The Q&A Files
The Q&A Files drops A Wellness Explosion
💥 BOOM! Attention Wellness Warriors. The game changer you have been waiting for is finally here. Say hello to “The Q&A Files,” where wellness meets revolution and your questions lead to new discoveries. Spearheaded by Trisha Jamison, your host, a Board Certified Functional Nutritionist. Cohost Dr. Jeff Jamison, a Board Certified Family Physician, and featured guest, Tony Overbay, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. This podcast blends three diverse perspectives to tackle your questions on health, nutrition, medicine, mental wellness, and relationships. Dive into a world of expert insights and actionable advice, all sparked by your curiosity. Tune in, ignite your wellness journey, and join the Wellness Warrior community.
The Q&A Files
23. Managing High Blood Pressure: Lifestyle Tips, Anti-Inflammatory Foods, and a Touch on Med Management
Ever wondered how a vacation in sunny Zihuatanejo, Mexico could lead to life-changing insights on managing high blood pressure? Join us on this journey where we not only soak up the sun but also unravel the complexities of this silent killer. From understanding its hidden symptoms to the crucial need for accurate readings, Jeff and I share our personal anecdotes—including a comical stair-climbing adventure—that underscore the importance of a balanced approach to health. You’ll walk away with practical advice on balancing physical activity, diet, and stress reduction techniques to effectively manage high blood pressure.
In the second segment of our episode, we dive into the transformative power of lifestyle changes on blood pressure. Discover the role of anti-inflammatory foods like omega-3 fatty acids and turmeric, and the impact of essential minerals such as potassium and magnesium. We also discuss how medications can affect nutrient absorption, the benefits of CPAP machines for sleep apnea, and the importance of understanding your blood pressure targets. Wrapping up with a heartfelt Community Q&A, we thank our listeners for their burning questions that fuel our discussions and encourage continued curiosity and engagement. Stay curious, keep thriving, and join our growing community for more insights on health and wellness.
Questions? Concerns? Comments? Email us at trishajamisoncoaching@gmail.com!
Hello and welcome to the Q&A file, the ultimate health and wellness playground. I'm your host, tricia Jamieson, a board-certified functional nutritionist and lifestyle practitioner, ready to lead you through a world of health discoveries. Here we dive into a tapestry of disease prevention, to nutrition, exercise, mental health and building strong relationships, all spiced with diverse perspectives. It's not just a podcast, it's a celebration of health, packed with insights and a twist of fun. Welcome aboard the Q&A Files, where your questions ignite our vibrant discussions and lead to a brighter you.
Speaker 1:Hello, my friends, welcome to the Q&A Files. I'm your host, trisha Jameson, coming to you from Zewa Ne'o. I am delighted to be here with you today and have my companion and my life partner, dr Jeff. He's here with me as well, too. Hi everyone, tony Overbay will be here on our next episode, so we will see him then. Today, we're not just diving into a crucial health topic. We're celebrating our journey toward understanding and managing a condition that affects nearly a billion people worldwide high blood pressure. But before we go there, let's share some celebrations. So, honey, what are some celebrations that you have?
Speaker 2:Okay, for me, a celebration is that we are on vacation right now and we are in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and it is not very often that Trisha and I get away from our little hometown of Spokane, Washington, to get to a place where we can just concentrate on our relationship and maybe doing some podcasting, Anyway. So I'm excited to be here and excited to have some fun things to talk about today.
Speaker 1:Thank you, I'm going to have to agree. We have just had so much fun just spending time together, and that's something that we haven't been able to do for a long time, so that is our huge celebration. All right, so let's get into our question. Our question today is from Steve, and Steve says I've been struggling with high blood pressure, perhaps influenced by my family history and my high stress job pressure perhaps influenced by my family history and my high stress job. Can you share insights on how I can manage this through diet, medical interventions and stress reduction techniques? So let's take a few minutes and unravel this together. So, jeff, do you want to go first and share some thoughts?
Speaker 2:Sure thing, high blood pressure is what's known as the silent killer, and why is it that way? Because in many other medical conditions we actually feel the discomfort within us when something's going wrong, and with high blood pressure there is no such feeling. Now, when it gets really out of control, there's potential symptoms that a person might feel, including bloody noses, maybe little blood vessels break in your eye and headaches. So there's several things that can happen, but they don't happen to everyone, and sometimes you can have extremely high blood pressure and not even know it, and sometimes you can have extremely high blood pressure and not even know it. In fact, a lot of people come to me from after they had visited their dentist and their dental procedure was canceled because their blood pressure was too high. Now we might argue that going to the dentist can cause high blood pressure, which it certainly can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, seriously.
Speaker 2:So can going to the doctor, and in fact there's a phenomenon called white coat syndrome and so often we don't take the blood pressure that we get in the office as gospel on a blood pressure, because there's so many things that can interfere with or affect a blood pressure reading. So what are some of those things? A blood pressure reading can be affected by pain. That's a very big one. I see people that are in chronic pain.
Speaker 1:I can totally understand that one.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that can raise your blood pressure. And when your blood pressure isn't measured just because you're not in a doctor's office or doing it at home, you may still have high blood pressure. Okay, so when a person has increased emotional stress, that can also raise your blood pressure. Or if you have somebody that's got a gun to your head, that'll push your blood pressure up, and we think about that here in Mexico, anyway.
Speaker 1:But we feel very safe.
Speaker 2:Very safe here. It's been really fun actually, the other things that can increase your blood pressure just nominal or heavy exercise can move your blood pressure readings up. When your blood pressure, actually your blood, it should go up when you're doing exercise.
Speaker 1:I was going to say that we want that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. And when you're going up a flight of stairs or if you're walking around the block, all of those things can raise your blood pressure. So I tell my patients, when you're checking your blood pressure at home, don't do it. If you just had a rigorous workout, give yourself a good half an hour to relax and do your blood pressures when you're most relaxed at home.
Speaker 1:Why don't you tell our listeners about the set of stairs that we climb every day?
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, this is something else In the place we are staying in this condo. Something else In the place we are staying in this condo in order to get to downtown, you have to go down 177 steps. Well, going down-, which I love, yeah, you do. Anyway, going down the steps isn't so bad, it's just coming back up, which I love even more. And so one of the things we did is we decided, I decided actually, hey, here's another set of steps, let's try these. And we went up about halfway, and then the steps ended and it became a flat surface that is meant for a drainage to go down, and it was on our hands and knees trying to get up this like vertical mountainside.
Speaker 2:It was crazy, yeah. And then, once we did get up to the next level, we looked up and there was this cute little Mexican woman looking at us. What is wrong with these Americans? You know, they were laughing at us, so we were laughing to ourselves as well. So it was a good thing. So we did not check our blood pressure at that moment. It was not a good idea, okay.
Speaker 2:So when I'm in the office, though, and I find a person that's got a high blood pressure, I take it again after a few minutes during our encounter, because very often, when a person comes rushing into the office, they come and sit down into the comes rushing into the office, they come and sit down into the exam room. My assistant takes the blood pressure, and very often it's elevated, and so what we do is we talk through whatever their issues are. I noticed that their blood pressure is up and I'll recheck it, you know, 10 or 15 minutes later and it's almost universally dropped down. May not be all the way down to where we want it, but it's definitely better, and so that's a good thing.
Speaker 2:So, blood pressure control how do we achieve it? And we're going to talk about several different ways, one of which, of course, is medication, which I'll have the handle on, and also we'll talk about lifestyle changes and things that can help us, including diet, and we'll make sure that you have a good handle on how to control your blood pressure as best you can without having to do too much at the doctor. So, tricia, do you want to talk through a little bit about that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely so. When I think about blood pressure, well, actually, I think when a lot of people think about blood pressure, I think they may think of genetics or, you know, extra salt intake and what happens when you are eating too much salt, if that increases your blood pressure and if that's a bad thing. We're going to kind of talk about some of these different issues here. But when I think of blood pressure, I think of inflammation, insulin resistance and inadequate intake of key minerals, and so I'd like to break some of these culprits down. Inflammation chronic inflammation is a long-term response by the body's immune system, often due to poor diet, lack of exercise and chronic stress. This inflammation damages your arteries, making them stiffer and more resistant to the normal flow of blood, which can then raise your blood pressure. It's exactly what you don't want. So let's talk about some of the foods that do fight inflammation. Now.
Speaker 1:These foods are really powerful foods. They include omega-3 fatty acids like your fish, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, oysters, sardines Ooh, you got to love some sardines, oysters, sardines, you gotta love some sardines. Chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, turmeric with its powerful compound, curcumin, and leafy greens like spinach and kale. And as you incorporate these into your diet. This can significantly help reduce inflammation and also lower your blood pressure, and that's why you're here. That's what you're learning today. The next is insulin resistance. Now, insulin resistance occurs when your cells don't respond well to insulin and can't easily take up glucose from your blood. So this forces your pancreas to produce more insulin, which can then lead to higher blood pressure and, as your heart is working, harder and harder to pump blood. That is improving insulin sensitivity, and can be achieved through dietary changes such as reducing your sugar intake and your refined carbohydrates, increasing fiber intake and eating a balanced diet rich in whole foods just kind of what we talked about is gonna be so helpful, and regular exercises can also play a critical role in improving insulin sensitivity.
Speaker 2:I can't emphasize the exercise part more, even though I need to do better myself, but exercise does a wonderful job of doing a couple of things, just like Tricia was saying. The first one, of course, is reducing blood pressure and improving your cardiovascular health, as well as decreasing fat, and for every pound of fat, you have 200 miles of blood vessels that your heart has to pump through in order to keep those areas fed, and so that, in and of itself, by having extra fat, will increase your blood pressure.
Speaker 1:Huge. That is such great information. I really appreciate you sharing that as well. Mineral balance Essential minerals like potassium and magnesium play a critical role in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. So potassium helps to balance sodium levels in the body and it also relaxes the blood vessel walls, while magnesium helps regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels and blood pressure as well. So many adults don't get enough of these minerals from their diet, so again, I'd like to go through some other foods. So foods rich in potassium include bananas, oranges, potatoes and tomatoes. Magnesium can also be found in nuts, seeds, whole grains and leafy green vegetables. So ensuring adequate intake of these minerals is key to managing blood pressure. Beyond these factors, there's actually certain medications that can impact nutrient absorption. So, for example, you've got PPIs, that's, your protein, your proton pump inhibitors and oftentimes-.
Speaker 2:Which are used for reducing acid in the stomach.
Speaker 1:So that is exactly right. So that helps treat acid reflux. But unfortunately, by reducing the stomach acid, it can interfere with the absorption of essential nutrients like magnesium and calcium, which are, again, crucial for blood pressure regulation. So if you are taking these medications, it's important to monitor your nutrient levels and consider dietary adjustments or supplements as needed. Let's talk about stress reduction. Jeff kind of talked about that just a little bit, but one thing that I wanna say too is the more that you are on an exercise program that is going to alleviate your stress dramatically.
Speaker 1:Again, we can't stress stress. Having a consistent exercise regimen can be really, really helpful in helping bring down your blood pressure. So your stress reduction is another crucial aspect in managing your blood pressure, just like we talked about. So your stress reduction is another crucial aspect in managing your blood pressure, just like we talked about. So chronic stress triggers the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which cause your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to constrict. So this can lead to sustained high blood pressure. So effective stress management techniques include deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga and just what we talked about regular physical activity, and it doesn't have to be just like exercises, I mean it's like going for a walk, playing with your kids, running around the house playing tag.
Speaker 2:All of those things count the house playing tag.
Speaker 1:All of those things count, everything counts. Vacuuming Anything that you can do to just create movement, is going to be really, really important here, and that is going to help reduce that stress hormone level and promote a sense of well-being as well. So it's also really important to note that sleep managing sleep is like you want to be able to manage your blood pressure through sleep, and when you have poor sleep, that is going to be really problematic, and there's a lot of people that have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can significantly impact blood pressure. So sleep apnea, which causes intermittent pauses in breathing during sleep, reduces oxygen levels and increases the risk of high blood pressure. And so and I think that-.
Speaker 2:And it also kills brain cells if you're not breathing properly.
Speaker 1:That's not what we want, is it? So we've got treatments that are like the CPAP machine. In fact, jeff has one, and that is very helpful for him. That can help manage sleep apnea and, in turn, lower blood pressure.
Speaker 2:It's just like your credit card never leave home without it.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. Those are some things that I think about when I'm focusing on blood pressure is you know your diet, exercise food, and you know inflammation is going to be really helpful. So what are the things can you think of that will be helping our listeners as well with blood pressure?
Speaker 2:Well, I think it's really important to discuss blood pressure targets. What is high blood pressure? What are the numbers that we're looking for and how can we make sure that we manage those in ways that can be understandable for each other and that you know where you're supposed to go and where you need to be? Okay, so everyone has heard, or many people have heard, that if you have high blood pressure, it's above a certain number, but then they get those numbers confused, and it's really understandable why those numbers are confusing, because medical practitioners can't even agree on what high blood pressure is. Most of the time, some people think that it should be less than one.
Speaker 2:Yes, and some people or some and some professionals also feel that 140 over 90 is the cutoff. Anything above 140 over 90 is the definition of high blood pressure.
Speaker 1:So what does each of those numbers mean, honey?
Speaker 2:Okay, so the first number, the high number, is called systolic, the systolic pressure. It's the pressure that the heart makes as it pumps blood into the arterial system. So the very strong contraction of the heart pushes blood out into the arteries and then it creates that pressure, and so that's the systolic pressure. Now, in between beats, that pressure comes down and then there's a lower pressure and that's the diastolic pressure and the diastolic pressure, or the difference between them, if you take the top number minus the lower number, that's called the pulse pressure and that's the pressure of each individual contraction of the heart. So so that's the definition of what those different numbers mean. But let's go to targets. So blood pressure targets are important when we're managing blood pressure, and so the American College of Family Physicians feels that 140 over 90 and above are the numbers that we should be watching for and making sure we stay below. So if you are above 140 over 90 consistently, then that's something that should be treated. Now, if you're 140 over, let's just say you're 145 over 95 in the office, but then you go home and you're 120 over 80, well, you don't have to have a blood pressure reading that's normal in the office in order to qualify for it being a normal blood pressure. So most practitioners nowadays are taking into account what blood pressure readings people have at home and in fact, they put more weight on those, especially if they're taking them when they're relaxed at home than when they are taken in a stressed environment like a doctor's office or a dentist's office. So that's really important to remember when you're taking your blood pressure, make sure you're relaxed, and it's the consistent, relaxed blood pressures that are above 140, over 90, are the ones that we tend to treat. So how do we treat them?
Speaker 2:There's several different medications and, of course, the things that we want to do first are the lifestyle modifications that Tricia was talking about a minute ago, and that's always best and I recommend them first. And if that's not working, then we move to medication, and sometimes people have such difficulty to control blood pressure that it requires two or three different medicines in combination to be able to get them to work. Now, don't worry if that happens to you, because the medications are working in different ways on different systems, so that the combination of them doesn't hurt you. So that's important to remember. Now, also as important to remember is that some of these blood pressure medicines can and do cause harm. So we have to make sure that we use them in a judicious way and that a doctor should monitor this, because we get the training to be able to know which direction we should go with medications, whether we should raise one or add a second or those things, so that we don't hurt people. And sometimes two medicines at low dose is better than one medicine at high dose.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's got to be really confusing to keep track of all that.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it is, and sometimes it's hard for patients to keep track of as well. So don't feel bad if you've got to go back to your doctor and say what did you tell me? Again, that's really important to make sure you're in good communication with your doctor.
Speaker 1:And always make sure you're writing things down.
Speaker 2:Yes, as well as your questions about why you're there. Okay, so standard blood pressure medications that we use that are very well tolerated. One class is called angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, which is otherwise known as ACE inhibitors. There's ones that are hydrochlorothiazide diuretics, there are beta blockers, there are calcium channel blockers, and these are all done, and the other one's called an ARB, which all of these are really good medicines. They're safe, they're often generic, so they're not terribly expensive, and so these are good ways to use different types to help a person's blood pressure come down. So don't get worried about the names, but the doctor will take care of that for you.
Speaker 1:So what do patients need to know about these?
Speaker 2:Okay, well, the angiotensin converting enzyme and the ARB medications. Arbs these ones work on the kidneys and, believe it or not, the kidney is where your blood pressure is controlled the most, and so these two medications can be used, but not at the same time. So one or the other, but you can use in combination an ACE with a calcium channel blocker or a beta blocker, and they all have different things we watch for. For instance, if your blood pressure goes too low, then, especially if you're male, it might interfere with sexual function, and if it's also too low, you might be dizzy or find other problems. So we have to be very careful of how we use them, and if the medicines are over-prescribed or the dosage is too high, we have to watch out for those things. So don't be surprised if your doctor or provider asks you to come back within a month or so after starting a new medication.
Speaker 1:Okay. So besides being dizzy, what other symptoms may a patient have?
Speaker 2:Well, especially with beta blockers. Beta blockers are great medications. They do a wonderful job of decreasing the workload of the heart in high blood pressure and in cardiovascular disease. But they can also cause some fatigue and difficulty with thinking straight sometimes and those things can be a problem, but again they're usually mitigated by the dose that they're given. So what we try to do as medical professionals in this realm is to give a person no side effects, and almost always we can do it with these kinds of medicines.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 2:And so I don't want you to hesitate. If your doctor or healthcare provider says that it's an important thing for you to get your blood pressure down and may need to use medication, don't hesitate to do it. It really works and it will reduce your cardiovascular risk factors as far as heart attack and stroke. And also a big problem with sustained high blood pressure is heart failure, and what that means is the heart as a pump just doesn't pump as well as it used to, and it can cause a myriad of problems. So keeping your blood pressure under control can keep you healthy for much longer.
Speaker 1:Awesome. I love some of the examples that you used, and this is just some fantastic information. So thank you so much. And this is just some fantastic information. So thank you so much, dr Jamison. Is there anything else that you would like to add to this information today?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have one other thing. Just because a healthcare provider places you on a high blood pressure medicine, you don't have to be on it forever. You may be able to decrease or stop a blood pressure medicine if you do the lifestyle things that Tricia talked about earlier. So if you do the lifestyle changes and watch your diet and stay away from type 2 diabetes and several other things that she mentioned, then the chance of you being able to get off of a blood pressure medicine are good. If you don't, you may not be able to for the course of your life.
Speaker 1:That's not what we want to hear, is it? So we want to do our best to control what we are able to control, and that is definitely our diets and our exercise, and just be able to live a full life. We just want to thank Steve for this great question today, and that includes our deep dive into the culprits behind high blood pressure. Remember, tackling this condition is about more than just medication. It's about addressing the root cause through diet, lifestyle changes and effectively managing related conditions. So we just want to thank you so much for joining us today on the Q&A Files. Again, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and join us next time as we continue to explore how you can control your health. Thanks again, and we will see you next time. Have a great time. Bye everybody.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to the Q&A Files, delighted to share today's gems of wisdom with you. Your questions light up our show, fueling the engaging dialogues that make our community extra special. Keep sending your questions to trishajamesoncoaching at gmailcom. Your curiosity is our compass. Please hit subscribe, spread the word and let's grow the circle of insight and community together. I'm Trisha Jameson, signing off. Stay curious, keep thriving and keep smiling, and I'll catch you on the next episode.
