I have a few friends, very few, but I never really understand the purpose of the friends feature ... :001_huh:

If your budget allows and time allows, I would try to do both. :) We've decided to shorten our days in London and spend 1 night in the Cotswolds. It's just so gorgeous there and I've always wanted to go to a place like that. Dh teases me that my ideal life would be skipping along in a fairytale village. True. :lol: If you need tips and info, let me know. If you'd like to know where we chose to stay, PM me.

Maybe it's just me, but whenever I use conditioner, and I have to every time I wash my hair, my hair falls out far more than normal. The shower is covered with my hair. Hence why I only wash my hair once a week now. Again, it could just be me. My hairdresser said that many women experience this. The less often I shampoo and condition, the less hair loss I experience. It may be something to do with combing the conditioner in or whatever. I don't know. :confused: Hair is not my area of expertise. I just now that my overall hair health when it comes to hair loss in particular, has a lot to do with nutrition and stress levels. I need to work on increasing my iron levels naturally. I avoid iron supplements.

:iagree: Love both of these. Love everything by Mitch Albom.

Thank you both so much. These are great and thanks for the links. :)

What a coincidence. I thought of this exact same song as I was preparing bfast this morning. :) Love it, love it, love it. I have to listen to music while doing kitchen stuff. :) We all just sat and watched this clip. So much fun! Thanks for sharing. :D

Sounds good to me. There are specific supplements for hot flashes and mood swings. Also, other tips - diet, lifestyle, etc. If you're interested, I can copy and paste the info I have. Make sure to take your D3 with a fat-containing meal to maximize absorption. Calcium - Take equal amounts of calcium and magnesium. For most people on a healthy diet, 500 mg of each supplement should be enough. But most people need more magnesium. Most of us are magnesium-deficient. You’ll get more calcium and magnesium in your diet from whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and dark green leafy vegetables. I think there is a very big difference not only in the brand but the type of calcium you use. The major types of calcium are: Carbonate, Citrate and Bone Meal. 1. Calcium carbonate (also found in coral calcium) is the hardest calcium compound for the human body to break down and absorb. You’ll find it in a lot of supplements because it’s inexpensive. The Carbonate (like Tums) is basically like taking chalk board chalk. It may alkalize your body, but it does almost nothing for your bones. 2. Calcium citrate is slightly better than calcium carbonate, since minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used. It is a little bit more bio-available, but still not the best. 3. Bone Meal is the best source for bones and has one of the highest bio-availabilities. Just make sure it's from a clean source, and the animals it came from weren't given hormones or antibiotics. KAL from New Zealand is good and I get it from vitacost or amazon. 4. You can also get an herbal calcium source that is also bio-available and easily absorbed. Magnesium - this is one you did not list and to me, is even more, far more, important than calcium. I have a long word document on magnesium - benefits, natural dietary sources, etc. For now, I'll just include this. Let me know if you need more info. For most people on a healthy diet, 400 mg of Magnesium daily should be sufficient. But for those who have symptoms of deficiency (as previously listed), I would recommend more, but probably no more than 1200 mg. Add in more magnesium gradually. Your body knows how much it can handle according to how much your bowels can tolerate. The stools should feel soft, but not excessively loose. Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night I have read that it’s preferable to not take magnesium at the same time as calcium. Others say that it’s fine. This is where I am confused. I think the former makes more sense. The most absorbable forms are: Magnesium Citrate Magnesium Glycinate Magnesium Taurate Magnesium Aspartate Magnesium Malate Magnesium Succinate Magnesium Fumirate Avoid: Magnesium Oxide Magnesium Carbonate Magnesium Gluconate Magnesium Sulfate These are not absorbed well and are the cheapest forms Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to Magnesium Glycinate. People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision.

Love it and am listening to it right now. Now, if only I could dance ... :001_huh: My dh is a great dancer. Not me. :lol:

I absolutely LOVE her first book and cannot wait to soon get her 2nd book. The author of these 2 books is the one who wrote this poem that many of have likely seen.

Gosh, there are so many, I wouldn't know where to start. :D I'm crazy about music and yes, I LOVE "Tainted Love". Right now, my favorite off-the-top of my head is I think he's one of the most phenomenal dancers ever. Even if one doesn't care to watch the video, the song is just catchy. :D And thank you for starting this thread every day and bringing joy to my heart. :)

You're doing great :D and your approach is a very good one. I never measure or weigh my veggies either. Again, most don't. :iagree: Same here. Although it may sound like I have been trying to convince others to do this. That's not my intent. My only reason for sharing is to say what finally worked for me. That's how I heard about it here on these boards and on another one. I'm so grateful that I heard about it. Finally, something that works for me. But again, everybody is different. Yes. :) Just wanted to say that I'm so happy to read about how well everyone is doing. :grouphug: :party: :grouphug:

No, never. We can't imagine doing so. But we know that it works for others. It's just not our style. Dc - same thing. They always come with us. The longest we've been apart from each other was because we had to be evacuated after a major hurricane several years ago. The kids and I had to leave. It was very, very hard to be apart from dh for that long - an entire month and not the best of circumstances.

My thoughts: I was scared also. But you won't lose anything by trying :grouphug:, other than the relatively small cost of the pellets or drops. Preparing the food is relatively easy. Veggies - I usually have sliced cucumbers - I never measure my veggies or weigh them. Most don't. Lunch - I either have cottage cheese (1/2 cup) OR 3.5 ounces of shrimp Dinner - 3.5 ounces of chicken That's as far as the prep part goes. For me, as far as prep, it's been the easiest diet so far. Discipline - hard at first, but once you see the weight come off, most feel very motivated. I want to reply to more, but am pressed for time ... will come back to this thread later.

Thank you, everyone for the very helpful tips. :D Thank you also. Have you tried the MK Timewise Targeted Action Eye Revitalizer? I have not yet found anything that actually diminishes them and that really and truly works. I've become very skeptical. I would love for it to work, and would much rather use that than a concealer. I'm just skeptical.

I don't have experience with it, but I have read about it and here's the info. Acupuncture eases symptoms of PCOS. It soothes overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, which can spur unhealthy hormone production. IODINE More than 90% of us are low in iodine and PCOS is often linked to an iodine deficiency. Today's environment makes it almost impossible to get the amount of iodine you need. 1. There's very little iodine in the soil. So unless you're eating a ton of iodine-rich foods like kelp, seaweed and shellfish, you're not going to get much iodine from your diet. 2. Many salt companies have stopped adding iodine to table salt. 3. Food manufacturers have stopped using iodine in baked goods and are using bromine instead. Bromine (a halogen) competes with iodine to get into your cells. So the more bromine you consume, the less iodine you get. Unfortunately, many foods today (primarily baked goods) are loaded with bromine. 4. Our water supply contains chlorine and fluoride, both of which are halogens. Again, halogens compete with iodine to get into your cells. And you can't avoid chlorine and fluoride simply by drinking filtered water. That's because you get a hefty dose any time you bathe, shower, soak in a hot tub, or swim in a swimming pool. 5. Most conventional doctors never test for iodine deficiency. They figure there's no need to test iodine levels when they can just test your thyroid function instead. The problem with this is that the most widely used thyroid test, the TSH, is wildly inaccurate. Reason: While the TSH measures thyroid hormone, it can't tell the difference between active thyroid hormone with iodine and de-activated thyroid hormone with bromine or chlorine or fluorine. So the test shows you have plenty of thyroid hormone. But most of the thyroid hormone isn't doing its job! CORRECTING AN IODINE DEFICIENCY: I think it was Dr. Nan Fuchs who wrote: “I've had women come into my office who look like the poster child for underactive thyroid. They're overweight, they're losing their hair and eyebrows, their skin is dry, and they tell me they feel cold all the time. Yet when their doctor gave them a thyroid test, it came back normal! When I put these women on iodine supplementation, their conditions improve dramatically. Their skin improves, they stop losing their hair, and they finally lose that excess weight — and keep it off.” The RDA for iodine is 150 mcg. This amount was set based on the amount needed to prevent goiter. This amount will prevent goiter but it will not prevent breast cancer or its precurser fibrocystic breast disease or other serious diseases and symptoms listed above. Breast tissue and other reproductive organs require much more iodine than the thyroid gland. Many researchers now believe that you may need 100 to 400 times the RDI. The average consumption of iodine from seaweed by the mainland Japanese is nearly 14 mg. They have some of the lowest incidence of iodine-deficiency diseases like goiter, hypothyroidism, and cancers of the reproductive system (breast, ovaries, and uterus). Increase your intake with mineral-rich sea vegetables (agar, hijiki, kombu, nori, and wakame) at least twice a week. You can eat as much seaweed as you want. Brown seaweeds are highest in iodine. They include all forms of kelp. Fucus, also known as Bladderwrack, is considered to be the best for underactive thyroids. Hijiki and Sargassum are two other forms of brown seaweeds. Red seaweeds include dulse, nori, Irish moss, and Gracillaria. Since toasting doesn’t affect seaweed’s iodine content, you can eat it dried or dried and toasted. Toast some in the oven or in a dry frying pan to see if you prefer that taste. You can also powdered seaweed to your food or add larger pieces of seaweed to soups, grains, or vegetables. Seaweed should be an enjoyable addition to your diet, not an unpleasant experience. If you simply don’t like its taste, you can get it in capsules. Use 5-10 grams of mixed brown and red seaweed for thyroid problems. This is about 1 ½ teaspoons per day. If you’ve been told that your thyroid is borderline-low, eating seaweed makes sense. But remember, you need to eat seaweed every day or take iodine in a different form. Not all seaweeds are safe to eat. Some come from polluted waters. Be more cautious and talk to a naturopath if you’re on thyroid meds and want to try seaweed. Use iodine-rich Seaweed Gomasio to season your food. You might want to consider taking an iodine supplement. Iodoral[/B] is a very good one. I take this. Amazon has lots of helpful reviews. You may need 1 to 4 tablets of Iodoral, a combination of 5 mg of iodine and 7.5 mg of potassium iodide. Additional research finds that vitamin C improves the transport of iodine in the body, so it may be best to take Iodoral with Vitamin C. Studies show that women who weigh about 110 pounds need at least 5 mg of iodine a day for normal breast function. If you’re heavier, you may need more. Start off slowly over a 4 week period. Take 1 pill for 30 days Then 2 pills for 30 days Then maybe 3 for 30 days Then 1 in morning and 1 in evening for 30 days Can then go back to taking 1 or 2 a day to maintain Your body will know....listen to it... One Iodoral tablet provides 12.5 milligrams of iodine/iodide which is about the amount the average Japanese consumed in 1964 in their everyday diet. Iodoral is the best way to get the recommended amount of iodine. When we take 50 mg of iodine/iodide a day, it acts as an adaptogen, regulating various body functions. Substances that interfere with iodine Chlorine – present in most city water supplies – unless you de-chlorinate your water, you are being exposed to thyroid-lowering gases whenever you bathe, shower, or have a drink of water. Fluorine Bromide or Bromine – found in some pesticides – try to eat organic whenever possible Bromide is even used in some asthma drugs Mountain Dew, Fresca, and orange Gatorade all contain bromide in the form of brominated vegetable oils. Drinking beverages with bromide causes low thyroid function in some people. These toxins are in our water, hot tubs, non-organic foods, and some soft drinks. If you don’t have enough iodine, chances are you have too much fluoride and bromide. Sufficient iodine pulls these toxins out of your body. Aspirin, blood thinner meds, and steroids can result in iodine deficiency thyroid problems. If you’re taking these, ask your doctor to check your thyroid function.

Lots of high-fat food You have to load/gorge the first two days of hCG administration. Otherwise, you risk serious hunger problems during the first week of VLCD. Eat LOTS of FAT, rather than lots of sugar, though. Don’t worry. The load weight will come off very quickly, usually within 48 hours. While you can eat sugar, it doesn't do anything for the diet, and may just add pounds that will take longer to get off. Also, make sure to eat the foods that you think you’ll miss. The problem comes when you eat a lot of "junk" and sugar that this fills you up- then you are too full to eat enough fat. That will result in you feeling awful for at least a few days, and as long as a week. Eating the fats has a purpose- eating junk and sugar will do nothing but pack on additional pounds. And the more you gain with loading, the more you have to lose. Load is not as much about quantity as it is about quality. It's the fats that help to get you through the first few days of the VCLD as the hcg works it's way into your body. Some have made the mistake of not eating a lot of fats on these 2 days, but instead they’ve eaten a lot of sugar and starch. Big mistake! Eat FAT on your loading days to avoid the experience that they have the first time, which seems like a brush with starvation at first. High-fat foods to eat while loading: Avocados Bacon Butter Cheese Cheesecake – preferably without the crust Chocolate Coconut oil Cream cheese Full Fat Ice Cream Heavy cream Italian sausage Mayo Nutella Nuts Olives Olive oil Peanut butter Pizza Salmon Sausage Sour cream Tuna fish Whipping cream Don’t concentrate on salads or mashed potatoes – because they’re just carbs and add volume You really need the fatty foods now.

Peela, I think you've mentioned this before, but I've lost the info. What sort of iron do you take? Thanks.

When your antioxidant levels drop – most dramatically after age 30 – CoQ10 is the first to plummet, causing the little engines in your cells to become less adept at repairing themselves. Consider taking CoQ10 if you are over 35 The recommendation is 100-400 mg per day of the best absorbed hydrosoluble softgel available. You may want to start with a protective dose of 30 mg, three times a day, or 50 mg once or twice a day Since it’s fat soluble, take it when you’re eating an oily food like nut butter or oily fish This nutrient is particularly essential if someone is on statin drugs like Lipitor.- statin drugs lower your body’s levels of CoQ10 – the nutrient your heart needs the most!

If you have no problems with it, continue using it. :) It's just that I've often read that others complain of hair loss with it.

A GOOD BOOK “The High Blood Pressure Solution” by Dr. Richard Moore

Any form of stress can increase the blood pressure, but obviously chronic stress is the most harmful, because it’s not a temporary condition. You need to set aside time to use some form of daily stress reduction like deep breathing, meditation, or prayer. Not dashing off a quick note to God to ask for calmness, but rather taking 10-30 minutes a day to do some form of active stress reduction. Do something on a regular basis to lower your stress. Laughter – funny movies, books, and looking at the humorous side of things, even in the midst of tragedy Take a night out – movies, concerts, plays, artistic events, and even sporting events – these have been found in a major study to have a strong influence on longevity Togetherness – just being with friends and loved ones Positive, Proactive Approach – If necessary, get professional help to overcome excessive negativity or fatalism Hypertension is a common symptom of a congested lymphatic system. Things that help to clear up the lymphatic system and that should be done very regularly: Rebounding • Deep Breathing – few minutes morning and evening • Dry Body Brushing • Massage and/or Reflexology • Swinging Only small, frequent meals should be eaten The way you sleep may also be important in helping control high blood pressure. Try sleeping with the head end of your bed elevated 8 to 12 inches above the foot end (use concrete building blocks). On rising, sit up slowly and dangle your feet over the edge of the bed for a few moments before standing. Those who get 5 or fewer hours of sleep a night are twice as likely to develop hypertension compared to those who get 7 hours. Don’t lift anything heavy Try talking less. Virtually any communication can raise blood pressure. Speaking can cause blood pressure to increase by 10 to 50 percent. Classical Music – If you listen to 12 minutes of classical music just 3 times a week, in 4 months your systolic (upper) blood pressure may be 7 to 9 mmHg lower. Sit up straight and improve your posture. Your blood pressure can drop by up to 40% as a result of acupuncture! Don’t smoke – obviously Drink hard water, not soft water. Soft water leaches heavy metals like lead out of pipes and faucets. Calcium and magnesium make water hard. Your body needs both of them. Why put toxic metals into your body when you could put essential minerals in it instead? Drinking hard water is associated with lower blood pressure, possibly because of its magnesium content. The toxins in soft water can contribute to high blood pressure. If you have a water softener, buy bottled water for cooking and drinking.

REGULAR EXERCISE 30 minutes of mild to moderate aerobic exercise done for 3-6 days a week can lower your blood pressure. If you think you have no time, ask yourself if you have time to recover from heart disease, or if you have time to spend sitting in doctors’ offices With high blood pressure, the priority is relaxation. Intense, unpleasant exercise can actually increase stress levels and even blood pressure in the long term. It’s far better to exercise at an easier pace but for a longer time. Build up your exercise levels gradually and slowly if you’re just starting out. A brisk walk is enough. Walking is very beneficial in reducing systolic blood pressure. Gentle Rebounding (see lymphasizing tip below) Many yoga poses and the regular practice of yoga help relieve symptoms of high blood pressure. Yoga is fabulous for high blood pressure. Do housework. Doing roughly 50 minutes of housework daily can lower blood pressure. Housework is great exercise, plus living in a clean, organized home can help reduce stress. Breathe deeply. Slow breathing and practices such as yoga or tai chi decrease stress hormones, which elevate rennin, a kidney enzyme that raises blood pressure. Try 5 minutes of deep breathing every morning and night. Inhale deeply and expand your belly. Exhale and release all of your tension.

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. 200-1000 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. It can vary from 200-1000 mg per day 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. Niacin reduces high blood pressure You can’t get enough niacin in your diet to achieve blood pressure benefits To gain a cardiovascular benefit, you need at least 500 mg. At this dosage, many commonly experience flushing, which subsides within an hour. So, it’s best to avoid taking it right before leaving the house or going to sleep. These symptoms can be minimized if the niacin is taken with aspirin or a meal. In fact, flushing is a positive sign that blood vessels are dilating in response to the niacin, and patients who flush ultimately raise their HDLs and lower their triglycerides more than those who don’t flush. Niacin is more effective than niacinamide. CAUTION: Do not take more than 2000 mg daily. Very high doses can damage the liver. One capsule of 500 mg per day is the usual recommendation. Be careful if you have prediabetes or diabetes. Niacin can raise levels of blood glucose. This effect is generally mild, though, and doesn’t outweigh its heart-protecting benefits. But it’s good to consult with your doctor before taking it. Also use caution if pregnant, have glaucoma, gout, liver disease, or peptic ulcers. Resveratrol A powerful antioxidant Helps with heart health – may prevent angina attacks, heart attacks, and stroke Reduces blood pressure Prevents blood clots Take at least 100 mg of trans-reseveratrol daily Resveratrol is nontoxic and there is essentially no known toxic dose – in other words, it’s not easy to overdose on it But for general prevention, stick to the recommended dosage on the label There are two forms of reseveratrol available: cis- and trans-. Trans is much better absorbed than cis, which is less expensive also. CoQ10 Supports heart - The largest concentration of this nutrient is in your heart. Therefore, it’s essential for heart health. The more severe a person’s heart disease is, the higher their deficiency of CoQ10. Lowers blood pressure When your antioxidant levels drop – most dramatically after age 30 – CoQ10 is the first to plummet, causing the little engines in your cells to become less adept at repairing themselves. Consider taking CoQ10 if you are over 35 The recommendation is 100-200 mg per day of the best absorbed hydrosoluble softgel available. This nutrient is particularly essential if someone is on statin drugs like Lipitor Foods include: almonds, broccoli, potatoes, eggs, rice, spinach, and wheat. CoQ10 may cause insomnia (may be better to take this in the morning) and can reduce the efficacy of Rx blood thinners. Lypocene lowers blood pressure Hawthorn Berries/Hawthorn Standard Extract Regulate blood pressure and break down cholesterol 900 mg capsules of hawthorn berries Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an omega-6 fatty acid that is found mostly in plant-based oils. GLA can be gotten from several plant-based oils including evening primrose oil, borage oil, and black currant seed oil. Most of these oils also contain some linoleic acid. GLA may help reduce high blood pressure, either alone or in combination with the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), found in fish oil. In one study, men with borderline high blood pressure who took 6g of blackcurrant oil had a reduction in diastolic blood pressure compared to those who took placebo. Another study examined people with intermittent claudication, pain in the legs while walking that is caused by blockages in the blood vessels. Those who took GLA combined with EPA had a reduction in systolic blood pressure compared to those who took placebo.

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. 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 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 - my almost 81-year-old dad has this regularly 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. Tea is high in antioxidants and its flavonoids fight hypertension. Drinking 1-3 cups per day has been found to lower blood pressure. Green, white, oolong, and/or black tea – are all good (but get decaf) 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.