Hi guys, my mom has recently been diagnosed with hypertension. She eats way too much refined carbs and has some excess weight around her middle, but is far from obese. What can be done to help her lower her blood pressure?

She won't low carb, so I was thinking of getting her on South Beach, which she will do. Will that help?

I also through some Omega threes and olive oil. Maybe garlic. Some light exercise. Anybody know anything that will help more?

Well those will help a lot, especially the garlic....nightly...real garlic... And 1 T. olive oil a day...took 3 weeks for someone I know... Also my mom's potassium was off which also contributes to some people's high blood pressure as opposed to salt...she takes supplements...somehow potassium and sodium work together to keep it low...

Fish oils, garlic, and vitamin D with calcium and magnesium.

Really, low carb is the best thing possible for high BP, at least it was for me!

First of all I would recommend
she see a Dr. and get a prescription
for Lisinipril which is the GENERIC
drug of choice for High BP. It only
costs about $10 per month if your
mother is on Medicare.

That should probably take care of
the situation. If not she might find
a diuretic helpful, like HCTZ.

I am not a Dr. but I have been successfully
treated for high BP for about 10 years.

I currently take 25 mg of Adalat per day
and two inderal per day. Adalat is a calcium
channel blocker and NOT as highly recommended
for High BP as Lisinipril (an ACE inhibitor) but
I tend to be allergic to the Lisinipril and the
Adalat works better.

I am not a Dr. and am just speaking from my
experience as a patient, but by all means get
her on medication.

Hi. Thanks for the replies. This is pretty much where I was going: cut down sodium, add potassium, calcium and magnesium, good eating (but not true low carb, more south beach), garilc, omega three, olive oil, some light exercise daily.

Nedgoudy, why are you not eating fat? Isn't that unhealthy? I read it can lead to gallstone formation.

Google 'pine tree bark' and see what it has to say about it.

How about medication? I take Lisinopril and my BP went from 160/89 to 123/71 in 2 weeks. I am thinking once (and if i can) losing 150 lbs i won't need it.

lowering calories by 10% usually always works and might be worth a try. I know people that was on medication for over a decade and blood pressure was still quite high, by reducing calories, blood pressure went down even more than medication could achieve.

and a good well designed multi could also be of benifit. This is one of the best you will find http://www.relentlessimprovement.co.../ortho-core.htm

also take a look at this page and click on each food for information and references on its possible benifits.
http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

Thanks for the info!

I was on high blood pressure meds for 27 years. I got off of them (miraculously in my eyes) by doing this:

eat low carb veggies
fresh salmon and other fish, poultry and other lower fat cuts of meat
(no nitrates, almost no salt)
raw nuts and seeds (a small handful)
minimal amount of lower carb fruit (like lemons and limes on the fish...not fruit every day most likely)
olive oil and a bit of butter

juice once a day: 1/4 cabbage/3 stalks celery/2 to 3 cloves garlic/a small carrot (try ommitting the carrot if your bp cooperates, because it is higher in sugar)

I will soon be experimenting to see if ommitting the nuts and cooking the cabbage/celery/garlic/carrot is as effective as juicing)

This brought my bp down to an average of 120/74 after being as high as 200+/120.

Another factor for me was that I found out I had sleep apnea (stopped breathing throughout the night and snored loudly). This also helped my bp come down. I weaned myself over a period of months down to 1/2 a dose of pills then down to no pills. BUT there is no wiggle room with this way of eating. NO eggs, NO dairy, NO grains, NO salty condiments. NO frankenfoods. NO potatoes, corn, yams, limas or other starchy veggies. It is so worth it to be off the meds.

Julian Whitaker makes some BP Essentials that you can get over the internet. Magnesium is great for blood pulse. Spinach is the best low carb version of potassium--bananas and lima beans are full of potassium, but not low carb. It is commonly said that potassium supplements are not well utilized by body.

Spinach! Good idea...

btw I believe whoa hit on something when he mentioned the "10% less food" effecting bp for the better. When it was its lowest I was coming off of an intercessory water fast and so eating much less than normal...sometimes every other day and just drinking water or the "cabbage juice drink" on the days I wouldn't eat. I felt great and full of energy. Problem is that my bp spiked last time I water fasted (6 or 7th day) and hasn't come down since.
I'm my own guinea pig here and trying to reproduce the steps that brought it back into balance last time. T

I would rather go through a gallstone removal
than a triple bypass heart operation, how bout you?

Likewise with the treatment of Kidney Stones.

I payed my quarter, and I will takes me chance!

And yes, I am happy with my diet, thanks.