Got high blood pressure? Monitor your blood pressure with your primary care physician, and know there are also solutions with a functional medicine practitioner like myself to get this condition under control.
Here are some things to consider:
Check your blood sugar (fasting glucose and HA1C) as insulin resistance increases blood pressure.
Check your stress. What stressors can you walk away from or manage better?
Schedule in relaxation. Read, meditate, sauna, yoga, nap, get together with friends, etc.
Exercise; remember frequency is more important than intensity.
Lose weight as needed. Even a little weight loss can help. Excess weight puts a strain on your system.
Do the healthy lifestyle basics: Sleep, don’t smoke, limit alcohol and caffeine use.
Diet:
Limit sodium to 2400 mg day and always use natural sea salt. Eating out and eating ‘convenience foods’ like canned soup, chips and frozen meals will have more and low-quality sodium.
Increase the following minerals to balance out the sodium:
Magnesium- almonds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, dark leafy greens, dark chocolate
Calcium- bone broth, white beans, sardines, blackstrap molasses, bok choy, dried figs
Potassium- coconut water, dark leafy greens, baked potato and squash, avocado, salmon, mushroom, banana
Many wholesome foods contain all three of the above minerals.
Most of us are eating way too few vegetables a day. Get veggies with every meal. Have a salad daily.
Plus have:
Fish oil- from wild salmon, sardine, anchovy, or high quality supplement
Vitamin C- from peppers, lemon, broccoli, rose hips, citrus, camu camu, or a high quality supplement with bioflavonoids
Advanced moves:
Cook with turmeric, garlic and cayenne.
Make barley water. It reduces swelling and blood pressure.
You can schedule individual treatment to create a customized healing plan that works best for you at our schedule link. Thanks! Bridgit Danner, Lac