Ahhh, the silent, number one killer of people! Having high blood pressure is like a time bomb. It rarely gives you any symptoms and most people don't eSeeven know they have high blood pressure until something happens and they get tested. Then they wonder how they got high blood pressure. Rest assured, you can use natural herbal remedies to bring your blood pressure down in a couple of weeks. Read on for the list of herbs to use.
Normal blood pressure is about 120/80; of course, it depends on each person. Some will have a higher count and some a lower count. It also depends on your lifestyle, weight, family history, age, and the amount of stress you have.
Some symptom you might have of high blood pressure is dizzy spells, nosebleeds and headaches. But since most people have stress in their lives and age is a given, you should have your blood pressure checked about once a month to keep tabs on it. Use one of those devices in the pharmacy or when the blood bank comes around. Or you can buy a blood pressure kit and check it yourself. You can also visit your doctor for a blood pressure test. It just takes a few minutes and it could save your life.
To control your high blood pressure with natural healing herbs you need to change some bad habits. I know, I know, nobody likes changes, but if you want to live to a ripe old age, then controlling your blood pressure now will help when you get older.
Here are some things that need to be taken in moderation. Notice I say moderation, not quit altogether. Although, you might want to consider quitting them -- it's your choice.
Get your weight down - the more body you have, the more pressure there is on your artery walls because more blood is produced to supply oxygen and nutrients to your body. In other words, your weight makes your heart pump harder and that raises your blood pressure.
Get off the couch - take a walk, run in place, chase your loved ones around the house, walk or run up stairs, jog out to the mailbox, do some jumping jacks, jump up and down, do something, anything to get more activity. Lack of physical activity increases your heart rate and the forces your heart to pump harder, again raising your blood pressure.
Cut the salt - excessive salt in your diet results in fluid retention and high blood pressure. They (food manufactures) put enough salt or sodium in our food supply as a preservative; you don't really need any more. Or better yet, stop eat prepared foods - eat fresh foods like vegetables, fruits, and nuts.
Get your potassium - low potassium results in elevated sodium (salt) in cells. You need potassium to balance the salt in your body. Eat a banana a day; try eating avocados once or twice a week; fresh apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew, kiwi, lima beans (yuk!) but good for you and milk, prunes, spinach, potatoes, oranges, tomatoes and winter squashes all contain potassium in quantities you need daily. Can't handle some of them? Then make a smoothie and drink it on the go, but use the whole fruit or vegetable, not just the juice. Oh yea, don't forget to eat your meat, fish and poultry.
Things to keep to a minimum - alcohol, tobacco, and stress. Over time, all these products will cause high blood pressure, so try to keep their use to a minimum. Excessive intake of these products -- the higher your blood pressure will get. The keyword is Excessive. Keep the use of these to a minimum. And try not to stress over every little thing. Choose your stress wisely.
Age - not much you can do about this unless you have a stasis chamber to use every night. Be gentle on your body and it will last a lifetime.
Water - the mainstay of the body. The more water you drink the faster it eliminates the unwanted out of your body. Yes, eight glasses of water a day will make you pee a lot, but that's the point. It washes out the bad from your body. Try drinking eight glasses of water for a month and see if you don't feel better. You'll be surprised at the difference.
Now for the natural herbal remedies for high blood pressure:
Numero Uno is garlic - you can't beat garlic for making the body feel better. Garlic not only lowers high blood pressure. but it also raises low blood pressure. It's more like a blood pressure regulator. It's up to you, but using fresh garlic is much better for you than using garlic supplements. Garlic supplements are inferior and completely ineffective.
Use 3 to 5 cloves a day for optimal benefit. Make some garlic butter and put on your toast in the morning, mix it with mayonnaise for salad, put it in soups and sauté it with any meat or put it in with a fruit or vegetable smoothie. Don't say yuk, it tastes better than you think. Within two weeks, you'll see and feel a difference.
Number two - flax seed. Many people don't know the uses of flax seed, but it contains omega 3, which is a fatty acid (one the body needs), the same kind that's in fish and the same kind that will lower your blood pressure. I'm not a big fan of supplements, so I use flax seed whole and make what I need. It has such a wide variety of uses and one is to lower your blood pressure.
Use one teaspoon per cup of water. Hard boil for three minutes, cool slightly, strain the seeds and enjoy your flax seed tea. It gets a little thick when it cools, so it's best to drink it hot. Have 1 to 3 cup a day for two weeks and you will see your blood pressure drop. More than three cups and you'll be running to the bathroom a lot more. If too much is taken it can, depending on the person, act as laxative. So beware!
Number three - Cayenne is used for circulation. Yes, they are hot but that's the point. It help sweat out the impurities in your body and forces the body to circulate the blood. The source of the heat is capsaicin, the fiery resin found in most hot peppers. Capsaicin causes nerve endings to release a chemical known as substance P. Substance P transmits pain signals from the body back to the brain.
It's also good for the entire digestive system. It works as a catalyst and increase the effectiveness of other herbs. It is a very high source of Vitamins A and C, has the complete B complexes, and is very rich in organic calcium and potassium, which is one of the reasons it is good for your heart.
Use a couple of fresh cayenne or any hot peppers daily to get the full benefits of the amazing little herbs. They taste great with eggs in the morning. If you don't have fresh, then a couple of capsules a day will get you the same benefits.
Number four - Hawthorn should actual be number two but I still like flax seed before I use hawthorn. Hawthorn is used to protect against early stages of heart disease and high blood pressure. Using the flowers, leaves and berries all help opening the arteries and improving blood flow, softening deposits (stuff in your arteries), and makes an excellent remedy for angina. It will calm an over fast heart rate and settle heart irregularities.
Reducer of High Blood Pressure Tea
1 quart boiling water
1 teaspoon each hawthorn berries and flowers, ginger rhizome, valerian root and motherwort leaves
Pour boiling water over the herbs and steep for 20 minutes. Strain herbs. Drink at least 2 cups a day. Using the same proportions, you can also make these herbs into a tincture, or you can get a commercial tincture here at the herb shop. Also, you can also use capsules and tablets.
As with all advice, check with your doctor before mixing and matching herbs with medication. AND find out why your blood pressure is so high. Using healing herbs won't help if you keep doing what causing your high blood pressure. Find out why, then use these herbal remedies to bring it under control.
Good luck and enjoy!
Want to know more about healing herbs that will heal your ailments and extent your life span? Visit Healing Waters' Herb Shop to find all the herbs you need to live a healthy life for your sake and your family's.
Credit to The Daily Meal for the Lead Photo. Thank you
