If you have been following my posts the past few weeks, you will be aware of the fact that I had some bad news at the doctor which required immediate changes in my life. This is another installment of my progress.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
My new blood pressure monitor came yesterday. I bought an Omron Series 5. There were two main reasons I bought this one... Firstly, the brand repeatedly came up as one of the more reliable brands when I researched. Secondly, this particular model stores data for two users (good for when my husband decides to start doing this again for himself...) without all the unnecessary bells and whistles of the more expensive models. Furthermore, this particular eBayer had both cuffs - so I can, in theory, use it on my kids if I need/want to. It should also fit my husband's arm as well as my own... so it really should do everything. I still need to pick up a power adapter for it, but that can be done later when I feel we can afford it.
Once I got the machine set up and figured out what I was doing - and then calmed down, I began recording my blood pressure.
I figure that first thing in the morning is probably the most accurate, so this morning, it was 142/100 on my left arm and 143/94 on my right. According to Chris Kresser, this makes me "Stage 1 Hypertensive" - or "mild." No panic being caused, just a "hey, you still need to fix this." (I sure wish I could afford to hire him as my doctor!)
Still, I was a bit disappointed with this result - as it's higher than it was last week at the doctor. So, what went wrong?
When I thought about it, I have been fairly tired for about half the week and started wondering what I encountered to cause it. Of course, there are fatigue triggers that will never be completely eliminated - such as crowds and bad lighting in certain supermarkets.
But, as I thought about it (and this is why food diaries are good for anyone trying to work out their triggers), I realized something important...
Wheat is an Issue for me...
I remember wondering about this when I was grain-free a few years ago (before I had bad things happening in my life which prevented me continuing this) - I let myself have a "diet holiday" for my daughter's birthday party - and felt terrible for several days.
So, I thought about it again...
Yeah... between the "break" of letting myself have French Toast one morning - plus the flour in the gravy for Salisbury Steak the other night. So, no more cheating.
Gluten?
Actually, in my personal reading, I have learned a few things... People who have troubles with wheat in the US...
- Are typically fine in South America...
- Are typically fine with a more ancient variety of wheat such as spelt.
My theory is that pesticides are one of the greater causes for "gluten intolerance" in the USA. But I think it goes beyond that - and clearly, there are people who simply can't tolerate gluten.
Personally, I have a grass pollen allergy that was diagnosed as a child. (It resulted in 6 years of weekly allergy injections - which is likely to be one of the reasons I'm so unhealthy now...) I have to wonder whether many of us who do not tolerate wheat well are actually having a cross-allergic reaction to grasses in general. (I seem to be fine with rice.)
So, could this be contributing to my hypertension - the same as it's contributing to my fatigue?
Dr. Steve Nenninger supposes that yes, hidden/untreated food allergies could definitely cause hypertension!
More from Chris Kresser...
If you are suffering from hypertension, there are some things in this article you might want to try...
I love the paleo/primal movement - because there are a number of science-oriented people at the forefront. Okay, so potatoes don't normally qualify as paleo - yet, the science indicates that this may be one of the silver bullets I need. A single medium potato has a quarter of my daily need of potassium. (If you're worried about blood sugar, let it cool and reheat it later for the more resistant starch that doesn't mess with insulin and blood sugar so much.) This is one case where sweet potatoes don't win!
Salt!
This is another of those things which is maligned for little reason. Apparently, the science supporting salt causing hypertension is sketchy at best. BUT... I am beginning to wonder if the issue isn't salt at all, but what is done to it in most manufacturing plants to add it to our junk food... Chris mentions some of the anti-caking agents added to table salt, and I have to wonder if that's a huge part of the problem... Just like how sugarcane and even sugar beets are not the problem, but the way it's processed and then over-applied to everything is. We have salt buds on our tongue - we need it! But only the good stuff.
Chis also mentions fermented dairy, green tea, other teas such as hibiscus and hawthorn, beets and even bacon! (The nitrites actually help dilate your blood vessels which can help reduce blood pressure!)
Steps Forward
- Eliminate grass grains from my diet completely (and find paleo/primal substitutes for those things I really want...)
- Eliminate salt that's not super natural - even "sea salt" when it's over-processed is probably not going to be helping me at all.
- Add a K2 supplement to my diet and increase my fermented dairy (need to purchase a new viili start as well as a new batch of buttermilk as my current culture is quite weak.)
- Increase my intake of potatoes - I had two hashbrowns this morning instead of one and made sure I have some for tomorrow morning as well.
- Try (again) to fall in love with beets... (I may have to be careful - when my mother started juicing beets, she found out that she's quite allergic to them! But then, she would have had them raw too.)
- Make kombucha again. I found a couple of gallon-sized jars at our local thrift store for the project. Our household recipe includes the use of hibiscus on the first ferment (I don't bother with a second ferment) - I'm thinking I can probably utilize hawthorn berries and green tea in this to further battle my hypertension.
- Exercise. Yes, this one has been in there... but waiting. I am trying to get out more frequently, even if it is just to check out a new (to me) store in town... and get a little extra walking in. Once my husband's first pay check arrives, I plan to get a membership at the YMCA and take up Zumba again and maybe some aquaerobics.
At the beginning of this journey...
(Image taken by my brother Chris, at the Clatsop County Fair in Oregon - August 2019.)
Health Stats
| Date | Weight | BMI | Blood Pressure | Pulse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2019 | 251.38 lbs | 47.67 | 167/101 (retaken 1/2 hour later) 158/94 | 81 |
| Sep 24, 2019 | 253.0 lbs | 47.98 | 137/95 | 100 |
Beginning Health Stats on Sep 10, 2019.
Weight: 251.38 lbs
BMI: 47.67
Blood Pressure: 167/101 - retaken half an hour later 158/94
Pulse rate: 81
Very unhealthy!
Record of my journey...
WAY Too Unhealthy - Time to Change - September 11, 2019
Of Medication and Fatigue - September 18, 2019
Tra La La - Back to the Doctor - September 24, 2019
Crossposted at Steem, Whaleshares, WeKu, Hyperspace.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
verified author on Goodreads
find me on Twitter
blogging on: Steem, Whaleshares, WeKu, Hyperspace
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