Care to share experience with lowering blood pressure on raw food?

[islesgirl]

I would really appreciate hearing from any of you about this. And were there any particular foods that you found you had to avoid to keep your pressure down (even though they were raw)?

[spicyfull]

Check out "Threads and Post" by BlazinJane..........

[islesgirl]

spicyfull, thanks for your help. It is much appreciated. So much quicker for me!:D

[RawVegRon]

I had a blood pressure drop from 120/80 to 100/67 after two months on this program. That was in 2005. I haven't been eating raw since then, and my blood pressure is back up to 120/80 now!

Ron

[islesgirl]

I had a blood pressure drop from 120/80 to 100/67 after two months on this program. That was in 2005. I haven't been eating raw since then, and my blood pressure is back up to 120/80 now!

Ron

Why did you stop eating RAW, Ron? Just curious.

[RawVegRon]

That's a good question. It reminds me that I'm an addict, and a fool, which is something I need to keep in mind this time.

I turned 62 in 2005 and decided that I was tired of living alone in a dusty old trailer park beside the Trinity River in Ft. Worth, and working a menial job. I decided to take my social security retirement early and retire to a tropical island (the Philippines), where I could live cheap enough to survive on social security--and still have money to chase young women.

Incredibly, there were bananas, papayas, coconuts and all kinds of tropical fruits and veggies growing wild up in the hills, but the people didn't have money to build roads or buy trucks to go up and pick them, so they lived around the coast and ate fish and white rice, junk food, etc. There was no AA and no "recovery" over there, so I quickly got back into a life of eating, drinking, and chasing women 24/7. . . and I thought this would make me happy!

In ten months my life was unmanageable again, my health was down the toilet, and my life was in danger! I "escaped" back to civilization and don't plan to ever leave the USA again. There are Muslims, terrorists, kidnappers, criminals, brutal police, corruption and all sorts of dangers out there, to say the least.

I hope to seek my destiny in the USA from here out, even if I have to be lonely, poor, and work a menial job. I now believe that my happiness rests in health and wellness, humility, hobbies, and a few friends. However, I haven't found any of that yet.

If you go overseas, stay in the tourist areas. That's my advice. Frankly. I think the world is in such a state right now that it's not a good idea for an American to go overseas!

Ron

[islesgirl]

Ron, thanks for answering my question so frankly. I really wish the best for you on your quest for health and a measure of peace and happiness. I notice that you have posted elsewhere here and I am going to go read that now. I, too, am really struggling to find the right way to eat so I will feel well, energetic and lose a lot of weight. I am an addict - addicted to junk food, coffee and sugar. Hopefully, we will succeed this time around eh?:)

[RawVegRon]

Ilesgirl,

I've gone to AA meetings for the last two years and stayed sober for the last 18 months. I think that having a support group of people who convince each other every meeting that moderation is not the way can be very helpfull. I also find that the 12 steps help me stay sober. I'm wondering if the AA program could be applied to raw foods.

Have you ever been to an AA meeting? What did you think?

Ron

[anniez]

I'd like to get back to blood pressure on this thread. I have been vegan raw for 4 months and my blood pressure is getting worse, not better! My Dr is not supportive of this way of eating, and wants to give me more meds for my bp. I am doing everything I know (little to no salt, daily exercise) to do in order to get this bp to drop, but I am not successful. I tried to find the posts by blazin jane, but all I could find was about cycling. I'd really appreciate some suggestions. Thanks.

Annie

[Blazin'Jane]

I attribute my lowered bp to raw eating. That's all. I did lose 37 lbs. in the process, but that was early on. It took me 9 mos. of raw to get off the first med. The second just came off last month, a year oafter the first. So far, my pressures are holding steady. I didn't avoid any particular food. Starting this spring, I tried to eat 4 stalks of celery a day, because I heard that doing so would lower blood pressure. It may have helped, but I haven't been doing that very regularly for the last 3 mos. or so, and my pb is still down.
I think my posts about blood pressure are on the health board.
I thought fasting would help, too. I've not been good at fasting, but do manage to fast --water only-- one day most weeks. Joel Fuhrman, MD, in his book about fasting, says it 'a very good tool for lowering bp. Probably more than one day a week would be more helpful, but I just can't seem to do it.
Good luck! And hang in there with the raw. Drink lots of water, exercise, eat raw and keep the faith. I think it will come down. I'll be interested to hear.

[Blazin'Jane]

Here's an earlier thread of mine re bp.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=45571

[anniez]

Thank you so much, Jane, for the info! I really appreciate that you took the time to answer my plea for help. Congrats on your successes. I guess I was thinking that by now I would be off my med, but your story gives me continued hope. BTW: HCTZ is a diuretic (I am not taking it) and I am surprised that you would need that, since it seems that raw food is a natural diuretic. All the fruits and veggies keep me running to the potty all day long. Again, thanks for your support.

Annie

[marshasims]

I would really appreciate hearing from any of you about this. And were there any particular foods that you found you had to avoid to keep your pressure down (even though they were raw)?
When I started raw (March 16, 2008), my blood pressure was 170 / 105 without medication, and averaging 145 / 90 with medication. Doctors told me to "forget it..." that I would be on medicine for the rest of my life.

Once I went raw, the first thing I noticed that I could breathe in a different way... deeper or something. That happened on day 11. After the thirteenth day my pressure started to drop, and weight started to fly off of me.

I eat everything I want to eat (no meat or dairy), and I have no restrictions except it has to be fresh. Not processed or canned. I have learned to prepare lots of raw dishes and I've made it quick & easy to accomodate my busy lifestyle.

Feel free to ask me anything. I'm so excited about this lifestyle, I'll help you in any way I can.

MS

[RawVegRon]

AnnieZ,

I'm sorry for being so selfish in my replies. Sometimes I wonder if people are serious, or just making conversation.

I had a very good experience in 2005, as I was saying before. After two months on the program, my B/P went from 120/80 to 99/67. My cholesterol went from 211 to 115. My glucose went from 110 to 85. What got those results for me was this:

1). No salt--not even a trace--not in canned food, not in restaurant food, not in friend's offerings!! Not!!! Never!!! Nyet!!! NO SALT!!! NONE!!!

2). No coffee, cokes, tea, energy drinks or caffiene drinks;

3). No animal products--in any of their forms or guises. That means no butter, milk, or anything cooked with them.

4). No refined sugar--in any of its forms or guises.

5). No saturated fats (avocado, nuts, olives, seeds);

6). Daily, moderate exercise to my comfortable capacity. I started out walking for 30 mins. as far and as fast as I could--comfortably. In a couple of weeks I stepped it up to jogging intervals (walk a block and jog a block). In a couple of months I was jogging a 12 min. mile on the treadmill.

7). No medications. None!

8). No chemicals, preservatives, additives of any kind! None!

9). Look! If you fast long enough, your blood pressure will drop to zero!! Joke! If you fast long enough, your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc. will drop as far as you want it to drop!!

Obviously, your doctor will object to this. My advice is to fire your doctor.

If you work at it, it will happen!! The body is a marvelous machine.

AnnieZ,

Listen, if you still haven't got the results you want, why not come to Renounce And Enjoy (R&E). I will quarantee you that you'll have a blood pressure of 100/66 in three months--if you are serious about the R&E program. R&E is a 12-step program, like AA. It's a support group for people who are really serious.

Send me an email, if you are interested; or you can call me at 206-548-4916. It's free. I'm not selling anything. I do it for my own recovery.

Ron

[anniez]

"Feel free to ask me anything. I'm so excited about this lifestyle, I'll help you in any way I can."

Thanks, Marshasims,

I appreciate your offer. I guess I am just a "late-bloomer," meaning that it will take me longer to show results. Since starting in July I have lost 17 pounds. I still have about 25 pounds to lose, so I am not setting the world afire with weight loss. (I am high raw!) That said, however, I want to say that I have gone down two sizes from 18(XL) to 14 (M) and am pretty close to a 12. So, I know that I am losing fat and not muscle. I have tried for the last 30 years to lose weight, so I know that this is the lifestyle for me. I am just so concerned about this dang blood pressure! With the encouragement of others here, I will stop worrying about it, ignore the Dr, and keep at it. Thanks so much.

Annie

[anniez]

Ron,

Apology accepted. Thanks for your detailed reply. However, if you will re-read what I said, you will see that I have been raw since July, which means I am doing all of the things you suggested. After reading all the answers in this thread it has become clear that what I need to exercise most is patience. Thanks.

Annie

[islesgirl]

marshasims, thanks so much for your input here. I just now saw your post. How are you doing on Raw? Are you still not taking any meds for BP and how is that now? Do you mind if I ask your age? I am 62.

Blazin'Jane - thanks so much for sharing your success story with us all re your lowering your high blood pressure over time with Raw food.

RawVegRon - How are you getting along now? You've had a tough row to hoe over time, haven't you? No, I have never been to an AA meeting. I have never had a problem with alcohol (oddly enough). I am a "sugar" addict though. Raw food helped me have a fabulous summer. I lost all my craving for junk food and didn't binge for the longest time. But I let some kind of stress get me off track and I went back to my old habit of eating garbage in the fall. How foolish. It helped me to read posts here and I also re-read my Blog and it amazed me that I felt so well on Raw food for so long. For the first time in my life I was content and not always thinking about food. It was likely going back to coffee that set me off again. I am quitting that again - tomorrow - (I swear that quitting coffee is far harder for me than quitting smoking ever was!) I am also going to eat only raw food tomorrow and from now on. This time I really think I am ready. I am simply going to stop worrying about my blood pressure.

Annie, I was so happy to read what you had to say here also. Thanks for sharing. How are you doing? Are you still with this raw food? How is your blood pressure?

Sue.

[anniez]

Hi, Sue, I am still with raw food and my blood pressure is still high and I am still on meds. I am walking on the treadmill daily and have cut out the salt........I am finding the food pretty bland, though. I have also cut way down on nuts. Thanks for the response.

Annie

[Ilse W.]

My blood pressure used to be anywhere between 110 over 60 to 140 over 85. Lately, after eating raw since August and vegetarian since May, my blood pressure is 98 over 56 and 97 over 58. I've also done juice fasts, liver cleanses, and colon cleanses.

[islesgirl]

Emma, Hi and thanks for your encouraging response. So then, since you have done very well with raw food and lowering your blood pressure, do you feel that it was quite alright to have lots of juice and fruit in your diet? Or did you limit these things at all? I am trying very hard to gather as much information on different one's experiences with this.

Sue.

[anniez]

Well, after my discouragement over my blood pressure, I had quite a surprise today. Went to my Dr for a follow-up. Turns out my BP in his office was 122/82. Needless to say I was shocked, and he was delighted. Well, I'm delighted, too, but shocked nevertheless. Seems that my blood pressure cuff, which is fairly new, is "out of whack." He also commented that I have "lost a significant amount of weight." Well, I knew about the weight, but the BP was a complete surprise. End of story? I can stop the med, but I have to monitor. Since my monitor is not accurate, I am looking for the measurement to stay the same or go lower. If it goes up, he says I will need to go back on the med. So, for now, I am doing the happy dance. Thanks for the support on this thread.

Annie

[CowrieQuilts]

Well, I am doing the happy dance with you too! LOL

-Teresa

[islesgirl]

Well, after my discouragement over my blood pressure, I had quite a surprise today. Went to my Dr for a follow-up. Turns out my BP in his office was 122/82. Needless to say I was shocked, and he was delighted. Well, I'm delighted, too, but shocked nevertheless. Seems that my blood pressure cuff, which is fairly new, is "out of whack." He also commented that I have "lost a significant amount of weight." Well, I knew about the weight, but the BP was a complete surprise. End of story? I can stop the med, but I have to monitor. Since my monitor is not accurate, I am looking for the measurement to stay the same or go lower. If it goes up, he says I will need to go back on the med. So, for now, I am doing the happy dance. Thanks for the support on this thread.

Annie

I just happened to see your post now about your blood pressure and your weight loss. That is fabulous. I'm very happy for you and this is another prodding for me in the direction of Raw food being the answer to my problems. Thanks so much for continuing to post about your experience with raw food.

Sue.

[anniez]

My Doctor called today with the results of the blood work he took on Tuesday. (My last blood work was done in March of this year.) Wa-hoo!!! My cholesterol is down from 210 to 120 - and all the other cholesterol numbers, LDL, HDL, etc are great! A1C is down from 8.1 to 6.2, which means I have reversed my diabetes and am no longer classed as a diabetic! I am now officially off all meds, and with my Dr's blessing! This is the same man who discouraged me from doing this because it wouldn't be "healthy." He was gracious enough today to say that there was no question it was the diet! I am floating! So, hang in there, Sue. You will read lots of people on this board who reversed things in a matter of a few weeks. It took me 5 months to get this far, but I know I am on my way. I still have major insomnia, fibromyalgia pain and chronic fatigue (exhaustion) but I now know that these will eventually go, too.

And a big thanks to those of you who encouraged me. I had no idea when things started to finally happen, they would happen in such a big way. I may be 65 years old, but I am raw for the rest of my life! I have told my husband children that when it is time for a nursing home (and the way I'm going now, I may outlive them all!) they must find one that will feed me raw food.

BTW: You will be finding me in every raw challenge from now on!

Thanks again.

Annie

[islesgirl]

What a thrill to read your news at the end of my long day. I can't begin to tell you how much your post means to me, Annie. It means that I am going right back to RAW food and hopefully posts like yours and one from RawKnitster, and my continued improving health will give me the incentive to keep going and never look back. Wow. How happy and relieved you must be. So there really and truly is a good chance for me (and others reading about you) to get a second chance at life, isn't there. I sincerely hope that you will be able to heal from the fibromyalgia, insomnia and chronic fatigue. I am reading Julia Ross' "The Diet Cure", and she advocates amino acid supplements. Have you heard of this book or read it? It is really interesting and I am thinking about getting the supplements. I know from Victoria Boutenko's book that Greens are our best source of amino acids. That must be why I felt so well and looked much better this summer as I was having lots of Green Smoothies. I noticed though that Julia Ross' book doesn't mention greens - just the supplements. How sad that so few seem to realize how important they are. When I get a minute I think I will talk about this on this forum a bit more with the woman who is always encouraging us to have Green Smoothies - It might be Veganforlife - I can't remember at the moment and I'm so sleepy. At least I am back to mostly raw - having 2 large glasses of Green Smoothie in the morning and early afternoon and I am feeling so much better after having binged on junk for almost 2 months.:eek:

Sue.

[anniez]

Sue, If it can happen for me, in as bad a shape as I was, it can happen for anyone! I really, truly believe that.

I am not a Dr, I don't play one on TV and I have never pretended to be one, even when I was a child, so I am not "practicing medicine" here. (As an aside, is it a coincidence that they call it "practicing?" I am a musician, and practicing means keeping at it until I can do it!) However, I can't see, for the life of me, why, on a raw food diet, there is a need for amino acid supplements. That said, though, I do think there are some supplements that are necessary on a raw food diet. I take E3Live, vitamin D, and B12. But that's it! Now that I am through putting poisons, i.e. prescription meds, in my body, I am not interested in using anything synthetic. I want the real, true natural "stuff."

If you have read Victoria Boutenko's book, then you are familiar with the people who did the study with her. I haven't checked, but I think every one of them said they would continue with the green smoothies. (Is Victoria on this forum? I think you were inferring that she is. I have enormous respect for her and her family! Talk about an inspiration!)

Hang in there. I used to have the biggest sweet tooth in the world, and now I could care less. I eat fruit and drink green smoothies in the morning, and I think that is why the sweets are not appealing. I love fruit, and had not eaten much of it for years, due to the carb hype that said not to eat much fruit. I used to love chips, crackers and cheese - the junk food you speak about! I have no desire at all. And I am faced with it on a continual basis, since I have a wonderful hubby who is as SAD as they come. He whips out the chips to have with his burger for lunch and I am truly not tempted. I never thought I'd see the day I wasn't tempted. I could resist, but I was always tempted.

Speaking for myself, I have no desire for any of those foods from my past life because I am just so satisfied eating the way I eat now. When I say satisfied, I mean physically. My body isn't screaming for those foods, because I keep it truly fed now.

I know you can do this. Keep it up.

Annie

[islesgirl]

Hi Annie, no I didn't mean to imply that Victoria Boutenko is on this forum. But it was likely here that I learned about her. I have her book "Green For Life" and it is very well marked as I've referred to it many times. Yesterday I went out and bought kale, cilantro, parsley and more cucumbers to add to my stash of greens in my freezer. I am also wide awake this morning and it is quite early for me to be up and feeling raring to go. Do you buy all your fruits and veggies organic? I can't afford that - I just can't. But in the summer I will have another garden. Anyway I am going to find out (if I can) what these supplements are made from. Back later and hope you have a great day.

Sue.

[Devo]

Hi there!

I'm new to this forum, but not new to a raw diet. I have what the doctor calls "essential hypertension", or genetic based high blood pressure. My last two visits with him were not good because he always wants to give me MORE medications, although I have already been taking two.

This past month I decided to experiment with my diet to see if any of the foods I was eating were causing my blood pressure to be on the rise all the time. I had been on a partial raw food diet, but still eating veggies mostly, some fruits, nuts, and seeds. Most of my dinners were cooked meals, lunches and breakfasts were mostly raw, - whole grain cereals, avocado sandwiches, salads, etc. - healthy by most standards.

Then I went COMPLETELY raw. I started taking my daily weight and my blood pressure before and after meds, then at night. My blood pressure AND my weight steadily declined. There was no doubt in my mind that the raw foods were contributing to that decline. It meant I had to go out and find some good juice recipes and get more variety. I totally gave up salt, coffee, even honey.

I will add though, that this is not a quick fix because the body has to DETOXIFY for any long term effects to be permanent. I haven't weaned myself off my medications just yet because I had some dental surgery I had to get through and I had IV sedation for that (3 extractions, full-mouth scaling and planing).

My blood pressure readings are just about where they should be when I take them first thing in the morning so I deem them "before meds". After I take the meds, I take a reading later and they are pretty low, so I'm giving up one of the meds to see what kind of readings I get and then go from there.

Documenting all this so I can show my doctor before I kick him to the curb. :)

Also, I read that garlic 3xdaily is useful as an antibiotic in place of prescribed. Any thoughts?

[islesgirl]

Devo, you must be thrilled with the effect eating so much raw food is having on you. I notice that you are new here. Welcome, welcome.:) And please do continue to let us know how you are progressing and if your bp continues to normalize. I am curious to know if you have been having more greens, as in salads or green smoothies?

Sue.

[Colorawdo girl]

My mom takes an herbal formula from the naturopath and it keeps her bp right steady. Hawthorn main ingredient.

[rawfifi]

my doctor increased my dosage of lisinopril to 20 mg about a month ago

at around that time, I started eating very high raw - in the 90 percents, I would say, and I have lost about 5 pounds in the last month

last week I began to feel dizzy and checked with my doctor - I thought she would yell when I told her about the raw food, but instead she said that I may have lost enough weight to reduce the pressure....she then reduced my dosage to 10 g

I feel much better eating raw food - aches and pains have nearly disapeared any my creaking knee is definitely better....my face is looking better, too

I am 62.5 years old and this is very good news...I have always struggled with my weight but am now convinced that I should maintain a high raw lifestyle
for the rest of my life

[islesgirl]

rawfifi, I am so happy for you! Great post about the benefits of raw food and how it can lower our blood pressure! I meant to get mine checked over the weekend but I was so busy that I forgot. However, I am going to get it checked soon as I am losing weight with the Master Cleanse. Keep up the effort at gaining the best of health for yourself.:) We are the same age.

Sue.