A Natural Way to Lower Blood Pressure?

For the past 6 weeks, my blood pressure has been consistently in the 105/65 range.  Earlier in the year, I’d been very pleased to see it often in the 115-125 over 70-75 range after intense focus on health and meditation.  Occasionally it would dip lower.  But 105?  Consistently?  That’s where it was when I was 21.  Here’s how it’s happened:

Background:

Even when I was doing 15 hours of hardcore exercise a week, taking zero prescriptions, and eating clean,  I found myself creeping up into the 140ish range.  Not high yet, but “high normal.”  And that was in a relatively (compared to now) stress-free work life and serene homelife/relationships.   My big health focus in the last eight-plus months has been on boosting my pancreas and gallbladder and detoxing my liver (I drink only a couple of times a year, so just generic detoxing). I’ve vastly improved my blood sugar levels and by getting the starches out of my diet that I was sensitive to, have drastically improved my health.

While researching how to boost these organs to optimal health, I read that lemon is helpful in thinning bile and therefore good for the liver, gallstone prevention, etc.  I also read that Apple Cider Vinegar is good for a whole host of things that supposedly there is no clincal proof to support…but both of these suggestions are what are considered “old wives’ tales.”  Folk medicine, let’s say.  I’ve heard these all my life, far longer than I’ve heard pharmaceuticals by name.

I’d also read that Apple Cider Vinegar is particularly good for weight loss.  My weight is very stable right now and I want to keep it there for the next few months, and I haven’t seen any fluctuations I’d attribute to ACV since I’ve started this practice.  I’ve continued eating lots of protein/good fats/good veggies/no sugar/no grains,  and exercising–all the normal factors in my life right now.  I have been under a tremendous amount of stress in the last six weeks, both at work and in my relationships–so I’m surprised that my weight AND my BP aren’t up!  I’m not sure if ACV aids my weight loss but this concoction does make me feel full if I drink it in the evening around the time I might start longing for a snack–it’s sweet, tangy, and filling.

Here’s the recipe:

1. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of ACV into a small glass.  Sure, you can use a  large glass if you’re drinking 2 tablespoons.  For me, 2 tablespoons is pretty strong, so I go for slightly less.  First of all, you don’t want to drink it alone–it’s horrrrrrrrible tasting stuff.  It needs to be diluted.  I’ve also read that ACV alone or sipped throughout the day can have ill effects on your teeth enamel. Theoretically you can sip it all day or have this before every meal but I do it just once a day, and usually not every day.  Maybe 3 times a week?  Also, I use ONLY the Braggs’ brand, the kind with the “mother” in it. It’s recommended (by my nutritionist) as the most potent form of ACV.  I initially tried the cheapie brand and saw no results.
2. Next,  pour about twice as much organic lemon juice (or squeeze your own!) into the glass.
3. Fill the glass with cold water or water and ice.
4. At this point, it tastes like REALLY STRONG, sour-ish lemonade, so I add a sweetener that doesn’t affect my blood sugar–a few drops of lemon drop stevia.  I could just as easily add Xylitol or, on rare occasion, honey or agave.  I’m staying away from Spenda and sugar because my pancreas tells me to 🙂
5. Mix and drink.  At this point, it’s just like tangy, strong lemonade–just the right amount of sweetness and tartness, but I did have to play with the recipe a little to get it exactly like I wanted.

That’s it.  The number dropped and stabilized in 2-3 weeks’ time, even with my stress levels up.

Meanwhile, I just keep testing to see what works for me…and sharing that with friends.  After I’d started “just trying” this concoction for about two weeks, I heard from friends that they’d tried it for weight loss and found that yes, it did help but they also saw their blood pressure reduce as well.  Now, I’m not advocating that this is the solution to everyone or even anyone’s problems, but it’s worth testing out.  I’m not going to go in search of clinical trials…we are all different and different things work for different bodies.   I do advocate experimenting to find out what works for YOU.