STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure (hypertension), which increases your risk for stroke, heart failure, sexual dysfunction, vision loss, heart attack, kidney disease and kidney failure
  • Elevated insulin and leptin levels are typically the cause of hypertension, so implementing strategies to normalize these levels are the first steps to resolving hypertension. In addition to checking your blood pressure, check your fasting insulin level. A healthy level to strive for is about 2 μU/mL or 3 μU/mL
  • To address high blood pressure, be sure to swap out processed foods for whole foods. Also consider going organic. Foods notorious for causing blood pressure to rise that should be avoided include processed foods, most grains, partially hydrogenated oils (synthetic trans fats) and seed oils (aka vegetable oils) such as corn, canola, soy and safflower oils
  • Keep an eye on your sodium-to-potassium and omega-3-to-omega-6 ratios. Also optimize your vitamin D level, ideally through regular sun exposure
  • Exercise regularly, making sure you include isometric (static contraction) exercises such as wall squats and planking, and learn how to effectively address day-to-day stress. One effective stress management tool is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, currently defined as blood pressure consistently at or above 130/80 mm Hg.1

High blood pressure increases your risk for a number of serious health problems, including stroke, heart failure, sexual dysfunction, vision loss, heart attack, kidney disease and kidney failure.2

Four out of 5 adults with high blood pressure are outrageously recommended to take prescription medication as the first step to lowering it, and all are advised to implement lifestyle changes. The fact that 3 out of 4 hypertensive patients still do not have their blood pressure under control really emphasizes the need for basic lifestyle changes to resolve this problem.3

While medical textbooks claim most cases of high blood pressure are idiopathic, meaning the underlying cause is unknown, this is simply not true. High blood pressure is typically a symptom of insulin and leptin resistance, and most people can normalize their blood pressure without resorting to drugs.

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