Just wanted to share a success story. Tonight I checked my bp at Rite Aid and it was 128/80. This is after 4 weeks of changed diet (chicken instead of red meat, lower sodium choices) and daily walking (I walk about 2 miles a day with my 2 kids). Before I started my bp was fluctuating from 140/90 to 150/100. I had a very sedentary lifestyle and a high fat, high sodium diet. My doc had prescribed a diuretic and a cholesterol lowering drug. Because I take lithium for my biploar condition, the water pill was causing toxicity so I stopped taking the medication in favor of diet and exercise. Hopeullly when I go to the doc next time I can stay off the meds. I learned that walking and diet can truly lower bp!

How low are you able to keep your daily sodium intake?

The recommended limit from the American Heart Association is 2,400 milligrams, but that is too much for me with my tendency to have high blood pressure.

I try to keep it below 1,500 mgs. Ways I am able to do it?

* Drink more water
* Read labels and make choices (ie; Kraft Macaroni and cheese is out)
* No chips
* No sliced sandwich lunch-meat, it is packed with sodium
* Try to always have bananas in the house as a snack
* No salt shaker adding to food


Here is a helpful webpage on sodium for hbp sufferers:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/sodium/sodium.htm

lifeoriley

Of course I am happy for you, but aren't you posting in another thread that you are just learning to use a home monitor? Once you follow the advice there-- to calibrate it in sync with your doctor's readings-- you will not need to depend on sometimes-unreliable drugstore models to follow your BP over time.

~Susan

lifeoriley...I am so happy to come across your post. I have high blood pressure...a bit higher than your high numbers and I have just applied to begin a non-surgical weight loss managment group at the hospital. I have problems getting started on my own and thought this dr., dietician, excercise expert led group would help me. To hear the success you have had is great. Now I will need to find the sleep apnea site and find out if the weight loss and excercise will help with that!

Continued success to you!

Lamac

Of course I am happy for you, but aren't you posting in another thread that you are just learning to use a home monitor? Once you follow the advice there-- to calibrate it in sync with your doctor's readings-- you will not need to depend on sometimes-unreliable drugstore models to follow your BP over time.

~Susan

I've been checking my bp at drugstores for years and they are usually within a +/- 10 reading of the doctor's office.

The wrist monitor my wife gave me (which I posted on asking how to use) was reading way too low. My internet surfing tells me that it is a cheap model that is unreliable. I guess I'll know if the drugstore machine is way off at my next appt., but for now it's the best indicaor I have. It's about long term lifestyle changes though, I am sure it would creep back up if I got back on high salt and fat and stopped my walking routine.

Yes, sticking with it is the thing.

For me, diet and exercise will no longer do it on their own, but I do know that sticking with them-- and aggressively-- will help keep the meds levels down and limit my vulnerability to the damage that can be done by side effects.

~Susan

Hi,

Today I had the best reading I can have, 115/75, although that yesterday it was 130/90. Today I have eaten 3 boiled potatoes without adding any salt plus 3 orange serving and some fruit juice. I exercised for 45 minutes and I walked for an hour too. :) It can't get any better, can it?
But I know that the winter is coming and my blood pressure will not be less than 140/90. Anyway, I have learned many things in this year and I hope I will keep it under 130/85 this time :D.
Good luck,
Michael

That's cool Michael. Are your numbers with meds or without? My son and I just walked over to another drug store to get an ice cream and I couldn't resist checking once again. Of course when I sat down it still had the previous person's numbers there, an enviable 100/68.

Mine was 117/78. Like I said before, even with these good readings, I don't want to stop these lifestyle changes. One thought I did have reading youjr post was that I wouldn't like boiled potatoes with no seasoning. I try to make changes that I know I can live with in the long term. For example, we went to RED ROBIN today and I got the chicken fajitas instead of a hamburger or anything fried. It's a reasonable changes that are going to stick and keep the bp down in the long run. But if you like potatoes that way, power to ya brother!

Keep up the good habits

That's cool Michael. Are your numbers with meds or without? My son and I just walked over to another drug store to get an ice cream and I couldn't resist checking once again. Of course when I sat down it still had the previous person's numbers there, an enviable 100/68.

Mine was 117/78. Like I said before, even with these good readings, I don't want to stop these lifestyle changes. One thought I did have reading youjr post was that I wouldn't like boiled potatoes with no seasoning. I try to make changes that I know I can live with in the long term. For example, we went to RED ROBIN today and I got the chicken fajitas instead of a hamburger or anything fried. It's a reasonable changes that are going to stick and keep the bp down in the long run. But if you like potatoes that way, power to ya brother!

Keep up the good habits

Actually, I don't like boiled potatoes without salt but what I can do :). Also I have read that potatoes reduce blood pressure. I'm on Cardiazim 120 mg SR twice daily but this medication alone is not working good. I'm 24 so I need to keep my blood pressure below 140/90 so I can live healthy. I hope I can do that in winter, in the summer, I live in Egypt and it's hot here in summer, I can eat anything and still my blood pressure with medication around 120/80 but in winter I can't get that kind of control. Anyway, we will see what will happen next winter:).
Good luck for all of us
Michael

I think salt control is the singularly best way to control blood pressure, with weight control coming in second.
I am absolutely CONVINCED I would never need another antihypertensive pill IF I could control my diet to 1500 mg. sodium per day...BUT I CAN'T.

I have had a pound of salt in my cabinet for two years and really use it ONLY for adding to pasta water (and thus toss most of it out.)
But I don't stand a chance against the onslaught of prepared foods. Most popular canned soups for example have that 1500 mg. in a single can and that is 300 calories or so and thus only 15% of my diet. Even preparing spaghetti sauce I use canned CRUSHED TOMATOES and a single can, providing only 130 calories, had a whopping 2730 mg. sodium.

Prepared foods like Hungry Man Dinners (by*******) or the better tasting STOUFFER'S line likewise have easily far more sodium than that 1500 mg. goal. ONE serving of some Chicken Fajita thingy has over 3 grams...that is obscene.

If I cooked EVERYTHING I ate from scratch I'd have no problems but to make several quarts of spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes would cost me more than my monthly rent.:dizzy:

There was a furor from the AMA about these manufacturers packing in all the sodium theri products would bear and some smarmy lies from big producers like Campbells but it seems to have come to nothing. Campbell's even had the nerve to say that it had TRIIED a lower salt line of soups but it wasn't a big seller...they NEGLECTED to add THAT IT COST TWICE AS MUCH!

So I take a diuretic...and go into a slow burn every time I read a nutrition label.:mad: :mad:

For me I can't find any medication that works 100% and without side effects so I have to reduce my salt intake and eat more fruit and vegatables. Lenin I eat about 200 grams of red meat daily and I don't add any salt. I know that there are Sodium in the red meat, can you tell me how much Sodium in 200 grams of red meat ?
Thanks,
Michael

I think salt control is the singularly best way to control blood pressure, with weight control coming in second.
I am absolutely CONVINCED I would never need another antihypertensive pill IF I could control my diet to 1500 mg. sodium per day...BUT I CAN'T.

I have had a pound of salt in my cabinet for two years and really use it ONLY for adding to pasta water (and thus toss most of it out.)
But I don't stand a chance against the onslaught of prepared foods. Most popular canned soups for example have that 1500 mg. in a single can and that is 300 calories or so and thus only 15% of my diet. Even preparing spaghetti sauce I use canned CRUSHED TOMATOES and a single can, providing only 130 calories, had a whopping 2730 mg. sodium.

Prepared foods like Hungry Man Dinners (by*******) or the better tasting STOUFFER'S line likewise have easily far more sodium than that 1500 mg. goal. ONE serving of some Chicken Fajita thingy has over 3 grams...that is obscene.

If I cooked EVERYTHING I ate from scratch I'd have no problems but to make several quarts of spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes would cost me more than my monthly rent.:dizzy:

There was a furor from the AMA about these manufacturers packing in all the sodium theri products would bear and some smarmy lies from big producers like Campbells but it seems to have come to nothing. Campbell's even had the nerve to say that it had TRIIED a lower salt line of soups but it wasn't a big seller...they NEGLECTED to add THAT IT COST TWICE AS MUCH!

So I take a diuretic...and go into a slow burn every time I read a nutrition label.:mad: :mad:

You are correct that frozen meals have a ton of sodium. Do you try and always have bananas at home? They are pretty filling and the potassium is great for blood pressure. Also drink a lot of DISTILLED CLEAN water (get the Sparkletts guy to come out if that's easier than the store)

I also cut out sliced sandwich meats. I have tuna-fish sandwiches at work. Chicken is good too.

Hang in

lifeoriley

Michael,
Lean braised chuck roast (beef) per 200 grams is about 110 mg. sodium...about as low as foods get. This assumes that is not canned or preserved in any way...just fresh red meat.

Riley,

I guess if I want to stop taking diuretics, my only choice is to stop buying anything in a can or anything that needs only be tossed into a microwave...or indeed, anything on sale. I KNOW that is the answer but life is too short to start playing permanent hausfrau.

Maybe I'll start a one man campaign against Cambells, Stouffers, Beatrice, Swannson's, NEstle's, Progresso, Goya, Vitarroz, General Foods, etc. etc. etc.

I NEED convenience foods. As you can tell the whole sodium-food issue leaves me REALLY frustrated.:dizzy:

Oh, my favorite convenience lunch: a bag of ramen noodles that cost a dime, take 3 minutes to cook, provide 380 delicious calories, BUT carry a soium price tag of almost 2 grams...WAAAHHH!

Thanks Lenin :) you know the answers of all the questions like all the time.
I hope that you will control your salt intake to the minimum so you can stop the medication.
Michael

Thanks Lenin sir . . . a little goes a long way toward salt reduction . . . and don't forget your banana a day! All the best

riley

Don't you get an increase in your heart rate when you eat Banana?
I can't eat Banana at all because it increases my heart rate :(.
Michael

Bananas are high in potassium which lowers blood pressure. I've never heard of bananas increasing heart rate.

That's good you're able to control it - but some of us are out of control. (Blood Pressure speaking). My blood pressure is almost 200/140 on a daily basis when I'm not upset. There is NO medication that works for me so I live with it. Good For you!!! --And I eat normally.

Lenin! There is no rule that sez you have to use the WHOLE flavor packet that comes with Ramen!

How can anyone stand to use the whole thing? Just a sprinkle, man!

~Susan

WYSIWIG,

Coincidence department::wave:
I am currently jiggering the ramen flavor pack on my good diet scale. It seems the bag weighs about 6.5 grams and the foil packet is the .5. So I am TRYING to get 3 grams with each serving.
It's tough though...too much and I get a spitload of salt; too little and no taste!

I'm going to try a packet of NO SALT BOUILLON on my next ramen serving ( ran out on Thursday) and see if I can get enough flavor.
I HAVE found that a half tsp. of toasted sesame oil adds a nice flavor and aroma with the lesser salt versions. Also tossing in several salad shrimp is nice.

It's a work in process. If ONLY they'd come out with a lower sodium ramen...at the same price, I'd be a happy man.

Well.... I understand the convenience thing-- been there. But couscous also cooks almost instantaneously (douse with hot water and let stand), and you can flavor it any way you like and control the sodium.

Also, you might find that the sodium in soy sauce and/or tamari are not only better for you, but also conveniently controlled.

I dunno ezzackly what your situation is, but I'm a creative problem-solver from way back so if I could see what you're trying to do, a little more clearly, I might actually have some good ideas. Like, today I am cooking up a mess of poolside mini-meals and one will be a mix of two different rice/beans conveneince packages so I get the spiciness and other stuff balanced the way I want, with some cooked turkey thrown in to adjust the protein component for the type of workout I am doing this month.

Of course this now constitutes thread hijacking; is there a thread's worth on its own that ought to get its own thread title?

~Susan

is my walking causing my restless legs . Should i be taking more calcium and magnesium and potassium since thats what it says in the cures books for it. i feel nervous and shake my leg up and down while on the computer alot. Heck i could do it for hours .
Ive doubled or even trippled my walking from 1 or 2 days to 5 days

It's probably just a sign of muscle development. My husband gets that whenever he increases his cycling effort, and I get is from aquatics training. Some stretches ought to help.

~Susan

its more shaking then anything, im moving my knee up and down and twisting my feet around, ive been doing it for hours straight

twarrior, is it voluntary or involuntary?

voluntary, i can make it stop, just feels better doing it. Ive been walking alot . Should i be taking calcium, mag and potassium.

at least i think its voluntary. And i dont do it while sleeping

I think salt control is the singularly best way to control blood pressure, with weight control coming in second.
I am absolutely CONVINCED I would never need another antihypertensive pill IF I could control my diet to 1500 mg. sodium per day...BUT I CAN'T.

I have had a pound of salt in my cabinet for two years and really use it ONLY for adding to pasta water (and thus toss most of it out.)
But I don't stand a chance against the onslaught of prepared foods. Most popular canned soups for example have that 1500 mg. in a single can and that is 300 calories or so and thus only 15% of my diet. Even preparing spaghetti sauce I use canned CRUSHED TOMATOES and a single can, providing only 130 calories, had a whopping 2730 mg. sodium.

Prepared foods like Hungry Man Dinners (by*******) or the better tasting STOUFFER'S line likewise have easily far more sodium than that 1500 mg. goal. ONE serving of some Chicken Fajita thingy has over 3 grams...that is obscene.

If I cooked EVERYTHING I ate from scratch I'd have no problems but to make several quarts of spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes would cost me more than my monthly rent.:dizzy:

There was a furor from the AMA about these manufacturers packing in all the sodium theri products would bear and some smarmy lies from big producers like Campbells but it seems to have come to nothing. Campbell's even had the nerve to say that it had TRIIED a lower salt line of soups but it wasn't a big seller...they NEGLECTED to add THAT IT COST TWICE AS MUCH!

So I take a diuretic...and go into a slow burn every time I read a nutrition label.:mad: :mad:

Lenin,
I don't know where you live, but Campbell's still sells 25% lower sodium and no sodium added at my stores and they are not twice as much. The reason why packaged foods have high sodium is to preserve the food. How many of us know of a grandmother who has cans of soups in their cabinet that a years old and still taste fine.
If all the sodium was removed from cans of soup, they would go out of date before they were on the shelf. Plus they would taste pretty bland.
Keep looking at labels, because I have found some lower salt contents out there in Stoffers, Marie Callenders, and even sandwhich meat.
I went for a nuclear stress test in the hospital and they gave me a turkey sandwhich for lunch, so some sodium is not all that bad.
Just watch out for chips and especially hot wings!

lylone,

A properly canned or frozen food has NO need for any salt as a preservative. Bacteria cannot proliferate in frozen food and anything in a can is sterilized.

No, salt is there BECAUSE manufacturers think that without the salt there will not be enough taste to suit us stupid consumers.:rolleyes:
The only use of salt as a preservative is in processed deli meats and the rare dried foods now disappearing...like dried cod (bacalao and dried beef.)

I went to a "health" restaurant in Manhattan the other day and ordered a plate of mussels. THe mussels were delicious but the broth was so incredibly salty it might as well have been pure soy sauce with lemon flavor. The salt actually burned my tongue. Rough estimate: 6 grams of salt in the 16 ounces of broth. (I left it behind after a couple spoonfuls.) There is NO excuse for murderous poisons like this.