Blood Pressure

There are two numbers that measure blood pressure. The systolic represents the pressure against your arteries when your heart is pumping. The diastolic represents the brief resting period between pumps, as the heart fills back up with blood. The average range is when the systolic pressure is between 120-80. The diastolic is between 80-60. Anything outside of these typically is classified as high or low blood pressure. Having high blood pressure usually has no symptoms day to day. This creates an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, macular degeneration, and heart or kidney failure. As we age, a gradual increase in blood pressure is expected. However, preventative measures will keep your circulatory system healthy. Also, there are alternative remedies that can both prevent high blood pressure and set things to right when circumstances have created a spot of trouble in your life.

DASH Diet

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends the DASH diet which supports a well-balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise. Their recommendations are good advice, however there are some issues that need to be addressed. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is necessary for good health. Doing this means avoiding highly processed foods and getting good sources of protein and fats. Eggs, nuts, legumes, yogurt, moderate amounts of meat, and fish are excellent sources of protein. Fats are also a necessary part of a healthy diet. Healthy fats include coconut oil, grass-fed beef, avocados, dark chocolate (yes I did say that, remember moderation in all things!), eggs, Greek yogurt, wild salmon, and olive oil. These oils will help reduce high blood pressure and soften arterial walls as well. Try to avoid the processed sugars and treats, as these add calories (and blood sugar) but provide no nutrition.

Tips for Lowering Blood Pressure

It is nice to know, as well as sometimes overwhelming, that our bodies are put together in such a way that every system works in sync with the others. So in taking care of the urinary system, there will be benefits to the cardiovascular system and vice versa. Keeping the liver healthy improves the skin, and cleansing our colons affects our mood! The kidneys also affect the heart. I tend to repeat the notion that our appetites will determine our health due to this. In fact, when dieting, your actual diet is about 80% of the work of weight loss, whereas exercise is the remaining 20%. My mother always said as I was growing up, “Make your dinner plate colorful.” meaning that a variety of vegetables is better than only one.

Examples

Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and carrots with coleslaw.
Grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and salad.
Cooked eggs with peas, avocados, and tomatoes.

Another tip for lowering blood pressure comes from the common saying, “laughter is the best medicine”. Stress and tension can cause the blood vessels to constrict and tighten, thus raising blood pressure. Laughter releases good endorphins and has many other good effects on our bodies. A regularly happy person is less likely to have high blood pressure. Plenty of rest, relaxation, baths and massage with essential oils, will also help counteract the effects of stress throughout the body. More about essential oils and blood pressure in a moment.

The heart is closely related to our kidneys, and kidneys are the area where fear shows itself. Have you noticed that people with heart problems also have kidney issues? Also, individuals who feel a lot of anger are more susceptible to higher blood pressure. Reduce stress, or learn to manage it better, to lower hypertension, and you will find this increases stamina and energy.

Other body systems concerned and involved with the regulation of high blood pressure include the pineal gland (which requires sunlight to function properly), the hypothalamus, the adrenal glands, and the pancreas.

Herbals for Blood Pressure Issues

Herbals for blood pressure issues are black and blue cohosh (hormone levels among other things). Astragalus (increases heart endurance during stressful times). Cinnamon (circulation), cramp bark (hormones), dandelion (liver), and feverfew (a nervine, anti-inflammatory). Hawthorn is discussed below. Hyssop (is a stimulant and sedative, as needed). Ginger (just about everything), and garlic (reduces the tendency of blood to form clots and dilates veins and arteries). Ginseng including Siberian (helps with stress related spikes, urinary, cardiovascular, fatigue states). Motherwort (temporary relief while diet is being adjusted). Saffron (kidney), and stinging nettle (for nutrition). Oregon grape root (for the glandular system and nervine), passion flower, skullcap, and valerian (nervous tension). The AD formula may also be helpful because it supports the adrenal glands. Vitamin A has also proven useful.

Please be aware that each of these herbs have great qualities and pages could be written about each one. It is always a good idea to do a little study rather than blindly self-medicating. Taking herbs in its whole form is always the best. Vitamin A formulas – AD (because it supports the adrenal glands), BBL, and BP.

BP Tincture

The BP herbal formula, by filling in the nutritional holes and strengthening the cardiovascular system as a whole, has assisted in lowering high blood pressure in the vast majority of people who gave it an honest trial. I believe that this tincture aids the body in lowering blood pressure by providing concentrated amounts of nutrients that have probably been in short supply in the body for a long time. If the situations that created the nutritional shortages are not addressed, taking BP will be a bit like pouring these nutrients into a bucket with a hole in it. It may take a long time to fill the bucket, if you can do it at all. The addition of garlic, hawthorn, and cayenne will speed results along. HVC, in the recipe section of the Herbal Remedies book is an excellent way to get more cayenne.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn is such a wonderful herb for cardiovascular related issues that it deserves a separate mention. In fact, pages would not be sufficient to praise hawthorn where cardiovascular health is concerned. Nevertheless, I will keep these remarks to just a few observations. There is a government agency in Germany, Kommission E, that is responsible for setting standards for the safe manufacture and usage of herbal medicines. They claim that hawthorn is useful for heart insufficiency because it strengthens heart contractions while lowering blood pressure and pulse rate. Further, they credit hawthorn with giving the heart an increased capacity to continue functioning in low oxygen conditions.

Clinical trials have shown hawthorn to be of benefit with elderly patients with no specific heart conditions except gradually declining heart function overall due to age. A four year study, also done in Germany, found that hawthorn improves contractions in the veins and heart, improves circulation to organs and muscles, lowers blood pressure, improves fatigue and endurance, relieves difficult breathing, and decreases the number of angina attacks. Several Chinese clinical trials have reported that hawthorn lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels and has a calming effect on the central nervous system.

Homeostasis

There is an interesting thing about herbal, and other, alternative remedies that should be noted. Natural remedies such as herbs and essential oils work to bring the body to a state of homeostasis, or optimum and normal function. In practical terms, this means that most often you would use the same herbal remedy or herbal formula to stabilize a hyper-condition as you would use with a hypo-condition.
That means that the same herbs will likely be of assistance whether you are trying to reduce high blood pressure or raise low blood pressure. A wonderful side note of the amazing property is that, when working with high blood pressure, it is almost impossible to take the blood pressure too low with herbs; that would be a side-effect of a drug being utilized at the same time.

Essential Oils and Blood Pressure

Essential oils have been a great help in working with cardiovascular issues and with blood pressure in particular. There are essential oils, and essential oils formulas, that have a beneficial effect on both the physical aspects and emotional drivers of blood pressure issues. It has been an education to realize how often stress, grief, anger, fear or other emotions were tied very closely to struggles with blood pressure.

The following is a list of some of the single essential oils and Butterfly essential oil blends that have shown themselves to be of use for blood pressure problems over the years.

Single Essential Oils

Singles: anethi, hyssop, rosemary, thyme, ylang ylang, peppermint (stabilizing fluctuations/homeostasis—hyssop is best used in a blend formula), dill (blood sugar related), dong quai (with blood vessel issues), goldenrod (nerves, cardiovascular, and kidneys), lavender, lime, litsea cubeba, vanilla and many others (tension and stress related issues), Oils containing chamazulene (blue tansy and German chamomile) and the blends which contain these oils are very helpful in raising blood pressure that is abnormally low.

Butterfly Express Blend Essential Oils

Butterfly blends: ^LeAngel (emotional), ^LeBenediction (taking on other people’s energies and stresses), ^LeDiscernment, ^LeFaith, ^LeGrace, ^LeKey to My Heart (decision making and other emotional stresses), ^LeIntention (citruses and vanilla to both uplift and calm the nervous system), and ^LeVitality (#1 formula for physical aspects and issues).

Aromatherapy

Because the limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control the autonomic nervous system, essential oils can have profound physiological and psychological effects. The autonomic nervous system controls the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormones. Aromatherapy is a great way to work with blood pressure issues.
We all want to do better, achieve more, and be stronger. Remember that a higher score in regards to blood pressure is not a good thing! Ha ha! Now you are already on your way to lowering your blood pressure. Keep smiling!