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Had a chat recently with one of our clients about ways to lower high blood pressure without medication. It prompted me to share some thoughts with our community.
Keep in mind we have labs that we can suggest for our clients. We do labs so it allows us to know a person’s specific data. We believe in BIO-INDIVIDUAL coaching. Having a client's blood work data is powerful and provides us with so much information.
When it comes to lowering blood pressure, the first thoughts are to eliminate processed foods and increase exercise. Hopefully, many folks are already aware of these two tips, so let’s dig into other ways to lower blood pressure.
1. Cut excess carbs. Definitely simple carbs! Stick with complex carbs from vegetables and fruits.
2. One can temporarily decrease carbs from unprocessed grains as they contain anti-nutrients like phytic acid in the bran portion which can block your body from absorbing essential nutrients. They can neutralize many of the beneficial blood pressure-lowering effects of fruits and vegetables.
3. Increase healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados. There was a study that showed 40 grams (4 tablespoons) daily of extra virgin olive oil for just four months cut blood press in half in hypertensive individuals who were on meds!
4. Increase Omega 3s. Omega-3s from cold-water fish, such as wild-caught salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies can help lower blood pressure.
5. If you are not already taking a magnesium supplement, you can try adding about 400mg of magnesium citrate.
6. If your vitamin D levels are low, you may want to supplement. We usually test our clients, so we know their levels. Optimal levels range between 40-70 ng/mL. If you are able to be outdoors for long enough periods of time to get some sun exposure, but not long enough to burn, you can get vitamin D. You can wear sunscreen on your face and get enough exposure from just your legs, and arms, look for 25-30% body exposure. If you have low sun tolerance you can try supplements. Again, knowing your current level will help to know how much you need to add. If you can get a good sublingual liquid, usually taking a typical dose of 1,000-2000 international units is a good start. Vitamin D is fairly simple to find. If you can find a D3/K2 combo that would be best, as in short, Vitamin D3 improves the absorption of calcium, Vitamin K2 allocates where the calcium is used.
7. Blood pressure can also increase due to stress. Meditation and yoga especially practices that use pranayama or diaphragmatic breathing techniques can help lower blood pressure. Here is a source for information. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing.
8. There are certain medications and supplements that can contribute to high blood pressure.
9. Caffeine in excess can directly raise blood pressure
10. Lastly, there are certain toxins that can elevate blood pressure such as bisphenol A, cadmium, lead, and organophosphate pesticides. There is also research that suggests BPA in containers and can liners, can spike blood pressure, think water bottles, soup cans, canned veggies, tomato paste, etc., and even everyday receipts and pizza boxes have BPA!
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