DH has just found out he has REALLY high blood pressure so I would appreciate any direction for diet changes. Does anyone know any good sites that help with that? He has started on medication and he is under really awful stress right now which I know is not helpful. I'm googling but I thought someone here might be able to direct me to some good sources. TIA
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ISO: ISO: Well, here we go. We'll be doing some real lifestyle changes in this house.
- Thread starter orchid
- Start date
In Search Of:
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
My blood pressure problems were one reason I got serious about losing excess weight.
My diet is going great. I set a 14-week goal of losing 30 pounds on February 15th, and I accomplished the goal last week... at the 9th week.
I just had a bunch of blood work done, along with a "mini-physical", and they found that they could reduce my blood pressure medication since it was actually in the low range. I used to run 180/102 and now I am consistenty around 115/72.
I cleaned up my diet considerably, adding high fiber grains, veggies, fruits, etc., and cut way back on fats, sugars, red meats, white flour, etc.
Portion control is a biggie. You have to train yourself to cut portions back to reasonable levels. This was VERY HARD for me, but once you consistently begin to eat small portions at each meal, your body will begin to feel satisfied with that amount. If you over-eat and pig out on a big meal, you will be very, very uncomfortable!
Then comes activity level. Join a gym. Do the "cardio" as a priority! Join a walking club. Decide that the time spent in the gym (or out exercising) is NOT OPTIONAL. It may very well save his life, and that's how it should be treated!
Prayers to God for your husband's health, Orchid.
Michael
My diet is going great. I set a 14-week goal of losing 30 pounds on February 15th, and I accomplished the goal last week... at the 9th week.
I just had a bunch of blood work done, along with a "mini-physical", and they found that they could reduce my blood pressure medication since it was actually in the low range. I used to run 180/102 and now I am consistenty around 115/72.
I cleaned up my diet considerably, adding high fiber grains, veggies, fruits, etc., and cut way back on fats, sugars, red meats, white flour, etc.
Portion control is a biggie. You have to train yourself to cut portions back to reasonable levels. This was VERY HARD for me, but once you consistently begin to eat small portions at each meal, your body will begin to feel satisfied with that amount. If you over-eat and pig out on a big meal, you will be very, very uncomfortable!
Then comes activity level. Join a gym. Do the "cardio" as a priority! Join a walking club. Decide that the time spent in the gym (or out exercising) is NOT OPTIONAL. It may very well save his life, and that's how it should be treated!
Prayers to God for your husband's health, Orchid.
Michael
Thanks Michael. I think exercise is probably going to be the thing here.
His pressure is 190/110. Yes, scary! Our diet really isn't that bad...I don't think. We don't eat sweets at all, although we occasionally have your waffles, mostly chicken and some pork. Rarely red meat. We grill almost everything. We eat only breakfast and dinner (around 2 PM) and I used to have a little snack for in the evening. Not often lately but they are pretty healthy. For example, left over grilled chicken diced and mixed with diced bell pepper, diced red or green onion, cranberries and a little mayo so he can scoop onto crackers. Now, what I know that has to go are things we eat for our favorite meal...breakfast. Bacon and sausage and anything fried. I use mostly white rice so I'll start using brown. What about beans? We love Huevos Rancheros and bean burritos for breakfast. And when I say a burrito, I mean one of the taco size flour tortillas which we half and a muffin. I think the muffin is pretty ok. I'll include the recipe. We eat lots of veggies and salad. I'm kinda floundering right now it sounds like. I really don't know how to change our diet that much. And portions aren't it. We eat much less than all of our friends. I think it is not exercising and stress. Now I'm getting stressed.....And they don't call me "chatty Kathy for nothin! ;0)
Peanut Butter-Banana Muffins
Serving Size : 12
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Mashed Bananas
1 Whole Egg -- Beaten
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Topping:
1/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter -- Melted
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine flour, oats, honey and baking powder in bowl; mix well. Combine milk, peanut butter, mashed banana, egg, oil and vanilla in bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into nonstick muffin cups.
Sprinkle with topping mixture of oats, flour, butter and brown sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until brown.
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His pressure is 190/110. Yes, scary! Our diet really isn't that bad...I don't think. We don't eat sweets at all, although we occasionally have your waffles, mostly chicken and some pork. Rarely red meat. We grill almost everything. We eat only breakfast and dinner (around 2 PM) and I used to have a little snack for in the evening. Not often lately but they are pretty healthy. For example, left over grilled chicken diced and mixed with diced bell pepper, diced red or green onion, cranberries and a little mayo so he can scoop onto crackers. Now, what I know that has to go are things we eat for our favorite meal...breakfast. Bacon and sausage and anything fried. I use mostly white rice so I'll start using brown. What about beans? We love Huevos Rancheros and bean burritos for breakfast. And when I say a burrito, I mean one of the taco size flour tortillas which we half and a muffin. I think the muffin is pretty ok. I'll include the recipe. We eat lots of veggies and salad. I'm kinda floundering right now it sounds like. I really don't know how to change our diet that much. And portions aren't it. We eat much less than all of our friends. I think it is not exercising and stress. Now I'm getting stressed.....And they don't call me "chatty Kathy for nothin! ;0)
Peanut Butter-Banana Muffins
Serving Size : 12
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Mashed Bananas
1 Whole Egg -- Beaten
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Topping:
1/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter -- Melted
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine flour, oats, honey and baking powder in bowl; mix well. Combine milk, peanut butter, mashed banana, egg, oil and vanilla in bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into nonstick muffin cups.
Sprinkle with topping mixture of oats, flour, butter and brown sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until brown.
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michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
I posted recently about how our family, myself included, really didn't like...
...brown rice all that much. Then we tried short grain brown rice. Wow! What a difference! My wife, who is Asian, and my kids, all prefer short grain brown rice instead of white rice. White rice was a staple around here, but no longer. I use a rice cooker and add maybe 20% more liquid when I cook the brown rice.
Watch the fat calories from peanut butter. It is very fatty. Practically like dairy butter. I know it's a healthier fat than dairy butter, but the calorie gain is substantial.
Exercise will be a huge key! It relieves stress, cleanses your lymph system, as well as your excretory system, and raises your metabolic rate for hours after you've completed your exercise time.
Go for it!
Michael
...brown rice all that much. Then we tried short grain brown rice. Wow! What a difference! My wife, who is Asian, and my kids, all prefer short grain brown rice instead of white rice. White rice was a staple around here, but no longer. I use a rice cooker and add maybe 20% more liquid when I cook the brown rice.
Watch the fat calories from peanut butter. It is very fatty. Practically like dairy butter. I know it's a healthier fat than dairy butter, but the calorie gain is substantial.
Exercise will be a huge key! It relieves stress, cleanses your lymph system, as well as your excretory system, and raises your metabolic rate for hours after you've completed your exercise time.
Go for it!
Michael
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
Thanks Cathy! I am so happy, because now I am within striking distance of...
...my ideal weight. I haven't seen 225 since my wedding day, waaaay back in '87.
Only 20 more pounds to go, and I'm well on my way. Tomorrow is a weigh-in day, so hopefully there's even less than 20 to go.
Michael
...my ideal weight. I haven't seen 225 since my wedding day, waaaay back in '87.
Only 20 more pounds to go, and I'm well on my way. Tomorrow is a weigh-in day, so hopefully there's even less than 20 to go.
Michael
Righty-ho...this is what we did and his pressure has dropped considerably.
He (not me and I should) walks every evening, about a good half hour ends with a steep uphill slog. It has got to the stage that without his little constitution he feels he is missing something in his day.
His diet rule is.... eat often but a little at a time!!
Breakfast:
Oats with raisins or dried cranberries (no more loads of butter and milk) The oats never have that added pinch of salt any more...easy to make in the microwave. Actually this is a pretty large bowl full.
During the day he will have fruit, carrots, cream cheese.
The night time meal is mostly raw fish, salmon or tuna with the usual trappings of wasabi, ginger, sea grass and low sodium soya sauce.
At first any cooked meal I did was anything that would taste good without salt in the cooking water or sauces.
This is very hard as I need salt...I am lucky to have low blood pressure...but I dont like to add salt at the table. I always thought we cooked so healthily and when now we go out to restaurants we find that they seem to oversalt their food?
Oh well.
We never use dressings on the salads other than evoo, balsamic and lemon juice 'cept of course if I make a salad that has the accent on the dressing. Never use bought dressings.
He cut out all salty meats, he loved processed meats, now to take a break from fish we will mostly have fish again!!! we eat chicken every which way and lamb and pork tenderloin, only occasionaly do we have beef.
If I do make meat for dinner he will still end his day with a plate of sushimi, usually about mid-night!, he is an accountant and does his own books at the end of his busy day.
We stopped eating potatoes, rice, whole wheat bread(all bread)etc. I've started slowly introducing polenta more again, I've also started adding cheese to this too but it a treat about every 6 weeks.
We seldom use anything canned anymore even though we mostly used low sodium cans, I cut all canned foods out completely. Now I've started using the odd tomatoe can but have also stopped using low sodium. If we are going to use the occassional tinned food then it must be the good tasting one.
And he also cut out coke his fav. drink. He drinks ginger beer with his rum now.
Also all chips and dips
And you know what......it isn't such a hardship after all. And his blood pressure has dropped.
Good luck
He (not me and I should) walks every evening, about a good half hour ends with a steep uphill slog. It has got to the stage that without his little constitution he feels he is missing something in his day.
His diet rule is.... eat often but a little at a time!!
Breakfast:
Oats with raisins or dried cranberries (no more loads of butter and milk) The oats never have that added pinch of salt any more...easy to make in the microwave. Actually this is a pretty large bowl full.
During the day he will have fruit, carrots, cream cheese.
The night time meal is mostly raw fish, salmon or tuna with the usual trappings of wasabi, ginger, sea grass and low sodium soya sauce.
At first any cooked meal I did was anything that would taste good without salt in the cooking water or sauces.
This is very hard as I need salt...I am lucky to have low blood pressure...but I dont like to add salt at the table. I always thought we cooked so healthily and when now we go out to restaurants we find that they seem to oversalt their food?
Oh well.
We never use dressings on the salads other than evoo, balsamic and lemon juice 'cept of course if I make a salad that has the accent on the dressing. Never use bought dressings.
He cut out all salty meats, he loved processed meats, now to take a break from fish we will mostly have fish again!!! we eat chicken every which way and lamb and pork tenderloin, only occasionaly do we have beef.
If I do make meat for dinner he will still end his day with a plate of sushimi, usually about mid-night!, he is an accountant and does his own books at the end of his busy day.
We stopped eating potatoes, rice, whole wheat bread(all bread)etc. I've started slowly introducing polenta more again, I've also started adding cheese to this too but it a treat about every 6 weeks.
We seldom use anything canned anymore even though we mostly used low sodium cans, I cut all canned foods out completely. Now I've started using the odd tomatoe can but have also stopped using low sodium. If we are going to use the occassional tinned food then it must be the good tasting one.
And he also cut out coke his fav. drink. He drinks ginger beer with his rum now.
Also all chips and dips
And you know what......it isn't such a hardship after all. And his blood pressure has dropped.
Good luck
marsha-tbay
Well-known member
Mine is a similar story. My husband first was diagnosed with HBP, then diabetes, high cholesterol,
high PSA #s, blood lipids....we have never eaten much salt so that wasn't the issue for us.
After reading Dr. Barnard's reversing Diabetes....I cut out whole wheat and replaced with whole grains (a mixture of nuts/seeds); cut out all dairy and replaced with rice cream cheese, rice butter...I cut out all cheese but I have kept feta and goat cheese. I replaced the bread with Men's Bread (protein bread) from the health food store. I replaced all mayo with hummus.
During all this I found it difficult since all these changes were so foreign to me. But I gave up all meat, started using some soy products until I found isolated soy isn't good for you. I was really discouraged at this point.
I began shopping for more foods at the health food store (like whole foods market), discovered raw foods and started fixing the treats to help us not to feel deprived and still get a nice mixture of fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.
I continued this from one dr.'s visit until the next and I also gave him every Sunrider whole food grade herbal I could. We also started walking a mile a day.
It was all worth the hardship in the end. He doesn't have to go back until October because EVERYTHING had REMARKABLY turned around into good #'s.......blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, PSA's, blood lipids.....
Now I serve meat about 3 times a week and serve a mixture of salads and vegan/vegetarian meals the other nights. One of the meat nights we may have an omelet or fish or an occasional grilled cheese sandwich, lamb or buffalo.
Even with me serving lots of fruits, dried fruits and avocado in the raw treats his latest numbers were beautiful!
It's much easier in the kitchen now that the blood tests were so good, I'm not as frustrated or discouraged as I felt in the beginning.
high PSA #s, blood lipids....we have never eaten much salt so that wasn't the issue for us.
After reading Dr. Barnard's reversing Diabetes....I cut out whole wheat and replaced with whole grains (a mixture of nuts/seeds); cut out all dairy and replaced with rice cream cheese, rice butter...I cut out all cheese but I have kept feta and goat cheese. I replaced the bread with Men's Bread (protein bread) from the health food store. I replaced all mayo with hummus.
During all this I found it difficult since all these changes were so foreign to me. But I gave up all meat, started using some soy products until I found isolated soy isn't good for you. I was really discouraged at this point.
I began shopping for more foods at the health food store (like whole foods market), discovered raw foods and started fixing the treats to help us not to feel deprived and still get a nice mixture of fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.
I continued this from one dr.'s visit until the next and I also gave him every Sunrider whole food grade herbal I could. We also started walking a mile a day.
It was all worth the hardship in the end. He doesn't have to go back until October because EVERYTHING had REMARKABLY turned around into good #'s.......blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, PSA's, blood lipids.....
Now I serve meat about 3 times a week and serve a mixture of salads and vegan/vegetarian meals the other nights. One of the meat nights we may have an omelet or fish or an occasional grilled cheese sandwich, lamb or buffalo.
Even with me serving lots of fruits, dried fruits and avocado in the raw treats his latest numbers were beautiful!
It's much easier in the kitchen now that the blood tests were so good, I'm not as frustrated or discouraged as I felt in the beginning.
When you are "done" we'll need a photo of course. Isn't it amazing how health problems go away
when the weight is dropped and you change your eating habits! Your blood pressure is now normal- that is certainly awesome.
I had a checkup yesterday- my doc did an EKG as well as all the usual. She told me I have the test results of an athlete, my EKG was "textbook perfect", my blood pressure 95/70, my blood work excellent.
The reason I tell you this is because before I lost 70 lbs to get to the "suggested" weight for my height, my doc was talking pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, possible onset of asthma, I was on allergy medication, I had achy joints (some days I could hardly walk around) and she put me on arthritis meds, etc. I felt lousy and was in lousy health. Now I am on NO medications, have NO achy joints, NO diabetes symptoms, low cholesterol, I don't need the allergy medication, can walk for miles without any problem. I do have some torn tendons in my shoulder which will be fixed next week but other than that, this 59-1/2-yr-old feels fabulous...just because I decided finally to lose the weight and change my eating habits. That is all it took.
Keep at it Michael. I can tell you have the discipline to get the last 20 lbs off.
when the weight is dropped and you change your eating habits! Your blood pressure is now normal- that is certainly awesome.
I had a checkup yesterday- my doc did an EKG as well as all the usual. She told me I have the test results of an athlete, my EKG was "textbook perfect", my blood pressure 95/70, my blood work excellent.
The reason I tell you this is because before I lost 70 lbs to get to the "suggested" weight for my height, my doc was talking pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, possible onset of asthma, I was on allergy medication, I had achy joints (some days I could hardly walk around) and she put me on arthritis meds, etc. I felt lousy and was in lousy health. Now I am on NO medications, have NO achy joints, NO diabetes symptoms, low cholesterol, I don't need the allergy medication, can walk for miles without any problem. I do have some torn tendons in my shoulder which will be fixed next week but other than that, this 59-1/2-yr-old feels fabulous...just because I decided finally to lose the weight and change my eating habits. That is all it took.
Keep at it Michael. I can tell you have the discipline to get the last 20 lbs off.
My DH had the "trifecta" as well, I would highly recommend a nutritionist
She helped him immensely. He mow takes a number of vitamins and supplements, and pretty much re-learned how to eat. Green tea, etc. It might go better if your DH is a little stubborn.
Sometimes getting the advice from a pro goes further than us nagging. smileys/smile.gif
He lost 40 lbs and is off all meds. smileys/smile.gif
She helped him immensely. He mow takes a number of vitamins and supplements, and pretty much re-learned how to eat. Green tea, etc. It might go better if your DH is a little stubborn.
Sometimes getting the advice from a pro goes further than us nagging. smileys/smile.gif
He lost 40 lbs and is off all meds. smileys/smile.gif
marsha-tbay
Well-known member
Dawn, it's true about avocados. We're using them a lot more too!
debbie_in_ga
Well-known member
That's great, Michael - congratulations! Keep up the good work!