We're On To Something Here
At some point, in this case after a week, maybe one can conclude that a change in behavior has brought the hoped for results. The girls are no longer surprised by the blood pressure readings; now they expect them. So the 120/77 reading before going to bed last night, and the 119/81 reading this morning, will elicit nothing more than a quick smile from them. But I am looking deeper than they are, because I am astounded by what has happened.
I have researched extensively and have not found any reports of other people actually using this strategy to take control of their blood pressure. Not after they were on blood pressure medication. That appears to be the trap. See your doctor, everyone cautions. You can't just quit taking the medicine. Your blood pressure will skyrocket. Even those who are strong advocates of using diet and exercise to control blood pressure have not been so bold as to suggest you can quit cold turkey and successfully manage your blood pressure. Doctors seem to be hooked on the medications themselves, so they aren't giving any encouragement to use this strategy.
But Ping has supported this strategy because she quickly saw that it was working. I no longer have to explain the benefits of eating brown rice as the staple in my diet. She serves it liberally. Beans? I think Ping is beginning to enjoy eating them as much as I do, but Cici still has no interest in them. The fresh vegetables have been a large part of our meals anyway, but we pay even more attention to them now. Especially the dark green vegetables. I have grown accustomed to living without coffee, and that was the primary way in which I used sugar. Eliminating all other sources of sugar has taken a little effort, but we have done it.
No dairy, no eggs, no meat. That part was easy. We ate very little of it anyway. Some fish. Also easy, and also already part of our diet. Walking every day for at least half an hour. Both girls have jumped on this plan and they enjoy walking with me, so this has also been easy. No nightshade vegetables: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, are the primary culprits. I don't feel like I am giving up anything there. No refined foods, no problem.
What do I get in exchange for this simple change in behavior? Normal blood pressure, a clear head, a good nights sleep, no constant feeling of being tired, and two happy young ladies.
I have researched extensively and have not found any reports of other people actually using this strategy to take control of their blood pressure. Not after they were on blood pressure medication. That appears to be the trap. See your doctor, everyone cautions. You can't just quit taking the medicine. Your blood pressure will skyrocket. Even those who are strong advocates of using diet and exercise to control blood pressure have not been so bold as to suggest you can quit cold turkey and successfully manage your blood pressure. Doctors seem to be hooked on the medications themselves, so they aren't giving any encouragement to use this strategy.
But Ping has supported this strategy because she quickly saw that it was working. I no longer have to explain the benefits of eating brown rice as the staple in my diet. She serves it liberally. Beans? I think Ping is beginning to enjoy eating them as much as I do, but Cici still has no interest in them. The fresh vegetables have been a large part of our meals anyway, but we pay even more attention to them now. Especially the dark green vegetables. I have grown accustomed to living without coffee, and that was the primary way in which I used sugar. Eliminating all other sources of sugar has taken a little effort, but we have done it.
No dairy, no eggs, no meat. That part was easy. We ate very little of it anyway. Some fish. Also easy, and also already part of our diet. Walking every day for at least half an hour. Both girls have jumped on this plan and they enjoy walking with me, so this has also been easy. No nightshade vegetables: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, are the primary culprits. I don't feel like I am giving up anything there. No refined foods, no problem.
What do I get in exchange for this simple change in behavior? Normal blood pressure, a clear head, a good nights sleep, no constant feeling of being tired, and two happy young ladies.
Give up steaks? Give up tomatoes? No cheese omelets? That's a harsh life!
However, I know you are the man to do this!
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I haven't eaten a steak in two and a half years, Smitty. I loved to eat rib eye steaks, marbling and all. I gave them up when I partially embraced the Macrobiotic Diet. I still drank coffee and used sugar and ate sweets, though not a lot. I didn't make brown rice a staple in my diet, but I left out other meats as well as shrimp and lobster.
I was changing my eating habits for a different reason then: to stop the painful bouts of gout that were occurring more and more frequently. My feet were constantly sore from the gout, and it was often difficult to walk. The steaks were killing me, one delicious bite at a time.
That change in diet also changed my life. I haven't had a gout attack in the two and a half years since I changed my eating habits, so it has been more than worth it.
Following the Macrobiotic Diet in its entirety is what immediately brought my blood pressure under control. Last night 108/75. This morning 116/80. I was skeptical, which is why I didn't try it previously. Now I believe what the author is telling us: Diet is Everything!
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Two and a half years without a ribeye?
I had a supervisor that had a gout/tomato problem. One night he comes in with a big jug of salsa and a big bag of chips. He forgot that salsa is mostly tomato! He was suffering for a few days after that.
I went to the library today to turn in this weekends movies, and OH NO! Friends of the Library book sale! I picked up a book on grilling and another on roasting. I also picked up a book on super foods. It looks promising. Hopefully it was worth the dollar!
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I just checked on a sushi place in Pasadena, CA, and it appears to still be open. It was opened by a former Japanese baseball player, who was a big believer in brown rice, and it was fairly unique in that you could order your sushi with brown rice instead of regular sushi rice. I don't recall ever trying brown rice sushi...
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Cici is the sushi lover in our family. I ate it in Japan when dining with Japanese clients, but my view is that man learned how to make a fire for a reason ...
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Yep! Fire is for steaks! lol!
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