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!

[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