High blood pressure is a widespread problem. It is estimated that 25% of Americans have high blood pressure, and many are not aware of it. It leads to other problems such as cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, diabetes and stroke. However, it is a preventable condition. In most cases high blood pressure is caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. Dr. Chad Rhoden believes that if people learn to make lifestyle changes they can avoid getting high blood pressure, and in turn avoid years of medication to help control it. This book teaches you how to reduce your blood pressure and live a healthier life.
The main topics that are covered in the book are:
- Immediate and long-term ways to reduce blood pressure
- Fitness Plans and stress management tips to control blood pressure
- Practical advice on nutrition – Diet to control blood pressure
- 70 delicious and healthy recipes to help lower blood pressure
- Information on the risks and benefits of medication for blood pressure
Chad Rhoden is ideally suited to teach people how to make lifestyle changes to reduce blood pressure as he holds a PhD in exercise science and nutrition.
This book is a real gem for useful tips on weight loss, fitness and health. Really the same rules apply to reducing blood pressure as getting fit and healthy generally. Here is the type of advice Dr. Rhoden gives to one patient that is in need of help urgently to prevent a life on medication:
- Lose weight with a healthy diet low in salt, saturate fat and keep carbohydrates under control – low GI
- Start walking to get fit, aiming to walk at least 1 mile a day, every day.
- Reduce Stress through meditation or relaxation techniques, such as yoga
- Seek a less stressful work environment if possible
- Eat more healthy fats from oily fish high Omega 3 fatty acid
- Drink plenty of water every day, around 64 ounces. Stop drinking soft drinks
- Write a list of healthy foods that you enjoy and make sure you shop with that list in hand
- Eat more fresh fruit and veg every day.
- Drink less fruit juice and eat more fresh fruits. Fruit juice contains a lot of sugar (fructose) and slows weight loss
The book goes into a lot of detail with case studies of people that Dr. Rhoden has helped and advice on how to reverse the situation. There is a sensible warning over crash diets and how they can be unhealthy, and simply fail in the long term.
The nutrition advice is detailed. There is a table of foods with sodium content so that you can chose low salt foods for your diet more easily. Also foods high in potassium are listed, as these help you to control blood pressure. Raisins, tomatoes and potatoes (with skin) are all excellent options. The general advice is to go for leafy greens and other low GI foods. A large part of the book is dedicated to healthy recipes that combine all the information provided in the first section.
The second half of the book focuses on exercise. It starts with a beginners walking program that sets out a plan that anyone should be able to follow, starting with 15 minutes walking in the first week and increasing to 40 minutes of walking in the 12th week and beyond.
The book provides lots of ideas for ways to exercise to get fit. There are also some good workouts in the book, the first is a 7 day routine set out that is easy to follow. You work your whole body which helps with general fitness and weight loss. There is a useful table showing the amount of calories that various different exercises burn per hour. This is great if you want to chose a new activity to help burn more fat than you are currently.
There is a section on superfoods which help to boost nutrition and strengthen the immune system. Finally the book looks at medication that is common prescribed as well as lifestyle factors that lead to serious problems.
If you suffer from high blood pressure or you want to understand the issues more to help a family member or friend then this book is ideal. The advice is solid, based on years of research and application. The recipes are varied and interesting and the workouts are effective and designed to get you fit and lose weight.