the weight off ever since he began
gaining. He is about 65 years old. He wrote me recently to tell
me about a breakthrough he’s had in his health:

-Snip-

“Hey nephew and niece, You would fall off your seat if you saw me
now. This is nothing to brag about, but Isagenix has altered my
life and is bringing my health up to speed. I am coming in more
ripped and am down to a 38-40 jean waist, the worse being 50-52.

My worse weight before I started a diet 2 years ago was 375(the
nurses tried to tell me I was at 405 but I made them work the scale
differently:). You know all this. And, I had gained 25-30lbs back
by the time you guys came (with the Isagenix Products), but more
importantly, I didn’t feel good. Now the doctors have checked me
again and my cholesterol in normal and my blood pressure was 120/70
and I am now at 240 pounds!

I still have a lot of hurdles yet and am taking this one step at a
time. I haven’t even started my exercise routine yet….These I
have suffered over the the last years have hampered me a little.
But hey, I have both of you, Aunt Stephanie, and Allisa(who
validated this from a nurses backround) to thank. I am working to
remove every ounce of fatty tissue off of me.”

Uncle Ron on the Left(no more double chin!)

I don’t know about you, but I love to hear life altering stories such as this one,
especially when it comes from those you love. Can you think of a better
gift to give your loved ones for Christmas than to help them live a longer
and happier life?

I invite you to learn more about Isagenix, “World Leader in Nutritional Cleansing”
so that you can help others. To a Happy and Healthy Holiday!

Sincerely,

Spencer Iacono
http://SuperiorCleansing.com
spenceri@superiorcleansing.com

P.S. As a Christmas gift, I will be offering Free Isagenix consultations from now until
January 1st, so don’t wait now to get revved up for your New Years Resolution!