How to Lower Blood Pressure

Are you on a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet…like most American’s?

If you are reading my blog…probably not, but if you know someone who has high blood pressure, how are they eating?

Most people who are insulin resistant also have high blood pressure, and insulin resistance is directly caused by a high sugar, high grain (even “complex carbs”) diet. So high blood pressure and uncontrolled blood sugar go hand in hand.

As your insulin level increases, so does your blood pressure. Insulin stores magnesium, but if your insulin receptors are blunted and your cells grow resistant to insulin, you can’t store magnesium so it passes out of your body through urination. Magnesium in your cells relaxes muscles. If your magnesium level is too low, your blood vessels will constrict rather than relax, which will raise your blood pressure and decrease your energy level. Most American’s are very deficient in Magnesium. To check for signs check out my book: Keto Adapted.

Insulin also affects your blood pressure by causing your body to retain sodium. Sodium retention causes fluid retention. Fluid retention, in turn, causes high blood pressure and can lead to congestive heart failure.

To enhance your heart health, the first thing ISN’T to count sodium (I would get rid of junky table salt and use a quality salt like Redmond Real Salt, which has been found to help lower blood pressure), it is to remove all grains and sugars, mainly fructose, from your diet. Eating sug­ar and grains (in­cluding any type of bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, or any type of rice) will cause your insulin levels and your blood pressure.

Fructose is a sugar that can only be metabolized by the liver, which breaks down into a variety of waste products that are unhealthy for your body, one of which is uric acid. Uric acid drives up your blood pressure by inhibiting the nitric oxide in your blood vessels. Nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity, so nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure. The average American now consumes 70 grams of fructose EVERY day!

HOW TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

Avoid foods that boost insulin levels. Even whole, organic grains will rapidly break down to sugars, so they too should be avoided. “Complex Carbs” are just glucose molecules hooked together in long chains once they enter the blood stream, they turn into sugar.

1. Healthy Low Carb Swaps

Skip the high carb Breads and try my “Heathified” BREADS, WAFFLES, BAGELS

Skip the high carb Pasta, try my “Healthified” PASTA IDEAS

Skip the Rice or Quinoa, try my “Healthified” CAULIFLOWER RICE

Skip the Cereal, try my “Healthified” COCOA PEBBLES

Skip the Potatoes, try my “Healthified” FAUX-TATOES!

Skip the Cookies, try my “Healthified” Keto Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies, Keto Oreos or Chocolate Chip Cookies

2. INCREASE VITAMIN C: While vitamin C may be helpful, you’ll also want to avoid eating too many fruits; the types and amounts being adjusted based on your nutritional type.

3. Cut Caffeine: Caffeine causes a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure, even if you don’t have high blood pressure. Studies find that the adrenal glands release more adrenaline which in turn increases blood pressure. Blood pressure also may increase because caffeine blocks a particular hormone that keeps your arteries widened.

If you suffer from high blood pressure, cutting coffee is highly suggested.

4. Optimize vitamin D levels – Healthy vitamin D levels can have a powerful effect on normalizing your blood pressure. Low Vitamin D levels is associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Vitamin D has a positive impact on diabetes…it’s all linked together.

5. CUT ALL HARMFUL OILS!

Vegetable oils are harmful for many reasons including causing high blood pressure. Balance your omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratio – Most Americans eating a standard American diet have a ratio of 25:1, which is super unbalanced. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is 1:1. To achieve this, lower the amount of vegetable oils in your diet, and consume high quality, animal-based source of omega-3s such as fish, organic eggs and organic beef. Do not take fish oil (read more HERE).

6. Take a Magnesium Glycinate Supplement: We are all deficient in magnesium because we once found it in our water supply. Now that our soil is depleted of magnesium and most people drink bottled water, we all need to supplement. Taking 400mg of Magnesium Glycinate right away in AM (blood pressure is highest in the morning) AND 400mg just before bed will help your blood vessels relax. Our food supply doesn’t have the magnesium that it once did so a supplement is necessary. Click HERE to find the supplements I prefer and take. 

Click HERE to get a detailed supplement list all laid out for you!

7. Walk after Meals: moving your body after meals is extremely helpful for blood sugar, insulin and blood pressure. I always walk after meals, it helped me stop mindless eating and wanting a dessert after the meal.

8. Reduce Stress: it sounds simple, but reducing stress is extremely important to reducing high blood pressure. Even sitting in nature and enjoying the quiet is extremely beneficial to lowering blood pressure.

9. Get Your Thyroid Checked: thyroid issues will cause high blood pressure despite eating keto and low carb.