I’ve been asked many times about the safety of taking a weight loss supplement (i.e. diet pill) when living with high blood pressure or taking blood pressure medication.

My answer doesn’t vary:

“I do not recommend diet pills – whether you have high blood pressure or not.

Many weight loss supplements contain “undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients”, frequently in levels exceeding FDA recommendations. These ingredients include drugs not approved in the U.S. These substances impact blood pressure and anti-seizure medications, diuretics, along with drugs linked to suicide, depression, and cancer.”

Not only can weight loss supplements lead to negative health consequences, they don’t typically work.
Continue reading ‘Weight Loss Pills: Do they work?’ »

On September 13, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services launched Million Hearts. Million Hearts is aimed to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years.

Cardiovascular disease costs $444 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity.

Million Hearts focuses on two goals:

1. Empower Americans to make health choices.

This includes preventing the use of tobacco, reducing sodium and trans fat intake. Taking this steps can mean decreased medical treatment (and costs) for blood pressure and cholesterol.

2. Improve care of those who need treatment.

The initiated is targeted to using Aspirin for people at risk, promotion of Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation. This treatment focus is being referred to as the “ABCS” and is intended to cover the major risk factors for heart disease, which means prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

Continue reading ‘Million Hearts: Prevent 1 Million Heart Attacks and Strokes in 5 Years’ »

When you think about water and blood pressure the link between dehydration and low blood pressure probably comes to mind. Dehydration is a potential cause of low blood pressure due to resulting decreased blood volume leading to reduced pressure against artery walls.

However, did you know not drinking enough water can lead to high blood pressure?

When you do not drink adequate water the body will compensate by retaining sodium. That should be a red flag. Sodium is directly related to high blood pressure.

While this sodium retention takes place, the persistent dehydration will lead the body to gradually ‘close’ some of the capillary beds. This leads to increased pressure places on arteries and a rise in blood pressure.

Here are three steps you can take to prevent high blood pressure that is caused by dehydration.

Continue reading ‘High Blood Pressure and Dehydration’ »

Your daily intake of salt has a direct impact on your blood pressure. For some individuals who are salt sensitive the impact on blood pressure levels is even greater.

Restock Your Spice Rack

Spices are a wonderful way to add flavor to your foods so you are less tempted to reach for the salt shaker at the table. However, you need to purchase the right spices. For example, replace garlic SALT, which contains 320 mg of sodium per ¼ teaspoon, with garlic POWDER which contains 1 mg per 1 teaspoon.

The same goes for onion salt, replace it with onion powder and any other ‘salts’ you may have in your cupboard.

Continue reading ‘Which is better to lower blood pressure? Garlic SALT or Garlic POWDER’ »

There are some studies that suggest a higher intensity interval workout routine, such as those used by athletes, may be beneficial for patients with heart conditions.

High intensity interval training involves short bursts of intense exercise at 85-95% maximum heart rate. These short bursts are alternated with periods of moderate exercise. This workout method is frequently used by athletes to improve speed and endurance.
If this type of training were to be recommended for heart patients it’d be a change from the standard protocol of steady aerobic exercise at 70% maximum heart rate. This lower level of intensity is intended to work the heart without risking chest pain, heart attack, or other complication.

Continue reading ‘Increase Exercise Intensity to Strengthen Heart’ »

Do you understand the importance of being regularly active to promote heart health? However, you know this and still remain sedentary? Is this because the thought of exercise makes you think of a gym membership, spandex, and everyone watching you try to use equipment you have no idea how to work? Well, here’s an alternative.

Simply taking a daily walk has many benefits without the risk of embarrassment.

Benefits of Walking Daily

• Decreases risk of heart disease or stroke.
• Lowers LDL cholesterol
• Increases HDL cholesterol
• Reduces blood pressure
• Increases daily calories burned (weight management)
• Decreases risk of colon cancer and diabetes (may protect against breast cancer)
• Decreases joint swelling and pain from arthritis
• Improves mood
• Improves stress management
• More energy
• Improves self-esteem
• Improves sleep quality

How Long of a Walk

Continue reading ‘Walking for Heart Health Benefits’ »

Let’s cover five ways you can lower high blood pressure through dietary changes.

1. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a very effective meal plan to lower blood pressure. The diet is high in fruits and vegetables, including 4-5 vegetable servings and 4-5 fruit servings everyday.

Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of fiber and phytonutrients essential to heart health and promotion of a lower blood pressure. The more the better!

2. Decrease sodium intake

Continue reading ‘Lower High Blood Pressure: 5 Ways’ »

I’ve shared information previously on the benefits of a high potassium diet and reduced blood pressure. However, another study has found an increased risk of death from heart disease to be linked to a diet high in sodium and low in potassium.

High sodium, low potassium equals increased risk of death

According to research Elena V. Kuklina, consuming a diet high in sodium and low in potassium results in a 50% increased risk of death from any cause and almost doubles the risk of death from heart disease. The study I’m referencing was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Study Participants

Researchers followed over 12,000 US adults. The participants did not follow a reduced salt diet nor did they have a history of heart conditions or stroke. Participants were followed for 15 years. During this time 2,270 participants died. Out of this number, 1268 died from cardiovascular disease.

Study Results

Continue reading ‘Sodium & Potassium – Are you getting too much or too little?’ »

If you have high blood pressure you need to exercise wisely.

Weight Training & High Blood Pressure

You want to use caution when lifting weights. There is potential for weight lifting to cause a drastic rise in blood pressure. However, there are many benefits linked to strength training, including a lower blood pressure.

I’ll refer you to this article to learn more:

How does strength training affect blood pressure?

Stay Safe

Continue reading ‘Exercise Safety with High Blood Pressure’ »

There is an overwhelming amount of information regarding what you should and should not eat available to you. Many times I see people try new diets or special foods to promote heart health. However, they don’t have the basics in place to promote a healthy heart. Therefore, making one particular change, such as eating more walnuts, won’t have as great an impact.

Here are five foundational pieces you need to have in place to promote heart health.

1. Reduce your intake of unhealthy fats

There are different types of dietary fats – saturated and unsaturated. Trans and saturated fats have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, such as elevated cholesterol levels, and should be consumed in moderation. You want to replace the majority of the saturated fats in your diet with more heart healthy unsaturated fats.

How do you do this?

Continue reading ‘Heart Healthy Diet’ »