Good Food To Prevent High Blood Pressure

By Laura Kurella

Sturgis Journal

Why do we take our health — and other good things — for granted, until, God help us, they’re gone?

I do not know, but I do know that having recently arrived at the mid-century point in my life, hobbling on a painfully cracked bone in my foot has me seeing every day, especially those without pain or illness, as a real blessing from God.

We are all on this same journey and, like it or not, going to experience the same struggles to cling to health. However, as any good coach will tell you, the best offense is a good defense, especially when it comes to things we can help ourselves with — like blood pressure.

The pressure in our arteries is much like the pressure in a garden hose. When it’s normal, everything’s great. But too much pressure and it can weaken or burst the walls while too little will make everything sluggish.
Fortunately, there are things we can do. According to www.bloodpressure-drs-practical-guide.com, the best place to start is with exercise.

Exercise is vital. It raises the metabolism, which burns more calories and taps fat stores. It also causes the release of endorphins, which give the body an opiate-like sensation, producing a feeling of well-being in both body and mind.

Resulting weight loss can eliminate the blood pressure problems all by itself.

If you want even faster results, try adding the DASH diet.

DASH, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension,” is recommended by The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. It emphasizes fruit, vegetables, nuts and low-fat dairy products, along with a reduction in saturated and total fat and refined carbohydrates (sugar).

Salt can also play a giant role in blood pressure, and simply reducing use can make it drop dramatically, too. Try replacing salt with spicy seasonings like peppers or cumin so you don’t miss it.

Limiting your alcohol to two drinks or fewer per day and consuming herbs like Stevia, garlic, green tea and oolong tea can also help reduce those numbers as can steering your diet toward fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk products, whole grains, fish, poultry and good old nuts.

If you are like me and have the opposite problem- low blood pressure, then simply reverse everything I just wrote and check out:  www.bloodpressure-drs-practical-guide.com.

Here now are some recipes ready to help you lower your blood pressure, too.

Fresh chicken salad
4 small red-skinned  potatoes, cooked
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 whole boneless, skinless,  chicken breasts
4 baby carrots cut into   matchsticks
2 tablespoons raspberry or   apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon parsley or cilantro (1 tablespoon fresh)
2 cups favorite lettuces
Orange slices for garnish   (optional)

In a skillet, bring orange juice, ginger, cumin, and
garlic to boil. Add the chicken, cover and cook for
3 minutes, turn chicken, cover, and cook for 5 minutes more or until juices run, clear. Remove chicken to a cutting board to cool. Add carrots to skillet cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove carrots to a plate to cool. Remove skillet from heat and add vinegar salt and parsley. Cut chicken
into bite size chunks. Cut
potatoes into bite-sized chunks or slices. Divide
and arrange lettuce on four individual plates. Evenly
divide and arrange potatoes, chicken and carrots on top of lettuce. Evenly divide and pour dressing over each salad. Garnish with orange slices if desired. Serve warm or cold.

Approximate servings per recipe: 4
Approximate nutrition per recipe: Calories 265; Fat 2g; Carbohydrates 33g; Fiber 4g; Sugar Protein 30g.

Fish chips
1-pound skinless halibut  fillets or other white fish fillets
Egg substitute equivalent  to 1 egg
2 tablespoons skim milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan   cheese
1/4 cup Panko or ground Rice Krispies
1 teaspoon paprika
Sauce:
1/2 cup fat-free,  cholesterol-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons  finely chopped dill pickle
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut fish into 24 bite-size pieces.  Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine egg substitute and skim milk. In a large plastic bag with a tight-fitting seal, combine Parmesan cheese, panko and paprika. Add fish chunks to egg mixture,
stirring until well coated. Using a slotted spoon,
remove fish from egg mixture and place in bag with panko mixture. Seal bag and toss until fish is well coated. Arrange fish in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking pan. Bake about 5- 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together sauce
ingredients.  Serve together.

Servings per recipe: 4.
Approximate nutritional per serving: Calories 191; Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 14g; Sugar 2g; Protein 26g.

Pleasing pineapple chicken
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 fresh pineapple, sliced, juice reserved
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup cider vinegar
Pepper to taste
1 green pepper, cut into 1/4 inch rings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with flour. In a skillet, heat oil and brown chicken on each side for 3 minutes. Place chicken in shallow roasting pan.  Sprinkle with pepper. In a bowl, combine reserved pineapple juice, water and vinegar. Pour over chicken and bake, uncovered for 40 minutes. Add pineapple slices and green pepper rings and place under broiler for 5 minutes just before serving.

Approximate servings per recipe: 4.
Approximate nutrition per serving:  Calories 280; Fat 8g; Carbohydrates 12g; Fiber 1g; Sugar 9g; Protein 35g.

Copyright 2011 Sturgis Journal. Some rights reserved

Silent struggle with Incontinence

One of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses with a career spanning over 50 years, Debbie Reynolds led a very active life till she began to experience the symptoms of an overactive bladder. However, the actress thought that these more frequent trips to the bathroom were just a natural part of the aging process. She had no idea that her symptoms signalled a medical condition or that there were treatments available. Besides, she was too embarrassed to talk to anyone about the situation.

Impacting the quality of life
Not just Reynolds, there are millions of women who suffer from the involuntary loss of urine called urinary incontinence (UI). Some women may lose a few drops of urine during coughing, sneezing or running and so on. Normally, the urinary bladder stores urine and empties it when desired. The brain controls this urinating mechanism. An Overactive Bladder (OAB) is a condition that results from a sudden and involuntary contraction of the urinary bladder. This causes a sudden compelling desire to urinate, a sensation that is difficult to defer.

Often, urine leaks before one can reach the toilet. Abnormal nerve signals might be the cause of these bladder spasms. Certain medications such as diuretics, uncontrolled diabetes or emotional states such as anxiety can worsen OAB. An Overactive Bladder is a “silent struggle” for many women. It causes embarrassment and social inactivity, but it is treatable. While women have many urological issues, the most overlooked and common medical condition is OAB. This condition can be associated with other medical problems such as urinary tract infection (UTI), skin infection and, in elderly persons, an increased risk of falls and fractures. Patients should not hesitate to discuss the symptoms of OAB.


Treatment for OAB
Persons with OAB may have poor sleep quality due to frequent urination during the night. This causes chronic fatigue and difficulty in performing daily activities. Increased incidences of hip fractures due to falls in elderly persons have been attributed to OAB. In some people the problem is severe and it interferes with normal daily activities. The sufferer may gradually stop engaging in outdoor activities and may become a social recluse. OAB may affect one’s work and ability to travel. Urine loss can occur during sexual activity and cause a lot of emotional distress.

While there are many causes of OAB, often no distinct etiology is found. An involuntary contraction of the bladder muscles can occur because of the damage to the nerves of the bladder, to the spinal cord and brain, or to the bladder muscles themselves. A clinical diagnosis of OAB can be made on the basis of the history and a physical examination, in conjunction with a few simple tests. Behavioural therapies: Patients are educated about how urine is formed, stored and then expelled out of body when desired. Some patients benefit by making it a point to urinate at regular intervals of time, a habit called timed voiding. As one gains urinary control, the time between scheduled urination is extended. Behavioural treatment also includes pelvic floor muscle exercises to strengthen the muscles that help hold in urine.

Medications for OAB: There are medications available now which reduce the contractility of the bladder muscle. However, their use is limited by side-effects, like a dry mouth, drowsiness and constipation. The newer ones have fewer side-effects. Behavioural therapy combined with medicines offers good results in OAB patients, with up to 80 per cent of cases improved. Severe OAB refractory to the oral medications can be treated by injecting Botox into the bladder muscle. But in a few patients, it can paralyse the bladder muscle completely so that they are unable to pass urine.

if medications don’t work
Biofeedback: Biofeedback can help one to become aware of the body’s functioning. By using electronic devices or diaries to track when the bladder and urethral muscles contract, one can gradually control these muscles. Biofeedback is a useful adjunct in treating urinary incontinence.

Neuromodulation: For OAB not responding to behavioural treatments or medicines, stimulation of the spinal nerves to the bladder can be effective in some patients. Neuromodulation is a new technique approved for the management of OAB. It requires the surgical implantation of a small device for sacral nerve stimulation. Although it can be effective, it requires careful patient selection.

Surgery: Augmentation cystoplasty is rarely necessary in idiopathic OAB. In this reconstructive procedure, a patch of the bowel is joined to the bladder. This increases the bladder capacity and disrupts the coordinated contraction of the bladder muscles.

The writer is Director-Urology and Renal Transplantation Fortis Escorts Heart Institute
New Delhi

Sleep Deprivation Plus Stress Hurts Blood Pressure

Study: Blood Pressure Rises 10 More Points When Sleep Deprivation Is Added to Stress

By Brenda Goodman
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

June 15, 2011 -- A stressful day after a poor night of sleep may be an especially bad combination for blood pressure, a new study shows.

Researchers recruited 20 healthy young adults and measured their blood pressure at rest and then after a stressful task, in this case, giving an impromptu speech where they had to defend themselves for a supposed transgression -- either running a stop sign or taking someone’s wallet.

A week later, after staying up all night, study participants returned to the lab to take the tests again.

Systolic blood pressures, the top number on a blood pressure reading, climbed about 10 points higher when fatigued people were delivering their speeches compared to when they were doing the same task well rested.

“Lack of sleep in combination with stress caused a much higher increase in blood pressure,” says study researcher Peter L. Franzen, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh’s Sleep Medicine Institute.

It suggests that not getting enough sleep may be involved in the development of cardiovascular disease, he says.

While 10 extra points may not sound like a huge difference, experts who study blood pressure say it’s important.
“That’s clinically relevant,” says David Pollock, PhD, regents professor of medicine at the Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta.

Previous studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can raise blood pressure, as can stress. But few have looked at what happens when sleepy people are under pressure.

“It’s a fascinating thing because everybody can relate to this,” says Pollock, who says he has borderline hypertension himself. “It’s something that we’ve all experienced this at one time or another. To me, what I’d really like to know is how you can get a good night sleep all the time?” 

While the study may be easy to relate to, Pollock says the results need to be replicated by larger studies that look at more diverse populations.

And he says repeating the study will be important because poor sleep and stress seem to go hand in hand.

“Not only is stress common, getting a short amount of sleep is common and one probably leads to the other in a spiral,” Franzen says. “If you’re having a lot of stress, we know that tends to cause insomnia. These things often show up together.”

According to the CDC, one in three Americans has high blood pressure. The condition has few symptoms and is often called the “silent killer” because it can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure and may damage the kidneys and other organs.

About one in five Americans has hypertension that’s uncontrolled, meaning that it is untreated or that that medications or other treatments have failed to bring it down.

“If someone is having difficulty with blood pressure, maybe having an independent focus on their sleep is important to do,” he says.

This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary because they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

Lifestyle changes can improve blood pressure

Exercising and eating healthy foods can help get you on the right path.

By Annette López-Muñoz
Special/El Nuevo Herald

Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against artery walls. When a doctor measures blood pressure, the resulting reading registers with two numbers.

The first number, called systolic, measures the pressure while the heart is beating. The second one, called diastolic, measures the pressure while the heart rests between beats. Normal blood pressure is a systolic reading of not less than 120 pulses and a diastolic reading of less than 80.

You can have high blood pressure, or hypertension, and still feel well, as symptoms are not always manifest. Yet high blood pressure, often referred to as “the silent killer,” is a serious health problem. If high blood pressure is not controlled by changes in your lifestyle and medication, it can lead to brain hemorrhage, heart disease, eyesight problems or kidney failure.

Black women and Latinas are more at risk of high blood pressure than white women. But black women are more likely to have hypertension caused by genetics, while in Hispanic women the issue often is due to unhealthy habits.

“There was a time when it was thought that women did not suffer from high blood pressure, but the reality is that both men and women can equally suffer from this disorder,” says Dr. Sandra Chaparro, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Heart Failure and Transplant Section (Division of Cardiology), University of Miami who also practices at Jackson Memorial Hospital. “However, fewer women were diagnosed.”

With the greater diagnoses, women’s patterns can be discerned.

“African American women suffer the most, together with Native Indians, followed by Hispanic and then white women,’’ Chaparro said. “If Latinas exercised more and made some changes in their eating habits, they would see their number decrease.”

A good example is Nélida Santana, a 70-year-old Cuban who was diagnosed with high blood pressure at age 50. Initially she was told that it was due to fluid retention and so diuretics were prescribed. Yet the numbers would not go back to normal. Santana is not too overweight, but she has lived an extremely sedentary life.

“I have never exercised other than what I do at home cleaning and washing and ironing clothes,” she tells us. Her condition is made worse by genetic factors, since her immediate family has 11 siblings, five of whom suffer from high blood pressure. “My mother also suffered from hypertension,” she says.

“In its first stage it is a silent disorder,” says Chaparro. “Yet it gradually begins to damage your organs, and this is why it is very important to measure your pressure often, at least once a year. There are machines that do it in pharmacies, supermarkets and firehouses.”

There are many medications to control high blood pressure. However, experts say that 40 percent of cases can be controlled by a simple change of lifestyle.

“Exercise is very important,” says Chaparro. She says that we all suffer from stress in our lives and exercise is a great tool to control it. Avoiding smoking and alcohol are also important measures. “You don’t have to be an athlete,” says Chaparro. “Walk 35 minutes every day and have no more than two alcoholic drinks a day.” A diet low in fat and salt also helps, as well as increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

“It’s not so much the excess weight as the accumulated salt,” said Dr. Claudia Martínez, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Interventional Section (Division of Cardiology), University of Miami, who also practices at Jackson Memorial Hospital. “In the case of Latinas, when they reach menopause they gain weight and there is no reason for that. On the contrary, that is the moment to increase physical activity since metabolism slows down. It is advisable to take a walk after each meal.”

Dr. Pamela Green, 54, an African-American psychologist who suffers from hypertension, knows that she is 40 pounds overweight. Yet she said she lacks the willpower to lose weight.

“We all know what we have to do, but it’s difficult to do it,’’ says Green, whose blood pressure began to climb when she started putting on weight. She now takes pills. “Dr. Martínez has told me that if I lose weight she could probably get me off the medication.”

“To shed pounds is to lower the pressure,” says Martínez, who says there is a direct link between being overweight and hypertension, a disease that is the main cause of heart attacks, brain hemorrhages, kidney failure and other organs in the body.

Both experts, Martínez and Chaparro, point out that it is sad that many patients opt to take medication rather than change their habits. “With willpower or without it, there are no excuses to live with high blood pressure,” says Chaparro.

Ranked: The Best and Worst Diets

The weight loss industry makes big bucks in a losing proposition – losing weight that is.

There are thousands of diets purporting to be the best plan for shedding the pounds, but do they work?

Interestingly, U.S. News and World Report assembled an independent panel of 22 recognized experts in heart disease, diabetes, diet and exercise to review 20 diets.

The categories for this report were Best Diets Overall, Best Commercial Diet Plans, Best Weight-Loss Diets, Best Diabetes Diets and Best Heart-Healthy Diets. There was a method to the madness and a rating scale measuring effectiveness, ease of compliance, nutritional completeness and health risks on a five point scale.

Related: Yo-Yo Diets 'Better Than No Diets,' Study Finds

Top 5 Diet Plans

Low carb, high protein, low fat...so many diets to chose from could turn your good intentions into even more weight gain. We take a look at which diets give you the best chance of shaving off the pounds

Most people want a quick fix, but let’s face it; those extra pounds didn’t appear over night. A key component of healthy weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is exercise or physical activity. This was not included in the review, nor was cost (of food or classes).

Many of the winners and “losers” come as no surprise to this diet and nutrition expert. The findings of this report confirm what health experts have known to be true – and hopefully the results will convince millions of people to stop using ineffective and dangerous diet plans for weight loss.

Rapid weight loss is always what many overweight and obese individuals are looking for, despite recommendations from health care providers that one to two pounds a week is best. Slow weight loss leads to lasting weight loss – unlike the results you see on television shows like “The Biggest Loser” (and we know that more than half of those participants gain the weight back).

Best Weight-Loss Diets

Weight Watchers, with its ever-evolving points system came in at No. 1. Gone are the days where individuals must buy all their food prepackaged from Weight Watchers, this program encourages fruit and vegetable consumption, portion control, and offers support through meetings and online.

Jenny Craig and the Raw Food Diet tied for second place.

The Glycemic Index Diet and the Paleo Diet plans were at the bottom of the ranking. These plans lacked scientific evidence and long-term weight loss maintenance.

Best Heart-Healthy Diets
The Ornish Diet, which comes as no surprise, ranked highest for heart health. This food plan is low fat, high in fiber, vegetarian and integrates the mind-body experience of exercise, yoga and meditation (even though this was not scored, it is a key aspect of the program’s success in heart-healthy outcomes).

In second place was the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet in third place. These two diets evolved from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and are great examples of how to apply scientific findings to improving health.

It comes as no surprise that The Atkins Diet and Paleo Diet plans were at the opposite end of the heart-health spectrum. The evidence has been clear that high-fat diets are not best for our ticker, arteries or veins.

Best Diabetes Diet
With diabetes rates growing as fast as our waistlines, it is a likely fit for a diet plan review. The interpretation for this category was for the prevention or treatment of diabetes. The DASH Diet ranked first, with the Mayo Clinic Diet (the real one, not that e-mail or chain letter that has passed around), the Ornish Diet and the Vegan Diet in a three-way tie for second place.

The Zone Diet and the Paleo Diet were the big losers when it came to helping people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Best Diets Overall
The DASH Diet leads with the Mediterranean Diet for first place, while the TLC Diet and Weight Watchers tied for second.

Are you sensing a trend yet? We often don’t want our government to tell us what to eat, but our tax dollars have certainly been put to great use in helping us to lose weight in a manner that is good for overall health.

The lower scoring diet plans are The Atkins Diet and Paleo Diet. The Atkins plan has been notable for rapid weight loss, but health experts have questioned its impact on overall health and the inability for its “losers” to keep the weight off.

Best Commercial Diet Plans
This category is not about best television commercials or spokespeople; it is about the brand-name programs which offer support and structure. Weight Watchers persevered in the top spot, followed by Jenny Craig and then Slim Fast.

The Atkins Diet and Medifast were the bottom of the list in this category. Experts agreed they lacked nutrients and ease of use.

Here is the take home message: Celebrities are not weight loss experts, even though they can successfully lose weight and be a role model for others – like Jennifer Hudson is for Weight Watchers. Even though we eat to live, there are real experts in the field of weight loss and we should be wary of those who purport to be so without the appropriate credentials.

If it sounds too good to be true (lose 30 pounds in 30 days), it is. The quick fixes are not safe or effective for long-term weight loss or maintenance.

With the exception of the Best Commercial Plans category – all of the winners placed an emphasis on a plant-based diet: fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and grains with smaller portions of animal-based proteins. Fat and sodium levels were lower with fiber intake being higher. The secret to weight loss is in the laws of physics – eat fewer calories and move more.

Click here to check out U.S. News and World Report's Best Diets website. 

Felicia D. Stoler, DCN, MS, RD, FACSM is a doctorally trained registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, TV personality and expert consultant in disease prevention, wellness and healthy living. She is the author of "Living Skinny in Fat Genes: The Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Feel Great." She hosted TLC's groundbreaking series "Honey We're Killing the Kids!" Become a fan of Felicia on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or visit her website FeliciaStoler.com