Living Well

Lower Your Blood Pressure the Nutritional Way

2007-06-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Lower Your Blood Pressure the Nutritional Way by Charles Kassotis

Hypertension has been called "the silent killer" because blood pressure can creep up quietly over time before striking suddenly via a heart attack or stroke. Often, people in their 40's and 50's will find out during their annual physical examination that their pressure is climbing, and they may need to go on medication to control it. But before it reaches the point of requiring medical intervention, you can implement some lifestyle changes that may lower your blood pressure before prescription meds are needed. You may want to check with your doctor first, but healthy adjustments like those described below can sometimes make a difference.

1. Get more calcium. Research shows that calcium products can play a role in reducing blood pressure. Look for low-fat varieties of certain dairy products, and experiment to find the foods or beverages you most enjoy. Try to get three servings of calcium-based foods each day. This could take the form of eight-ounce glasses of milk, a combination of yogurt and milk products, or even some foods that contain calcium, like broccoli.

2. Reduce your salt intake. Salt continues under investigation as a probable instigator of hypertension. Keep the saltshaker in the cupboard so you will be less tempted to use it. Don't salt foods automatically while cooking them, and taste prepared food before adding salt as a seasoning. Beware of hidden salt in processed foods like lunchmeats or as a preservative in frozen foods, especially those that are precooked before freezing. Your body needs some salt, however; so don't give it up altogether without your doctor's knowledge.

3. Stay away from fatty foods. Fat clogs the arteries, thus contributing to a rise in blood pressure over time. Cut back on fried foods, fatty cuts of red meat, and foods cooked in oil or butter. Substitute other types of seasonings, like lemon juice or herbs, to replace the taste of fatty flavorings in salads or deep-fried items.

4. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Many disease associations, like the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association, recommend a diet that includes several daily helpings of fruit and vegetables. These can be eaten fresh, frozen, canned, or cooked. Plant foods often contain fiber, which has been shown to reduce blood clotting and improve circulation, thereby contributing to lower blood pressure.

5. Cut back on sweets. Commercially prepared cookies, cakes, and other goodies often contain unhealthy levels of fat, salt, and calories. Eating these too often can interfere with the intake of healthier foods that can help to control blood pressure. When you want to snack, eat low-fat veggie dips, fresh fruit, or baked chips instead of the fried variety.

Changing your diet may not be enough to lower or manage your blood pressure. But it might delay an increase in your numbers, or when combined with other therapies like exercise, stress reduction, and medication, helps to keep your numbers where they belong. Ask your doctor about the role that nutrition might be able to play in controlling your blood pressure.

For more information on how to lower your blood pressure the nutritional way, Visit The Blood Pressure Directory

Article Source: http://www.wellnessarticles.net

Redesigned website now live

2007-05-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

The new design of WellSpring is now live.
If you are a practitioner and would like to cost effectively promote your business or website you can now order your annual subscription quickly and easily here.

World Asthma Day

2007-04-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

It's Asthma Day. Here in New Zealand we have a history of being really good at diagnosing asthma. The drug companies have been very supportive of our endeavours.
Aside from the fact that in many cases the illness dianosed as asthma is simply a cold (the symptoms of mild to moderate asthma and colds are very similar) and our willingness to hahttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifnd responsibility for minor and normal illness to pharmaceutical peddlers is endemic.

There are alternative solutions that can be explored. One is the Buteyko method of breath control which you can read more about on the WellSpring site. Although I don't have any vested interest in any of the therapies we feature - the information is there for, well, your information. I have spent time with Glenn White from Buteyko Breath Correction in Auckland , including attending the introductory session. I have been impressed by his willingness to guarantee either a result (including reduced use of inhalers and/or an end of snoring/apnea) - or a return of the clients fee.

Is it right for you? I don't know. I do know that any solution that reduces the use of medicines where they are not required is a good thing.

Massage Marketing Tips

2007-04-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

If you are a massage practitioner then you might find the newsletter from the Canadian massage marketing resource BodyWorks Biz. I have been receiving their information for several years and enjoy the tips and ideas for growing a practice.

Sign up for Massage Marketing Tips here.

WellSpring has sprung

2007-04-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog for WellSpring.co.nz

The site is a place for people to discover more about wellness and personal growth.

I launched it in 2003 as a way to help practitioners and the public to learn about the various options offered in areas that are often called complementary health or alternative. I am not a practitioner. My background ins marketing and publishing. My motivation was to help my then partner, a chiropractor, to launch her business here in New Zealand when she returned from the United States. It seemed a waste to simply build another web-site so I created a portal style site that could benefit many users and offer a greater service for consumers as well.

One of the ideas that I felt was important was to create a WellSpring Code for clients of the various practitioners to use in order to ensure that they receive care that is both safe and value for money. It embraces ideas like informed consent and consumer law and is fair to both honest, qualified practitioners and their clients.

The practices listed range literally from A-Z (Accupuncture to Zero Balancing). Practices are described and, in many cases, listings of New Zealand practitioners are shown so that a practitioner can be found. In the coming months the free practitioner listings will probably be deleted and replaced with another means of locating practices. It is a useful service but difficult to keep up to date (I run the site alone, so it is not practical).

There are other changes I have planned for the year ahead including an innovative magazine style section and a major redesign to bring the site up to date, make it easier and more pleasing to use.

If you are looking for information about Wellness and Personal Growth I hope you'll visit WellSpring.

If you are a practitioner (anywhere in the world) and have an interesting story to share with either people who use your services (or who might) - or have had an interesting experience with a particular form of care please feel free to mailto:info@wellspring.co.nz?subject=A shared experience from the WellSpring blog share them with me

In this blog I will talk about my experiences with the site, share stories and information that come to me from the WellSpring community and new ideas that arise for practitioners to grow the understanding and appreciation of their form of care.