SUPPLEMENTS Don’t depend only on supplements. Diet is very important. Vitamin C lessens overall inflammation and inhibits the production of C-reactive protein Plays a role in keeping blood pressure down Vitamin C with bioflavonoids – 500-1000 mg daily - If you’re prone to heartburn or acid reflux, avoid ascorbic acid – and opt for Ester-C. 400- 1000 IU Vitamin E is very important. Vitamin E improves heart function. Take d-alpha, NOT dl-alpha. 2000 mg Potassium Only take supplemental potassium if your health care practitioner advises it. It’s better to take a dietary approach. Potassium tends to balance your blood pressure Potassium will also establish a natural diuretic effect to help clear salt out of your body. In an 8-week study, 70 per cent got a reduction from potassium. CAUTION: If you have kidney problems, check w/your doctor before significantly increasing your potassium or before taking potassium supplements. 400-1200 mg Magnesium daily Magnesium influences how the heart and blood vessels contract and relax. It promotes dilation of the arteries, reduces resistance to blood flow and helps lower blood pressure Low magnesium is a hidden risk for high blood pressure A high magnesium intake is associated with lower blood pressure There’s no fixed amount of magnesium that each of us needs. Your body knows how much you can tolerate from bowel tolerance – take as much magnesium as your bowels can tolerate Add 100 mg of magnesium to your nutritional supplements, and increase it by 100 mg every few days until your stools are soft, but not uncomfortably loose. Calcium, magnesium, and many other minerals are best absorbed when they are bound to an acidic carrier such as citrate, aspartate, picolinate, or amino acid chelate. Minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used. The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good. Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements). Most minerals are best taken as a team with other minerals in a multi-mineral formula. A good Fish Oil – such as Carlson’s If you have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or other signs of heart disease, 3-5 grams is helpful. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking medications to make sure there are no negative interactions. Fish oils thin the blood just like aspirin, gingko biloba, and garlic. You don’t want to thin your blood so much that it causes bleeding.

Reducing sodium lowers blood pressure in some people, but not everyone. One reason could be a sodium/potassium imbalance. You do need a lot of potassium. In one study of people with high blood pressure, a diet low in sodium and high in potassium worked better than just lowering salt intake. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, which tend to be high in potassium Learn to enjoy the taste of foods as they are—nibble on garden fresh greens and herbs Avoid processed foods, especially bouillon and commercial soups, breads and crackers, cheeses, chips, cured meats (bacon, bologna, corned beef, ham, salami), pretzels, and salt-cured foods (olives and pickles). Pure maple syrup has almost no sodium while commercial pancake syrups do. Read the sodium content on ingredient labels. Many so-called “natural†meats and poultry found in the supermarket have added sodium. A half-cup serving of Prego’s Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce has 430 mg of sodium even though it doesn’t taste salty. Eat at home more often. Restaurant food—particularly fast food—is notoriously high in sodium. A Premium Caesar Salad at McDonald’s has a whopping 890 mg of sodium—without the dressing! Always taste your food before you salt it. Try squeezing on a little lemon or lime juice first. Stimulate your sense of smell and increase flavor by adding more aromatic herbs to your meals. Start your day off right. Bagels are not only high in carbs but also sodium (up to 440 mg per serving). Cow’s milk and cheese are high in sodium – keep your dairy intake low When you reduce your sodium intake to 2.5 grams a day (2500 mg) or less, you are reducing your risk for hypertension – especially if you’re over the age of 60. Traditional Chinese medicine suggests that salt cravings are the body’s attempt to balance too much sugar or alcohol in the diet. Watching your intake of these substances can help you cut out salty processed foods—while contributing to healthy weight loss and lower blood pressure. Simple carbohydrates – particularly white bread, potatoes, and pasta – can send blood pressure soaring.

EAT LESS Getting the salt out of your diet requires one basic strategy: Eat more natural foods (fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, eggs, lean poultry and meats, unsalted nuts and seeds, and whole grains). Seafood, kelp and other sea vegetables contain sodium but add much-needed iodine as well. Iodine is necessary for the thyroid gland to function correctly. Lowering your salt intake is not good enough. Eliminate ALL salt from your diet. Read all labels carefully and avoid those food products that have “soda,†“sodium,†or the symbol “Na†on the label. Start with the “% Daily Value†of sodium, and never buy foods that contain more than 16 percent of the Daily Value or foods that have a sodium content of greater than 300 mg per serving. Canned foods should be limited. Even things like ketchup, dips, relishes, mustard, and salad dressings are packed with /sodium. Also peruse the ingredients label for sodium in all its various forms: baking powder or soda, disodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sea seal, sodium alginate, sodium aluminum sulfate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium bisulfite, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium caseinate, sodium erythorbate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrate and/or nitrite, sodium pectinate, sodium propionate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium saccharin, and sodium sulfite. Understand as well, the meaning of “sodium-free†and similar claims. “Sodium-free†means that a food contains less than 5 mg of sodium per serving. “Very-low-sodium†means a food has less than 35 mg per serving. “Low-sodium†means a food contains 140 mg or less per serving. You probably add 5 percent of your daily salt intake from your shaker or salt grinder. You can cut some by substituting sesame salt (or gomasio, a combination of sea salt and ground sesame seeds, popular in Asian and macrobiotic cooking). Make your meals come alive with savory salt-free seasonings like cumin, curry, chili, and cayenne. The good news is that for most people, it’s easier to cut down on salt than to reduce fat or sugar. Just don’t reduce sodium too quickly. Be especially vigilant about processed foods – salad dressing, pasta sauce, instant hot cereal.

Tea is high in antioxidants and its flavonoids fight hypertension. Drinking 1-3 cups per day has been found to lower blood pressure. Hibiscus tea is excellent also. Look for a standardized extract of hibiscus. Many herbal teas contain hibiscus. Look for herbal blends that list it near the top of the chart of ingredients. Sesame seeds lower blood pressure and cholesterol even better than Rx drugs! Cook with sesame oil and eat sesame seeds every day. Sesame seeds are a good source of minerals (calcium, magnesium, and potassium) that counteract the effects of too much sodium in the diet. Grapes have natural pressure-lowering compounds Regularly eating 1 cup of yogurt (plain, Greek-style) daily can help get blood pressure under control. Nutmeg lowers blood pressure. Try to get ½ to 1 teaspoon a day. Lypocene lowers blood pressure. Eat more tomatoes – more beneficial when cooked in olive oil Chicken Soup – The broth is rich in collagen proteins that can significantly lower blood pressure. Make your soup with chicken legs and feet – they contain the highest amounts of collagen protein. ½ ounce dark chocolate every other day or so – at least 70% cocoa – dark chocolate contains flavanols that make blood vessels more elastic.

WEIGHT LOSS Even a 5-10% weight loss can greatly help reduce blood pressure. It helps to have a positive, determined attitude (not so easy, but it really does help). A defeatist attitude won’t work. Address your emotional and physiological cravings. Use emotional answers to emotional problems. Food is only a temporary fix. Control your portions. Chew your food well. Reduce your portions and wait 15 minutes before taking seconds. Change your diet. Eat more dense foods that turn to sugar more slowly – beans, fish, and chicken. Concentrate on eating some protein (including beans and tofu) with each meal. Eat lots of vegetables. Drink water throughout the day. Exercise more EAT MORE Potassium balances your blood pressure Potassium is found in bananas, avocados, prunes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beet greens, and yogurt – most fruits and vegetables contain potassium Eat fresh vegetables twice a day and fruit at least once a day, to give you enough potassium with very little sodium. Potassium will also establish a natural diuretic effect to help clear salt out of your body. In an 8-week study, 70 per cent got a reduction from potassium. Don’t just increase your intake of potassium-rich foods, You need sufficient magnesium before potassium can be raised. Fortunately, many foods that are high in potassium are also high in magnesium. They include nuts, green-leafy vegetables, and beans. Eat some of them every day. Magnesium promotes dilation of the arteries, reduces resistance to blood flow and helps lower blood pressure Low magnesium is a hidden risk for high blood pressure A high magnesium intake is associated with lower blood pressure Magnesium is also available in whole grain foods and soy products Your diet and supplements should be high in magnesium. Whole Foods – fresh fruits and vegetables Nuts, seeds, soy, cold-pressed vegetable oils When all else fails, try a temporary vegetarian diet. Plenty of whole grains, beans, vegetables, and some fruit – will give you plenty of nutrients needed to keep hypertension at bay Try a vegetarian diet for at least 3 weeks, but preferably for 3 months, or if you really can’t – try eating like a vegetarian once a week. Choose a black bean burger over beef, for example, or stir-fry tofu instead of pork. Vegetarians have one-third to one-half less hypertension than non-vegetarians You can include fish – but make sure you get good-quality fish Beet Juice The nitrate content of beet juice helps lower blood pressure, research has shown. Try to do a detox fast for 3-5 days each month. Juicing veggies as often as possible is very beneficial.

I have lots and lots of tips to share and hope I don't overwhelm you and others. Just do what YOU can. Yes, my dad used lots of the following for years. He only recently started taking blood pressure meds. Didn't need them much sooner. BLOOD PRESSURE Have your blood pressure checked at least once a year. If it’s greater than 120/80, check it more often – check it 3 separate times at the same time of day. Normal: Below 120/80 Pre-Hypertension: 120/80 to 139/89 Hypertension: 140/90 Although high blood pressure often shows no signs, the usual symptoms are: • headaches • dizziness • noises or ringing in the ears • hemorrhages in the eyes • sweating • rapid pulse • shortness of breath • vision disturbances • heavy snoring High blood pressure and diabetes are related. The two often appear together, especially in obese patients. If you have mild hypertension or are at risk, get tested for diabetes. If your blood pressure is high and your doctor has put you on meds, you could be taking them for the rest of your life. They’re not only expensive, they can have side effects like fatigue, nausea, headaches, abdominal cramping, congestive heart failure, depression, and poor memory. Rx and OTC drugs should be reserved for situations after all else fails. Read about the methods below. Discuss them your doctor, and give them a 3-month trial. Then have your doctor monitor you and tell you how to get off your meds safely. Increase your physical activity Lose excess weight Limit salt Stop smoking for good

I no longer feel particularly comfortable to eat while walking, but sometimes, such as when traveling in big cities like NY, London, or Paris - or wherever - even in Disneyworld - places where it's hard to find a seat - one has little choice. I prefer to sit down but can't always do so. I also prefer to lie down while reading, but good heavens, while you're in the doctor's waiting room, you can't exactly do that :lol:. Beggars can't be choosers. Many years ago when I was in undergrad, I bought an apricot on the street and started to eat it. Two ladies criticized me loudly (not to my face, but more to each other), saying, "Look at her! Can you believe she's eating an apricot while walking?!" I gave them a look and proceeded to follow them (very closely, mind you) for several blocks. Freaked them out considerably. :lol: I'm really normally a very nice person, but there comes a point for all of us when we've just about had it. It's not like I'd killed a cat or done anything nasty. What I choose to do with my eating is my business, thank you very much. :D

Carol, thank you for sharing. I have another recipe and yours looks much better. Printing it right now. :) Apple Crisp is lovely for breakfast and dessert.

:smilielol5: :lol: :smilielol5:

This book is absolutely gorgeous. I would get it used, since new is, more than $500! You should be able to get a nice used edition.

Renee, your goals are great ones and so very do-able. Good for you. :D Yep, it is counterproductive. Try to treat yourself to something that's not food instead. :grouphug: Meggie, thank you for that link. Looks so good. Love lists like that. Your goals are wonderful. Proud of you for making all those positive changes. Yes, I hear you on the waking up early thing. If I don't wake up early, I'll find a million and one excuses to not exercise ;). Plus, when I do exercise in the morning, I feel so much better all day long. It sets the tone for the day. Great one. Soda is one of the worst things for our diets. This weekend or within the next several days, I'm going to work on my rewards plan for x number of days that I workout and x number of days that I eat right. If I'm good, I will treat myself to something - a DVD, a book, etc. I love making lists like that. :)

I used to be a massage therapist (many, many years ago :tongue_smilie:) and I still get massages from time to time, though not group ones. Not that I have anything against that, just hasn't happened. Your MIL is very nice and I say enjoy it. :D :grouphug: * Showering after - I've never had to shower afterward - but I guess you can if you want to. Again, I've never done so * Undressing together - don't know - you can turn around and be modest about it. They usually do give robes, or, at the very least, towels. Most masseuses want YOU, the client, to be comfortable. So if you prefer to wear your underwear, you do so. If you don't mind, you take it off. * I would prefer to relax rather than chat. But I personally would try to not get uptight about that, and let MIL (since she'd be the one treating me) lead the way as far as conversations go. Obviously MIL is probably used to getting massages from time to time. Your questions are not silly ones. :grouphug: Have a wonderful time. This is a lovely and well-deserved treat. I think everyone should get a massage now and again. Has so many benefits.

No. Not off topic at all and no need to apologize. Very much in topic, actually. Good for you for making positive changes. :)

Someone here just sent me a PM with questions as to how to make changes for a healthier lifestyle. I think that since many of us struggle with this (including yours truly), it would be useful to share stuff here. My personal problem and challenge is consistency and overall discipline. I start off well and with the best intentions. Then challenges and dramas set in and I fall off the bandwagon. :glare: Please share your tips and any info here so that we can all benefit. My tips: Work on one thing at a time. Change one thing at a time. Trying to change everything at once is a recipe for disaster. Change things a little at a time to create permanent new habits. You have to come up with something that is going to work for you individually. Everyone has different habits and challenges. A while back, I looked at my diet and bad habits and then I wrote them down. I prioritized my bad habit list from worst to least worst. Then I worked (and need to do this again) on each major issue for at least 6 weeks. They say that it takes 6 weeks for something to become a habit. I marked my calendar. For example, a list might look like this. Consuming sugar and HFCS Eating when frustrated or trapped No exercise Not enough fiber Eating after 8 PM Not drinking enough water Not enough vegetables in diet Consuming dairy Drinking soda Going to bed too late For me, sugar was and continues to be my major weight culprit. I have succeeded most when I cut it out completely. Then I gradually work on my other challenges. Most of us cannot fix all these things in a day, a week, or even a month. After my first good habit is established, then I work on the next and then the next. You need to decide now how you will reward yourself in a healthful manner. I used to keep a l log of how many days I worked out and how many days I ate no sugar, for example (or whatever I was focusing on from above) and according to a certain number, I treated myself – to either a new fitness DVD, a facial, a massage, a book, you can reward yourself with whatever makes you happy. I made a list of different rewards to keep me motivated each month. But don’t reward yourself with food! You might try making a checklist for yourself of your daily goals. Asking yourself the "hard/specific questions" and put it on your fridge. It could ask questions like: M___Tues__Wed__Thur__Fri__S__Sun__(space for check marks) Did you walk briskly 20 minutes today? Did you drink 3 glasses of water at breakfast/lunch/dinner today? Did you eat fiber today? Did you reach for a healthy snack today? Did you avoid high fat foods today? Anyway, this sort of thing has helped me and you can make this chart on one sheet and check it off after lunch and after dinner everyday. It's helped me in the past. http://zenhabits.net/13-things-to-avoid-when-changing-habits/ http://zenhabits.net/7-little-habits-that-can-change-your-life-and-how-to-form-them/ I'd like to work on the rules from Food Rules - focusing on one Rule every 6 weeks or so - and then moving on to the next one. Okay, feedback ... :lol:

Gail, exactly. These are pretty much the same exact conclusions that dh and I came up with also. One book per month, not a huge choice, and all the other options - 2-day shipping, etc. which are not applicable to us - just doesn't make Prime a very wise choice for us. Thanks for reminding me. :)

I posted this on another thread also. I keep wondering if it's worth it for me to sign up for Amazon Prime or not. I usually need about 4 books per month. 2-Day Shipping will not be offered internationally, I'm quite sure. Streaming, etc. will not work here either. Last week, I tried to purchase an exercise DVD and they wouldn't allow me to. I emailed them and they said they may consider it in the future. So not sure if 12 books per year are worth it or not.

Congrats!!! :D :) :D

I keep wondering if it's worth it for me to sign up for Amazon Prime or not. I also need about 4 books per month. 2-Day Shipping will not be offered internationally, I'm quite sure. :glare: Streaming, etc. will not work here either. Last week, I tried to purchase an exercise DVD and they wouldn't allow me to. :glare: I emailed them and they said they may consider it in the future. So not sure if 12 books per year are worth it or not. :confused:

Renee, no, I took homeopathic hcg drops. Some go the Rx route, which is a lot of work and, to me, a lot of hassle. But they have good results. I don't know much at all about the Rx route. Others, like me, prefer homeopathic.

Happy, Happy Birthday!!! :D :) :D

Claire, sending prayers your way and thinking of you :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:. I'm so sorry to read about all the pain and suffering you went through. Yes, therapy should be very helpful. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, in particular. Reading encouraging books. Living a healthy lifestyle. Doing the things that make you happy - all of these should help in some way. :grouphug: There are some fun/slightly more how should I say "shallow" books on turning 50 - tips on style and all that - but I don't think that's what you're asking about here. I'm delighted to hear that your husband is supportive. :) As far as turning 50 goes, age, like weight, is just a number - and remember that numbers are meaningless. Really and truly, they are. :grouphug:

Pamela, good decision, I think. :) You don't sound contrary. I can't remember the details. I do recall reading about this in some juicing books. I don't know much at all about blending. If it involves bananas and fruit, my thoughts are that juicing veggies for the most part is just better for you. Whatever one choose to do, variety is a great thing. :) Here's basically what I've read. For those who reject juicing because of the lack of fiber, yes, of course fiber is essential. Most of us need even more fiber than we’re currently taking. To me, juicing is an excellent way to get even more nutrients than I would otherwise. When I see the amount of veggies that I juice, I know that it would be very, very difficult to eat all those veggies. I see juicing as an addition to a high-fiber diet. Besides, from what I understand, juicing removes mainly indigestible fiber, which your body cannot absorb anyway. If you can replace one meal a day with a veggie juice, or even occasional fruit, you should be able to lose weight. I did. I haven't been able to do that plan in a long while. Every time I've done it, I've lost weight and looked and felt so much healthier. There were even times where I replaced 2 meals a day with veggie juices. If you can do it, I say, go for it. I wish I could do this again. Right now, my lifestyle makes it difficult.

10-Minute Solution DVD: PIlates for Flexibility Few other moves and stretches

This sort of thing just infuriates me :grouphug:. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. All that worrying and waiting is THE worst. :glare:

Good for you for the loss. 52 pounds is fabulous! :D I'm also hoping to start my next round at about the same time as you. And yes, I agree about the Biotin, Potassium, and Magnesium. :) If you do a search here, you should hopefully find lots and lots of info. These forums are great and very helpful. I visit them every single day for info and support before and during each round. If you need more info on hcg, let me know and I'll share. But you should find info on these threads: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263148 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215927