You can control your blood pressure without medication – here’s how
08/20/2019 / By Lance D Johnson
M. Alfredo Mejia, an associate professor in the Department of Public Health, Nutrition & Wellness at Andrews University in Michigan has developed a program to help people manage their blood pressure using diet, exercise, and sleep. Mejia presented his NEWSTART Lifestyle program at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting. The program focused on a plant-based diet that includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds, and nuts. The program also targets water consumption, regular exercise, stress management techniques, and sleep.
In Mejia’s first study, half of the participants in his program lowered their blood pressure to a recommended level in just fourteen days.That’s equivalent to the results you can expect from standard medical treatments. Lifestyle changes ultimately freed 93 percent of the participants from all their blood pressure medications.
Case study of man who healed himself of high blood pressure using lifestyle/diet modifications
This report follows the life of a man who was diagnosed with hypertension when he was thirty years old and tells the remarkable story of his recovery from high blood pressure and weaning from medication through the use of lifestyle changes and diet modifications. At the time of diagnosis, he followed a doctor’s advice and took lisinopril, an ACE-inhibitor that blocks a hormone in the adrenal gland, forcing the kidneys to secrete sodium into the urine. By default, this process lowers blood pressure, but in many people’s cases, more medication is needed to continue the effect.
The required dosage increased; captopril and norvasc were prescribed to keep his blood pressure low. The drugs causing lethargy, dry cough, and swollen lips. He experienced intermittent heart palpitations and episodes of intense heart racing when bending over and standing up. The root of the problem was never fixed with the medications. This is when he began to seek a holistic way to control his blood pressure.
Instead of manipulating enzyme processes and hormones using medication, he began to give his cells the instructions they desperately needed for improved blood flow and reduction of arterial plaques. He made it a priority to include 1 cup of organic spinach, 1 organic carrot, a bowl of oatmeal, 1 T of flax seed, 1 organic apple and 2 tablespoons of spirulina in his daily routine. He also enjoyed a 1/2 cup of various tree nuts which included almonds, pecans or Brazil nuts. He routinely consumed 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with the mother intact. This allowed for better absorption of nutrients and proper digestion. He made sure to get plenty of restorative sleep. Studies have linked the importance of quality sleep to cardiovascular health.
Furthermore, he supplemented his daily routine with a mixture of powdered roots, barks, and berries. These included 1 teaspoon of the following: hawthorn berry, turmeric root, oat straw, schisandra berry, burdock, catuaba bark and Eleutherococcus root (Siberian ginseng), with some cayenne pepper.
He made sure to drink 120 ounces or more of clean water daily, filtered by activated charcoal filters to remove pesticides, heavy metals, endocrine disrupters and runoff medications. Vitamin D and an L-arginine supplement were also important. He intentionally exposed himself to the sun for 30 minutes each day and supplemented with vitamin D3. He also avoided “aspartame, MSG, corn syrup, and processed food in general.”
By his mid-thirties he had weaned himself off the medication and regularly recorded healthy blood pressure readings, averaging 120/80. In his forties he lived very well, free of medication. Even into his 50s, this man recorded lower-than-normal blood pressure readings.
Common sense approach
Lifestyle adjustments are a required part of maintaining good health, even for those on medication. Good results are not surprising when you make these changes, according to Dr. Andrew Freeman, a cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Colorado. Science has backed this approach for a long time. But it does take work.
Injuries and acute conditions may require intervention, but lifestyle generally dictates longevity. You too could enjoy a healthy blood pressure throughout life, without medication, if you’re willing to work for it.
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Tagged Under: ACE-inhibitor, arterial plaques, artery dissection, blood pressure, cayenne, flax, hawthorne berry, heart health, herbal medicine, l-arginine, lifestyle changes, medical malpractice, nervous system, side effects, spirulina, turmeric, vitamin D
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