Hypertension can be categorized as either primary (a.k.a. essential) or secondary. Primary hypertension, which accounts for 90% of all hypertension, has no known cause. Secondary hypertension is usually related to a specific disease, infection, injury, or hormonal disorder. Both primary and secondary hypertension can increase a person’s risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, and congestive heart failure. Hypertension may also cause headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.

Blood pressure is a measurement of the outward force of blood against the inner walls of blood vessels. The normal resting blood pressure is about 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). Individual readings may deviate slightly from these textbook numbers and still remain in the normal range.

The top number in a blood pressure reading is called the systolic pressure. This number represents blood pressure in the arteries as the heart is contracting. The bottom number, or the diastolic pressure, represents arterial pressure when the heart is at rest. The normal range for systolic pressure is from 100 to 140 mmHg. The normal range for diastolic pressure is from 70 to 90 mmHg. Usually, younger people fall towards the bottom of these ranges while the elderly are prone to the upper limits.

To effectively treat high blood pressure, one must first realize that they have it. Regularly monitoring your blood pressure is the best way to determine this. A good blood pressure cuff and stethoscope are imperative here. Thriftiness should not be the top priority when buying such instruments. Ask your doctor or local pharmacist for specific guidance.

Other important factors in measuring blood pressure include, but are not limited to, body position, tester error, and physical activity. For example, when you are lying down your blood pressure is lower than when you are standing. Always take the measurement sitting in the same position.

Tester error presents another crucial element of getting an accurate blood pressure reading. Ideally, a trained health care professional should take your blood pressure. Taking your own reading is a good idea if you have been properly instructed. Otherwise you may end up with worthless information – which may cause enough distress to contribute to hypertension in itself. Keep in mind that a high reading should always be confirmed by repeat measurements.

While physical activity can be helpful in the prevention and treatment of hypertension, it can also cause a blood pressure reading to be grossly distorted. Even the slightest bit of activity, such as engaging in conversation, can cause your blood pressure to rise. Some people make the mistake of walking to the doctor’s office before getting a blood pressure reading. A doctor or nurse may not ask if they were physically active before their visit. This situation can lead to a false positive test result. Save the exercise for after your appointment, where you may find it to be a necessity.

So, where does exercise fit into the blood pressure equation? Research has shown exercise to be an effective means of preventing and treating some types of hypertension. Individuals with moderate to severe, primary hypertension (i.e. 140 to 160/90 to 100 mmHg) can sometimes lower their blood pressure with regular, low to moderate intensity exercise. Bicycling and walking can be good for this purpose. Heavy weightlifting is out of the question. Ask your doctor about his or her recommendations for exercise if your blood pressure is greater than 140/90 mmHg.

Individuals with blood pressures higher 160/100 mmHg are usually treated with a combination of medication, exercise, diet, and stress intervention programs. These elements combined can wage a powerful war on hypertension.

A healthful diet, low in saturated fat, trans fat, and calories, is an especially powerful tool in reducing high blood pressure. This type of diet helps keep blood vessels clean and decreases the risk of overweight and obesity, which have been highly correlated to hypertension. Another helpful dietary strategy is to leave the salt shaker alone. Too much sodium can also cause blood pressure to rise, especially if you are hypersensitive to it.

According to the American Heart Association’s National Cholesterol Education Program, hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease. You may have it and not even realize it. One of the most important steps you can take in becoming physically fit, if you haven’t already done so, is to find out what your blood pressure is. Once you have established this, keep in mind that regular physical activity, good nutrition, and stress management, are important parts of excluding yourself from the hypertensive population.

© – This material is copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced, or adapted without the express permission of Dr. William L. Elliott, Ph.D. (HealthBuilding.com)

1.) Thou shalt consume enough fluid to maintain adequate hydration each day. (Carefully consider the demands of physical activity on this one.)

2.) Thou shalt eat foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals.

3.) Thou shalt eat foods that are high in dietary fiber (e.g., whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits).

4.) Thou shalt eat smaller meals but eat them more frequently throughout the day.

5.) Thou shalt moderate your intake of high fat foods, saturated fats, and trans fats.

6.) Thou shalt moderate your intake of high sugar foods and added sugars (i.e.,  table sugar, honey, syrup, etc.).

7.) Thou shalt moderate your intake of alcoholic beverages.

8.) Thou shalt never-never-ever-ever eat deep-fried Spam (nothing against Spam, this is just a reminder that you shouldn’t eat everything).

9.) Thou shalt offset “caloric balance” to achieve and maintain personal fitness goals.

10.) Thou shalt supplement, as necessary, to achieve and maintain personal fitness goals.

11.) Thou shalt study food labels and other informative sources to educate yourself about good nutrition and healthful eating habits.

The above guidelines are not “set in stone”. They are generalized and directed at a broad population. Extreme care should be taken in designing your individualized nutrition plan. Any health concerns that you may have with regard to these guidelines should be discussed with a qualified health professional, prior to following them.

© – This material is copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced, or adapted without the express permission of Dr. William L. Elliott, Ph.D. (HealthBuilding.com)

For example, if you are taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement to improve the nutrient density of your diet, why would you want a “cheap” one made with low-grade, indigestible, inabsorbable, ineffective, and possibly harmful ingredients?  If you knew you were getting a product that truly improved your health and physiology, why wouldn’t you pay a little more for a complete formulation based on solid scientific studies?  If you can’t come up with a good answer to these questions, it might be time to spend a few extra dollars on quality nutritional supplements.

Perhaps you are in the know and you follow my line of thinking when it comes to vitamin and mineral supplements.  How about protein supplements?  Are you willing to fork out hard-earned money to buy a low quality protein supplement?  Why use a protein supplement made from dehydrated egg or soy powder when you would be better off eating fresh eggs or tofu (okay, I know some of you might say ixnay on the tofu scramble’)?  Why would you spend $2-$4 on a 300-700 Calorie “protein bar” made with indigestible sugar alcohols, fillers, and largely unusable denatured proteins, when you could enjoy a delicious bone fide candy bar for less than $1?  Some common grocery store candy bars actually contain a fair amount of protein, less than 300 Calories, and have recognizable ingredients like sugar, salt, peanuts, etc.  Don’t get me wrong here; I am not a candy advocate.  I am simply pointing out the fact that all products billed as protein supplements are not necessarily healthful.

That doesn’t mean you should throw out the baby with the bathwater.  There are some good protein supplements with science-based formulations out there but they are few and far between.  Sure, amino acids (AAs) are the same no matter which protein source they are derived from, but all proteins supplements do not contain the same AA profile and protein composition.  For example, the physiological impact of colostrum, whey concentrate and whey isolate is far more beneficial to humans than other protein sources.  While protein supplements made with soy, casein, or egg are less expensive, scientific research has clearly demonstrated that you need to consume more of them to achieve the same physiological benefits.  You might think using a greater quantity of these inferior quality supplements is okay but if your body doesn’t use them for muscle growth, repair, recovery or energy, you are going to end up wearing the extra calories as fat.

You can find my favorite protein supplements (and other science-based nutritional products) on my Web site at HealthBuilding.com.  I only sell products from companies that I have worked with very closely.  Meanwhile, here are some of the things you should look for in a quality protein supplement:

- Carefully treated whey proteins – An important part of quality whey protein is how it is processed.  Poor processing (by heat and pH changes) will cause whey protein fractions to be denatured and less bioactive.  I recommend whey proteins that are cold filtered.  Special filtering also helps to remove sugar, lactose, and sodium, rendering a product which is more healthful and easily digested.

- Glutamine and colostrum peptides – L-glutamine and colostrum are powerful anticatabolic and immune factors.  Keeping your immune system up and catabolism down are critical for health and athletic performance.

- Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) – BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) are AAs that have been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis as well as mental and physical performance.

Over the course of my career as an exercise physiologist I have seen athletes (professional and amateur), fitness enthusiasts, and even couch potatoes benefit from high quality protein supplements.  If you have never used one, you are in for a pleasant surprise.  You stand to improve your muscle strength, lean body mass, performance, recovery, and overall health.  Yes, it will cost you a little bit more than you are currently spending on protein but you’re worth it – A healthy body is an investment you can’t afford to go without!

© – This material is copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced, or adapted without the express permission of Dr. William L. Elliott, Ph.D. (HealthBuilding.com)