Hypertension (high-blood pressure) used to be perceived as a degenerative disease (of old age), however; recent research indicates that more young people are becoming prone to the condition. Also known as the silent killer, hypertension has become among the most prevalent diseases in the world and many of those who have the condition, are not aware of that hence the 'silence'. As described by C. Steyn (S.A. Medical Research Council), Hypertension is "a risk factor for heart attacks, stroke, left ventricular hypertrophy, renal disease, and blindness" and further notes that "hypertension frequently co-exists with other risk factors for chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDL), such as diabetes and obesity."
In most cases diet is the primary cause of disease and can be attributed to hypertension as well. "Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health. In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained. Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and to re-establish right conditions in the system."
In order to improve your overall health,
·
Drink
pure water, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (2 glasses of warm water
with lemon juice in the morning, 2 glasses 2 hours after eating breakfast,
another 2 glasses 2 hours after lunch and another 2 glasses 2 hours after
supper )
· Eat
high-fibre diet of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains (oats, corn, whole
wheat, brown rice, sorghum or mabele, couscous, polenta etc. avoid refined food).
·
Eat
2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed/ lin seeds per day sprinkle in your cereal
·
Raw
garlic normalizes blood pressure; try to get the garlic cloves and not the
crushed ready-made garlic.
·
Grape
seed extract
· Eat
tomatoes, celery, valerian and onions in moderation, tomatoes have certain
amino acids that reduce blood pressure.
·
Broccoli
has chemicals that reduce blood pressure
·
Carrots,
asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, avocados, oranges, grapefruit and
peaches have antioxidants that help prevent or reduce the artery-clogging
plaque from being deposited into the coronary artery walls.
· Regular
exercise tends to decrease the systolic pressure by 4-6 points and the
diastolic pressure by up to 3 points. Outdoor exercise is the best example,
brisk walking and gardening. Not only will you be getting sunshine, but you
will also be tired enough to rest which the body needs to replenish for the
next day. Exercise also helps improve circulation thus helping to transport
enough oxygen to the brain; this process helps to improve memory.
·
Check
your blood pressure regularly
·
Keep
your weight down (switch to a plant-based diet, this helps to loose weight)
·
Get
a neutral warm bath and rest
·
Visit quite
places with fresh air (take time to go to the country side)
·
Pray daily,
fellowship with others and cherish a spirit of gratitude to God.
·
Decrease
your salt intake and eat several hours before sleeping.
· Avoid caffeine in tea or coffee (de-caf included), chocolates and soft/fizzy drinks including diet soft drinks, if you have to, rather drink 100% fruit
juice or even better drink water.
· Emotional stress, overeating, anger, impatience and tobacco affect blood pressure levels
·
Avoid
cheese since it contains a lot of sodium, and a lot of saturated fat, also has
a high tyramine content
·
Avoid
flesh (fish, chicken, meat), dairy products, margarine, butter or animal fat, it is better and would
improve your health to adopt a plant-based diet
·
When you’re anxious, try not to eat and when you do eat, eat slowly, it has been proven that the slower you eat the more satiety you get from your food and you are less likely to eat more than is required by the body, thus avoiding gaining excess weight.
Grasp hold of this special promise: "do not fear, for I AM with you; do not be dismayed, for I AM your GOD. I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
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