The small post from Sunday morning referenced recent articles that highlighted studies (mostly in mice and rats) that focused on hypertension and inflammation.

The inflammation in the hypertensive rats and mice was all over the board.  Renal, arterial, hepatic, pleural and arthroscopic inflammation was studied as it affected the blood pressure for the little critters, and eventually they looked at the effects of using antioxidants to reduce the inflammation.

The general results were that if inflammation can be reduced, then hypertension would improve.

This isn’t necessarily new science, but it does highlight the point that a lot of what doctors try to do for people to get their blood pressure down doesn’t address the key issue of stress on the body.

Think about it…what would cause renal inflammation? Kidneys under some kind of stress are going to become inflamed.

Same for hepatic inflammation. A stressor-whether as an infection or simply chemical stress such as that which would be induced by too much drinking- will cause inflammation.

The inflammation is the effect of the stress. Follow those dominoes as they fall and you inevitably wind up in the land of chronic hypertension.

Simply asking someone to give up table salt isn’t going to necessarily help someone who doesn’t have a sodium problem but does have high blood pressure.

The point of publishing the smaller article that highlighted inflammation as a problem for hypertension was basically to reinforce that throwing pills at a problem or taking away the salt shaker isn’t always the most effective way to correct the problem.

Adding powerful antioxidants into the diets of most people who suffer chronic pain, hypertension, and other complications from disease processes has proven for many decades to be one component in a comprehensive approach to treating or even curing those diseases.

Studies abound with extolling the virtues of healthy living, but a lot of times people can miss the real take-aways from that research because the technical jibber-jabber is so hard to decipher.

That’s why when we post smaller articles like the one from Monday, and the longer blogs like today’s, we like to highlight the basic study findings and see what catches fire.  From there, if we need to look at something in more detail we can certainly do that based upon reader questions.

As I read some of the studies, I sometimes need the medical dictionary and a chemistry book nearby.  We generally don’t use phrases like “immunosuppression attenuates hypertension” in general conversation, nor do we sit around and have online chats about the “immune response in T cell hybridomas.”

However, we do like to at least look over the findings of the different research, whether we seek these studies out or they pop up in the news.

Then, a general summary or key piece of the study can be highlighted, which helps to reinforce our position on what we like to tell our readers.

In the case of the inflammation article, it basically reinforces that hypertension isn’t always going to improve if salt is removed from the diet.  Other causes must first be looked at and sometimes doctors just don’t do that.

It would be hard for them to when they spend less than 5 minutes in a room with you, anyway.  Got high blood pressure? Here’s a pill.  Next patient, please…

But for those of us who are always seeking answers and look to proven methods and natural alternatives, that just isn’t going to cut it for very long.

For a natural alternative to eliminating high blood pressure that works and addresses the stress factor naturally, see my Hypertension No More program today.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

In this research study, a group of 200 men at risk for heart disease were asked to perform Transcendental Meditation everyday for twenty minutes. After a few weeks, important heart disease risk factors –including high blood pressure—fell dramatically. The results of the study were so dramatic that a spokesman from the National Institute of Mental Health in the UK remarked, “If Transcendental Meditation were a drug conferring so many benefits, it would be a billion-dollar blockbuster.”

Our all-natural blood pressure program uses mind/body exercises that are even more powerful than meditation. You can check them out here…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

Their conclusions? Inflammation is the cause of the vast majority of high blood pressure cases and that cutting down on salt isn’t as effective as many believe. They note that reducing inflammation will inevitably also reduce hypertension is most people and should therefore form the first line of attack against high blood pressure.

How to reduce high blood pressure naturally here…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

Sometimes, we find that folks are using the natural, herbal world to make their nutrition a more complete picture.  Other times they are taking something that helps to correct a disease process that is a result of a deficiency, as with iron, calcium, or vitamin D shortages.

But occasionally, we come across disclosures that raise a flag, as in the cases relating to people who are on serious prescription drugs and also supplementing from nature with highly concentrated herbal supplements or mineral compounds.

Many times, there are no interactions.  In fact, some herbal supplements actually help a drug to be either better absorbed or to be more effective.  An example might be people taking fish oil capsules as well as hormone replacement regimens (whether natural or herbal).

Far too frequently, though, a supplement will have a dangerous interaction with a prescription drug, and this is generally because of “too much of a good thing” or a duplicating effect.

An example here may be taking St. John’s Wort for boosting your mood while you are also taking a prescription serotonin reuptake inhibitor.  Most bottles for both products warn about the interaction, but some medicine-herb packaging might not.

Another place where trouble brews is where prescription blood thinners and supplements or spices meet.  Curry powder and cayenne pepper are natural blood thinners, and when taken as an extract or a super-concentrated capsule, can pose a clotting problem.

This can occur anywhere in the body where blood vessels happen to be…such as the brain, heart, and other vital organs.

Or, you may be taking an herb or other product that renders the prescription drug either completely useless or makes it less available for receptors.

An example here would be the “grapefruit effect” that occurs when people eat grapefruit or take an extract and they are also taking a statin drug for cholesterol. Properties in the grapefruit and extracts destroy an enzyme that is critical for the statin drug to be metabolized.

That is also an example where many times there will be warnings on the labels of the drug and/or the packaging of the extract.

But what about the interactions that aren’t as famous?

Take, for example, the simple, yet effective multivitamin.  The capsules generally include a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, and are in a chemical makeup such that it is easily absorbed.

But if a prescription drug is also being taken that has many of the same properties, this can be a real problem.

Iron in a standard multi-vitamin is great, and in a high enough amount that the general public would really benefit from. But if you are also taking a prescription calcium bicarbonate (or even an over the counter one) the iron will not be absorbed.

Vitamins or drugs not absorbed and used by the cells of their intended tissues will wind up in the filtration system, namely the liver and the kidneys.

Sometimes, this can be such an insult they just shut down.

The point to this is not to say you should stop taking your prescription medicines. It is more a call to action to talk to the doctor and/or pharmacist about everything you are currently taking.  Not just pills he or she doesn’t know another doctor may have prescribed, but also supplements your herbalist recommends for you.

The dynamic that unfolds to create this is not typically forgetfulness.  Usually, it is embarrassment.

Consider this: A person doesn’t want the doctor to know he or she is taking ginko, for example, because he is afraid the doctor will shoot it down as so much quack nonsense, but the person taking it knows the proven benefits.

He also does not tell his herbalist that he is taking Coumadin, a blood thinner, since he doesn’t want her knowing he relies on “big pharma” to get by.

The end result to this made up scenario could possibly be death due to hemorrhagic stroke. This is because of the “too much of a good thing” as it is proven that ginko tends to interfere with the normal clotting of the blood, something which Coumadin is prescribed to do on purpose, anyway.

It might get you a lecture from one or the other (or both) providers, but the lecture and subsequent dosage adjustment might just save your life.

There is nothing wrong with looking at all the layers of comprehensive treatment that goes with treating high cholesterol, problems sleeping, or chronic pain.

The problems arise when you fail to tell your prescriber that not only do you prefer natural treatments, but you are also currently involved in their uses.

Let us know if you have had problems with interactions. The advice you give may help someone and keep him or her from making a mistake in what they ingest, inject, or inhale.

For more information on programs for conditions listed above, click on any of the program links to the right of the page.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

Many times it is both, but one complaint that we hear a lot rests solely in side effects: The medicine makes my ankles swell.

This is not an uncommon side effect. In fact, a quick review of the warning labels of ten of the most commonly prescribed blood pressure medications reveals that all carry a warning on the label of swollen feet or ankles and to alert the doctor when it occurs.

Calcium channel blockers are the most common culprits when ankle swelling is a problem.

Swollen ankles are no picnic. Any pregnant woman will tell you that.  It’s not that it is terribly painful, but it is definitely uncomfortable and really unsightly.

One reader described her and her husband’s experiences with edema, which is the medical term for fluid retention in the extremities.  She said just looking at her feet and ankles reminded her of a water balloon with lines drawn on for toes.

His ankles looked like tubs of gelatin as he walked. The skin would stretch and get itchy, and they were both embarrassed to wear sandals but socks were too uncomfortable.

His problem was his blood pressure medicine and hers was hormonal. Neither cause is something that should be ignored.

This reader explained that her husband knows just enough about an internet search ‘to be dangerous.” He looks up a variety of issues, lands on a page that describes what he is looking for, and stops there.  In the case of his ankles, he searched for a possible cause and hit pay dirt when he saw the name of his medicine listed as an offender.

What she describes after that was kind of scary.  He decided that he would stop taking his medicine to see if his swollen ankles would improve. He didn’t tell her he was going to do this, he just launched into this experiment on his own.

His ankles quit swelling, but predictably his blood pressure shot through the roof.

The problems with this are staggering. When you stop taking a maintenance medication, your body cries out from the withdrawal. Whatever condition you were taking it to treat will flare back and you are left with the consequences that, in the case of blood pressure medications, can include dizziness, fainting, stroke, or other very dangerous effect.

She called the doctor to “tattle on him,” and he was seen immediately.  Their situation was a lucky one because he was able to be treated before the assault of stopping his medications did any mortal harm.

The problem with edema in the feet and lower leg is that it may indicate a bigger problem that is developing elsewhere.  Only a doctor or trained healthcare provider can diagnose what is really causing edema in your specific case, and experimenting with medications isn’t recommended.

For instance, swollen ankles can be caused by more than just a medication problem. As mentioned earlier, her swelling ankle problem was a treatable hormone issue.

Medications like steroids and anti-depressants can cause edema, and treatments for erectile dysfunction are typically also problematic.

However, other causes can be more serious. Failing kidneys or heart, blood clots in the lower leg, and liver problems are potentially deadly, but sometimes treatable conditions that should be checked by a medical professional. Sometimes it is just a simple blood test that can rule these things in or out.

Be ready for a ton of other questions, and maybe keep a little journal of when you notice the swelling. Your provider is going to know that what, when, where, why and how of all of that, and might ask you questions like, do you also have a fever, is it one leg or both, what makes it worse, and does elevating it help…those kind of things.

But don’t be like our reader’s husband and experiment with medications. His situation could have easily turned out badly. If different medication is what you are after, or better yet, none altogether, then let your doctor know. Have the serious conversation, take your notes, and go from there.

For an effective, natural way to drop your high blood pressure, try my Hypertension No More program and get started on a natural path to wellness today.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

el331005

The researchers found that alterations in the brain increased appetite and cravings for calorie-rich foods soon after caloric restriction. The scientists note that suddenly and dramatically reducing the amount of food that you eat may actually be counterproductive. Instead, they advise you to “trick” your brain by making small changes over time.

For easy breezy way to lose weight…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

PS: Comment on this article here…

http://blueheronhealthnews.com/blog/?p=1927

The study assigned a group of long-standing type 2 diabetics to a very low calorie liquid diet that consisted of only 600 calories per day for 7-days. Remarkably, blood sugar levels returned to normal by the end of the 7-day bout. The researchers note that the mini-fast allows the pancreas and liver to clear out excess accumulated fat –which pushes the reset button on carbohydrate metabolism.

More natural ways to fight type 2 diabetes (and win)…

All the Best,

Shelly Manning

A business associate emailed me this week because he was completely exhausted. His wife had decided that the month of August would be clean-up time, since the kids would be headed back to school , routines and crazy schedules would be starting, and frankly, they were falling over their junk.

Three kids, a dog and two parents have a lot of ‘stuff.’  Cram this into a house with even 4 bedrooms and it’s a recipe for elevated blood pressure and illness if not carefully managed.

We’ve all seen the shows- the hoarding episodes that show what happens when even just a few years of holding on to books, toys, clothes, papers, documents, trinkets and heaven knows what else starts to pile up.

But what about those of us who aren’t hoarders- we just have a lot of stuff and not a lot of free space in our homes?  You don’t have to be a clinically diagnosed hoarder to suffer from the effects of lack of ‘spring cleaning.’

A few months back, I wrote a piece on how a clean home is a healthy home. It’s true. The focus of that piece was tidying up clutter and disinfecting surfaces, among other things.

However, my business friend made a good point when he was talking about the clean-up process. He was totally worn out after only three days, and they had 4 more to go on their week long cleaning spree. He said they got two kid rooms completed and had 1 more to go, plus the master bedroom.

He counted 6 large tubs for recycling, 3 trash bags and 5 lawn-size bags for Goodwill of clothes, toys, and other belongings that were in great shape, but no one was using any of it.  Outgrown clothing piles up quickly with growing children, and toys are the same way.

He commented how his son’s room had kind of a gooey, cheese odor before and now is like a brand new room.  I am sure some of you can identify with that. Imagine how much better his son will be sleeping in a tidy, peaceful space now as opposed to feeling like his walls were closing in on him.

Garage or tag sales are good ways to empty out the closets, basement closets and toy boxes as well.  This solves a financial issue, too, since getting rid of clothing, especially kids’ clothing is pretty lucrative.

What are some other reasons you will want to put your closets, nooks and crannies on a diet?

- prevents us from being hoarders

- ensures that we will be able to find belongings that we wish to keep

- discourages pest activity

- reinforces a life of simple abundance

- frees up items that can be donated or sold

- provides a strenuous and healthy workout

- eases anxiety by imparting a feeling of weight being lifted and more freedom

- improved chances of more restful sleep since the environment around us is cleaner, tidier, and probably smells better

I don’t recommend launching into a project like this without a plan, though. It can be overwhelming and actually make more anxiety if you don’t pace yourself and try to be realistic.

Think about some of the real goals you would like to achieve with freeing up space. Maybe the kids are moving out and need that extra set of dishes you’ve had stuck in the back of a cupboard for 20 years.

Maybe you need to replace the carpet and you have no where to put the stuff you are moving out of that room…because all your rooms are too full.

Or maybe you are just paring back to enjoy the simple abundance that is living without the constraints of worldly treasures, which are actually more like chains.

Whatever your reason, the results will be the same.  You’ll feel better, freer, cleaner, and more in control of your surroundings instead of your surroundings controlling you.

For some easy steps to control blood pressure and improve sleep, explore the benefits of my natural programs today.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

The research also found that hammock sleeping increased the quality of sleep. Those that took a 45-minute nap in a hammock had considerably more N2-stage sleep –a sleep stage that’s particularly restful—than those that slept in a stationary bed.

More natural ways to fall asleep easily…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

Using animal models, the study found a direct connection between periodontitis –gum inflammation—and an inability to achieve and maintain an erection. The study authors note that doctors should start taking note of their patient’s mouths before prescribing medications for ED and that those with ED may benefit by taking more time to care for their mouths.

More natural ways to help with ED here…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman