(Updated 18th August, 2024)
High Blood Pressure
I get many inquiries about high blood pressure (BP), and these are increasing in number. New Zealand suffered under the fear-mongering and coercion of the Pandemic, which continues to drag on with the "remedies" harming our health. Fear sells better than sex, and this means the entire country continues, unnecessarily, to be subjected to wall-to-wall stress! Stress bumps up BP. Unrelenting stress is destroying the health of New Zealand.
Low Blood Pressure
Constant stress that drags on and on may completely blow the adrenals, causing a condition known as "adrenal fatigue". Sometimes, a single traumatic or shocking event, such as a car accident may have the same consequences. Adrenal fatigue may be experienced as low blood pressure. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue-related low BP include extreme fatigue, feeling faint in changing posture, brain fog, slow or racing pulse, anxiety, and generally not handling stressful situations all that well.
Is Salt Really Bad for Blood Pressure?
In 50 years of taking blood pressures, I have yet to have a single convincing case of salt-related hypertension. When I have had people increase their intake of a multimineral salt, there has been no negative effect. To the contrary, blood pressure appears to normalise. Hair tissue mineral analysis studies indicate there is widespread depletion of sodium inside cells, and this is consistent with adrenal burnout. These patterns are present in about 80 percent of adults and many children. In such cases, reducing stress, while increasing relaxation, plus adrenal support are the remedies. Adrenal support includes increasing salt intake. It is worth noting that sodium levels in the blood may be "normal" while levels within the cells may be extremely high or low. It is within the cells that the actions of metabolism (life) happen.
To help you get your head around this confused topic of salt being healthy, rather then unhealthy, here is more discussion and information about salt and health, including its role in blood pressure:
One swallow does not make for summer
One bad BP reading does not make for an accurate diagnosis of elevated BP: you need a whole flock of them. Blood pressure changes based on what you are thinking, doing, standing, lying down, sleeping, what you have eaten, how much water you drink, whether you run or walk, laugh, cry, or worry. The act of rushing to the Doctor's office may bump up BP, feeling annoyed because the Doctor is running late and your child is waiting for the pickup from school, or you are just nervous about the sight of a white-coated professional! These can all bump up your BP.
So, here is what I want you to do:
Get yourself an Omron wrist-type BP machine. It must be an Omron, because I know these are within about five points of the one your Doctor uses. It is easy to use — it is much easier than the upper-arm version. Do a quick Google search, and you will find an Omron for about NZ$130, or less.
Once you have your BP machine, this is what I want you to do for ten days:
Take your BP and pulse before you get out of bed. These are your "basal BP and pulse" readings for the day.
Get up and do your early morning stuff (toilet, etc.), sit back in a reclining chair, relax for 5 minutes, then take your BP and pulse.
Take your BP and any other medications if you are on any and if there are morning doses to have.
Wait a few hours, or around 10am, then relax in the chair again for five mins and retake your BP and pulse.
Repeat BP and pulse recording about 3pm, after dinner, and just before bedtime.
Take your BP and pulse 15–30 minutes after exercise or after anything that might affect your BP, such as a hot bath or a stressful meeting.
Note: take three readings each time and pick the one that appears the most representative and record this on.
Bear these in mind:
Record your BP and pulse on a spreadsheet or in a diary.
Put diary notes next to any that might appear unusual so we can refer to these later.
After ten days, please send me a copy of the readings.
Then, we will meet and figure out what this information means and what to do about it.
While modest fees will cover my time and expertise, we can discuss this and agree before the meeting.
I wrote an e-book about high blood pressure several years ago, but it needs updating. I will get this done soon. Ask me about it a few months from now.
More about stress and resilience
In his book, "Mental Fitness", Dr Paul Wood (my Son-In-Law) explains how to build your mind for strength and resilience. Stress is good for the Mind and Body, but it must be delivered in carefully measured dollops like a well-structured physical conditioning programme. Pressure is good for us, but there is always a point where it becomes too much of a good thing!
Paul's book is essential reading for everyone these days.
Physical and mental stress breaks us down a little. However, as Paul explains, when followed with the right amount of rest, supported with good nutrition, we respond by growing more resilient. On the other hand, if stress comes at us from all over the place and without time for rest and recovery, our physical and mental breakdown is inevitable.
Elevated blood pressure is not helped by excessive and unrelenting stress, and there is no shortage of stress right now!
On pages67-69 of his book, Paul has a chart of stressors and their scoring by severity: the more points you get, the more likely you will become ill. For example, the death of a spouse is highest at 100 points then, in descending order, divorce, marital separation, jail, death of a close family member, and even getting married. Retirement is worth 45 points, and that is what I have been aiming for — you get the idea! If you get more than 300 points, there is an 80 percent chance that you will break down within the next year or two. Most of these may not be too bad and may represent times of growth; however, not too many all at once, thank you very much.
When I look at Paul's list of stressors while thinking about the chaos in the world since the start of 2020, I would not be surprised if everyone, including me, scores 300 or more. Two years are up, and the illnesses are now showing. The stress levels for everyone are high, including for us, and there is no place to hide, but we can learn to cope better.
If anyone understands stress and how to handle it, it has to be Paul. If you have not read his first best-seller, you must. It is a riveting read. I will even get him to autograph your copy when you buy either or both of his books off us.
I know I shouldn't write this here but since it is not an uncommon reaction to medical tests and blood pressure readings I will. As soon as my Doctor started taking blood tests and sending off samples, I developed symptoms.
The predominant symptom was > 1. I don't want to be here and do this ,
The second symptom was > 2. He rarely lifts his eyes from the computer screen and gives me any results anyway so I'm out of here.
Then I got better straight away. Note. I am talking only of the established ticket punching medical practice machines here, Not the work like Gary does, which I already know is entirely unlike the above example.