Recent research suggests that beetroot may lower blood pressure.
"HeartBeet", a new, palatable beetroot juice (it has apple juice added to it) has now come onto the market and is available from Holland & Barrett.
Monday 29 December 2008
Tuesday 23 December 2008
Resperate - Update
Just wanted to post a quick update on Resperate, which Mr C has had some success with.
It's a small unit with headphones, which plays musical notes at you - the idea is that you breathe in time with them, and that it gradually slows your breathing down by slowing down the music. Really what it is doing is getting you to meditate. Although Resperate doesn't seem to have been checked out by NICE yet, it's been approved by the FDA in the US, and also the principle has certainly been proven - regular meditation lowers your blood pressure. It's been demoed on This Morning, the item is on YouTube here.
Reducing our dietary sodium (and also alcohol consumption) brought Mr C's blood pressure down from 174/112 to 141/99 in 6 months - but this was obviously still too high. 6 weeks of regular Resperate use has brought it down, I am pleased to say, to 140/88, which is within the normal range (just!). It seems he is the perfect candidate for it, as he is otherwise very healthy, and has no underlying condition which is causing the high BP.
Resperate is £199, and is for sale online here (I'm sure you could find it cheaper elsewhere, but this site has a 30 day money back guarantee), although we got ours from our local Lloyds Chemist.
It's a small unit with headphones, which plays musical notes at you - the idea is that you breathe in time with them, and that it gradually slows your breathing down by slowing down the music. Really what it is doing is getting you to meditate. Although Resperate doesn't seem to have been checked out by NICE yet, it's been approved by the FDA in the US, and also the principle has certainly been proven - regular meditation lowers your blood pressure. It's been demoed on This Morning, the item is on YouTube here.
Reducing our dietary sodium (and also alcohol consumption) brought Mr C's blood pressure down from 174/112 to 141/99 in 6 months - but this was obviously still too high. 6 weeks of regular Resperate use has brought it down, I am pleased to say, to 140/88, which is within the normal range (just!). It seems he is the perfect candidate for it, as he is otherwise very healthy, and has no underlying condition which is causing the high BP.
Resperate is £199, and is for sale online here (I'm sure you could find it cheaper elsewhere, but this site has a 30 day money back guarantee), although we got ours from our local Lloyds Chemist.
Christmas Dinner "Loaded with Salt"
It's just once a year, so probably not worth getting too worked up about (unless you're this chap), but look at the figures on the bread sauce and stuffing.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday 9 December 2008
Top Tips - Measuring Your Blood Pressure at Home
Here are my top tips for measuring your blood pressure at home. See here for the Blood Pressure Association guidance.
1. Remember that home measurement is not for everyone. For some people it may prove helpful to them (and indeed their GP) to take some measurements outside of a clinical setting (which can make some people anxious). For others it may just make them more worried about their BP.
2. Find the right monitor for you. There is a list of clinically approved monitors here. Martin Roth has a good selection of reviews on his site.
3. Find out what's normal here (note this is only a guide - your GP is always the best source for advice).
4. Read the instructions, and follow them (it's so tempting with a new gadget just to start using it straightaway). If you don't, you may get inaccurate measurements. There are some tips on using a home monitor on the Blood Pressure Association site, here.
5. Take measurements at the same time of the day. Blood pressure varies - this isn't just because external stresses change, but is also a natural body rhythm thing - see here for a line graph.
1. Remember that home measurement is not for everyone. For some people it may prove helpful to them (and indeed their GP) to take some measurements outside of a clinical setting (which can make some people anxious). For others it may just make them more worried about their BP.
2. Find the right monitor for you. There is a list of clinically approved monitors here. Martin Roth has a good selection of reviews on his site.
3. Find out what's normal here (note this is only a guide - your GP is always the best source for advice).
4. Read the instructions, and follow them (it's so tempting with a new gadget just to start using it straightaway). If you don't, you may get inaccurate measurements. There are some tips on using a home monitor on the Blood Pressure Association site, here.
5. Take measurements at the same time of the day. Blood pressure varies - this isn't just because external stresses change, but is also a natural body rhythm thing - see here for a line graph.
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