Headlines:

Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with a

new disorder: pre-hypertension. Is your blood pressure

low enough?

Nearly 23% of people over the age of 18 have pre-hypertension

(blood pressure over 120/80 and less than 140/90).

Another 25% of those over 18 have full-blown hypertension

(blood pressure over 140/90).

Hypertension

At age 34 I had to have an insurance exam. I weighed 175 pounds

on a 5'6" frame and for the first time in my life, had elevated

blood pressure, 140/90, up from 118/78. That was one of the first major health warnings my body gave me.

Pre-hypertension

Back in those days hypertension was considered anything above

140/90. Today we have the diagnosis of "pre-hypertension"

which is any elevation of blood pressure over 120/80. Starting

as low as 115/75 the risk of heart attack or stroke doubles

for every 20 point increase in systolic pressure (the higher

of the two, when the left ventricle of the heart actually

pumps blood out into the body) and for every 10 point increase

in diastolic pressure (when the heart is resting in between

pulses). Between the pressures of 120/80 and 140/90 there is

a fourfold increase in heart attack, compared to people with

normal blood pressure. According to Aram Chobanian, M.D. Dean

of Boston University School of Medicine, people over 54 years

old have a 90% chance of developing hypertension at some time.

Aging does not necessarily correlate to hypertension.

For some reason especially here in America, there has been the

idea that there is a normal increase in blood pressure as one

gets older. That has been proven to be false. There are many

populations around the world that reach old age and beyond

without any increase in blood pressure. The idea that blood

pressure goes up with age is based on studying the

American population where it does in most cases. However, this

does not mean that it is normal and is most likely a reflection

of the eating habits and lifestyle of most Americans. I can

still remember when a serum cholesterol was considered normal

if it was less than 275, hardly normal for anyone.

Prevention is the best approach.

Better to not get hypertension than to try to control it with

drugs once you have it. This means lifestyle changes that to

some, are not really what they want to do. No free lunch here.

If you want to prevent hypertension or control it once you have

it, diet and exercise are the answer. Below are twelve simple

lifestyle changes you can make to help keep your blood pressure

under control.

Lose Weight

Exercise

Drinks lots of water

Dietary modification to decrease animal products and sugar

and increase fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates.

(The sugar-free vegan MericleDiet is the optimal diet to

help you control your weight, blood pressure and risk for

serious disease).

Stop Smoking

Reduce salt intake

Increase potassium intake (bananas, melons, potatoes)

Reduce or stop alcohol intake

Reduce or stop caffeine

Avoid drugs ... recreational (cocaine, ecstasy), birth control

pills, some over the counter anti-inflammatory medicines

Relax, as much as you can.

If you want sweet -use Stevia. It has been shown to be the

safest sweetener today and in well designed experiments

it has reduced blood pressure.

The MericleDiet and Hypertension.

Current dietary recommendations for hypertension are a low

salt diet that restricts saturated fat, cholesterol and

total fats and emphasizes fruits, grains and low-fat dairy.

This diet, however, still allows fish, chicken, dairy and

insulin stimulating sugars such as sucrose and maple syrup.

While there is no doubt that cutting down on these will

improve your blood pressure, it would be best to stop them.

Also, there has been some difficulty with adherence to these

dietary recommendations. Why not learn to transition

completely away from all hypertension causing meats, dairy

and sugars with the MericleDiet, which also is much easier

to adhere to. It is the only 100% organic sugar-free

diet there is today. To visit the MericleDiet please follow

the link below:

http://www.DrMericle.com

Endorsement

The Mericle Diet and Me

I have been reading about diet and health since 1986, but The

MericleDiet has definitely helped me the most. After following

Dr. Mericle's suggestions for over 15 months, I can truthfully

say I will never stray from his program. One of the unseen

benefits has been the reduction of blood pressure medicine I

take. Although I have never been a big consumer of sugar,

I now consume even less since I now understand the importance

of keeping your insulin levels low. I am now able to keep my

blood pressure at an optimal level with half the medication

of my pre-MericleDiet days. And, the ease of this program!

I always have something yummy and ready to eat! For the first

time in my adult life I no longer suffer, and I do mean suffer,

from the yo-yo syndrome!

This is absolutely the best program for me and my family...

Kay McIlroy

Colorado Springs

Reference:

Health24.com

MyWebMD.com

If you would like to take stevia for a test drive or just

purchase some online, the link below will take you to

Carol Bond Health Foods. Just search stevia or "Stevita"

when you get there.

http://www.DrMericle.com/rcb.php

Please stay tuned for next week when we will discuss in more

detail the twelve recommendations for controlling your blood

pressure.

Thanks for your time.

Copyright © 2005 John Mericle M.D. All Rights Reserved

DrMericle.com is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change. Dr. Mericle brings together a unique blend of formal training in organic chemistry and biochemistry, medical education, 29 marathons, 3 Hawaii Ironman competitions and a lot of practical real life experience.