Guide4Living

Nuts about nuts?

Calcium, iron, zinc, B group vitamins, Magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin A, copper, manganese, selenium…. Now that may sound like a list of minerals and vitamins in a bottle but its not.  That is just a range of vitamins and minerals you can get from snacking on nuts.

If you or someone you know is suffering from High blood pressure (hypertension) why not keep nuts in the house as a healthy snacking option?  Make sure they are raw nuts and not the salted ones though.  High blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease which leads to heart attack and stroke.  You may wonder why eating nuts will help.  Well the list of vitamins and mineral you get from eating nuts is high on the list of vitamins and minerals you get from foods to eat to help lower your blood pressure.

It is common knowledge that the biggest dietary change to reduce high blood pressure is to drastically reduce your intake of sodium (salt) but a lot of people don’t look any further than that.  Guide4living has a good guide for you when it comes to changing your diet to reduce blood pressure.  This includes the use of alternative medicines.

A common fallacy about nuts is that they will make you fat.  Well they do have a high fat content and are energy dense but they contain the good fat - the unsaturated fat.  Some large scale studies have shown that people who eat nuts actually have lower body mass index (BMI) and nut eaters tend to weigh less than non nut eaters in general.  Another study found that people were able to lose weight while eating up to 100g of nuts a day as part of their calorie restricted diet.

It is generally recommended that you eat about 30g of nuts 5 days a week to help you stay healthy.  Even if you only eat nuts once a week you will still gain benefits.  Nuts not only contain unsaturated fats, they contain the healthy omega-3 fats and all the vitamins and mineral listed in the beginning of this blog.  They are also a good source of fibre and protein. So if you are nuts about nuts, go for it! If you are not nuts about nuts, why not find a few you like and try to incorporate them into your diet once a week at least.

Tell us your stories, share your experiences with others to help them through the tough times.

Angela

High Blood Pressure signs

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, is the main cause of heart disease and stroke throughout the world.  For this reason, it is important to try and recognise the symptoms and get treatment straight away.

Usually a consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg (or higher) will mean that you have hypertension or high blood pressure.  Sometimes people only experience high blood pressure when they visit their GP.  If this happens to you then it is best to invest in a blood pressure monitor and take your blood pressure at home.

Be on the look out for these symptoms:
Lightheadedness
Fainting
Dizziness
Headaches
Increased urination

My Dad displayed these symptoms over a six month period before he consulted the GP.  That is not wise.  He is now on medication for the rest of his life.  Try and see a Doctor as soon as you notice these symptoms.  They generally don’t go away but they are sometimes easy to ignore.  Often people don’t get clear enough signals and the disease goes unnoticed for too long. 

You are more at risk of developing high blood pressure if you are overweight.  Obesity is seen as one of the leading causes of hypertension.  Also, people who consume a lot of alcohol and eat excessive amounts of salt are asking for trouble.  When you are young, you don’t think that far down the road but it is worth cutting down on salt, alcohol and eating a good sensible diet.  Moderate, regular exercise and good eating habits should be a part of your life if you want to avoid high blood pressure. 

Has anyone out there got a story to share?  What would you like to see on this blog?

Angela

What do patients feel with high blood pressure?

Uncomplicated high blood pressure usually occurs without any symptoms. Therefore, hypertension has been labeled “the silent killer.” In other words, the disease can progress without symptoms (silently) to finally develop any one or more of the several potentially fatal complications of hypertension such as heart attacks or strokes. As a matter of fact, uncomplicated hypertension may be present and remain unnoticed for many years, or even decades. This happens when there are no symptoms, and those affected fail to undergo periodic blood pressure screening.

Some people with uncomplicated hypertension, however, may experience symptoms such as,headache, dizziness. shortness of breath, and blurred vision. The presence of symptoms can be a good thing in that they can prompt people to consult a doctor for treatment and make them more compliant in taking their medications. Not infrequently, however, a person’s first contact with a physician may be after significant damage to the end-organs has occurred. In many cases, a person visits or is brought to the doctor or an emergency room with a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, or impaired vision (due to damage to the back part of the retina. Greater public awareness and frequent blood pressure screening may help to identify patients with undiagnosed high blood pressure before significant complications have developed.

About one out of every 100 (1%) people with hypertension is diagnosed with severe high blood pressure (accelerated or malignant hypertension) at their first visit to the doctor. In these patients, the diastolic blood pressure (the minimum pressure) exceeds 140 mm Hg! Affected persons often experience severe headache, nausea, visual symptoms, dizziness, and sometimes kidney failure. Malignant hypertension is a medical emergency and requires urgent treatment to prevent a stroke (brain damage).

So, in conjunction with your doctor, use of a blood pressure monitor at home could be a life saving investment.

Neil