Hypertension … and how to REVERSE it!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. 

Let’s talk about Hypertension … and how to REVERSE it! 

Did you know that High Blood pressure (aka Hypertension) is the #1 risk factor for heart disease? And it represents 50% of heart diseases. 

What is the scariest part?

It is known as the silent killer, because it is rarely noticeable and around 50% of those with the condition don’t know they have it.

How does it work?

The heart pumps blood around the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients through our blood vessels.

As the blood flows through our bodies it creates a force against the wall of the blood vessels, called the blood pressure. 

This force rises and falls with every heartbeat and our blood pressure goes up and down throughout the day, depending on:

1. how hard the heart is pumping, 
2. the overall blood volume, 
3. the resistance in the blood vessels.  

During active or stressful situations, the heart beats faster and the blood vessels narrow, temporarily raising blood pressure.

So how does hypertension develop?  

Healthy blood vessels do have a bit of elasticity, like a rubber band, that allows them to cope with changes to blood pressure. However, different risk factors reduce this elasticity and increase resistance in the blood vessels, leading to persistently high blood pressure.  

These risk factors include: 

• Poor diet,
• Smoking,
• Drinking too much alcohol,  
• Being overweight,
• Physical inactivity,

Consequences of high blood pressure

Over time high blood pressure strains the blood vessels and leads to tiny tears within the blood vessel walls.  

These tears increase the risk of fatty build up or clots, which can narrow or block the blood vessels. 

If this happens:

• in the Brain - it can lead to a stroke. Plaque builds up and cuts off blood supply. Pieces can break off and form a clot. The risk of vascular dementia also increases. 
• in the Heart - it can lead to a heart attack, the heart also works harder to pump causing it to enlarge, leading to heart failure.
• in the Kidneys - it can lead to kidney disease. Due to smaller vessels, they get easily damaged and it reduces renal function. Poor kidney function causes more fluid retention and creates a lethal feedback look leading to heart failure.

Here’s how to reverse it

In one sentence: DO NOT PUT A BUCKET UNDER THE LEAK!

I’m referring to cutting salt out of your diet for example.

OR: Taking medication. 

The best thing you can do to yourself and your health is to fix the root cause of the problem, and that is Insulin Resistance. 

Why? Because Insulin Resistance affect these 6 factors:

1) Sympathetic Nervous System Activation:

Insulin resistance can increase the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the "fight or flight" response. This activation leads to increased heart rate and constriction of blood vessels, both of which raise blood pressure.

2) Sodium Retention and Fluid Volume:

Insulin promotes sodium reabsorption in the kidneys. When insulin levels are chronically high due to insulin resistance, the kidneys retain more sodium and water, increasing blood volume and, consequently, blood pressure.

3) Endothelial Dysfunction:

The endothelium is the inner lining of blood vessels. Insulin resistance impairs the ability of the endothelium to produce nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels relax. Reduced nitric oxide levels lead to vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), which increases blood pressure.

4) Inflammation:

Insulin resistance is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. Inflammatory markers can damage blood vessels and lead to arteriosclerosis (hardening and thickening of the arteries), increasing peripheral resistance and blood pressure.

5) Impaired Insulin Signaling:

Insulin normally helps to modulate vascular tone and function. When cells are resistant to insulin, this regulation is impaired, leading to abnormal constriction and reduced dilation of blood vessels, which raises blood pressure.

6) Interaction with Other Metabolic Conditions:

Insulin resistance often coexists with other metabolic abnormalities like obesity, dyslipidemia (abnormal blood lipid levels), and type 2 diabetes. These conditions further increase the risk of hypertension.

How to break Insulin Resistance? 

⇒ Put your body into fat burning mode, and this is done through diet! 

• Meats and Eggs
• Intermittent Fasting
• Healthy Fats
• Lower Carbs (80% of the time is fine!)
• Salts

Yes, exercising is important. Yes, reducing stress and sleeping better is important.

BUT, if you try to do it all at once, (or without support), it will be impossible to sustain.

If you want to make sustainable changes - life long changes - you should start by changing 1 thing, and this is diet. 

All your efforts can be focused on just diet and it will change 80% of your life.

After you’ve done that, the “New You” will have more confidence to tackle exercising, and all the other adjustments.

This is how you build sustainability - 1 change at a time, and you build up over time.