How to fight high blood pressure in cold weather ….

Today's post: Thursday, 11-8-2007

I recently read a report that if your blood pressure is at all too high it tends to go up about eight percent during the cold weather in the winter.

That’s enough to cause problems potentially. An almost OK 129 over 79 in summer weather that becomes 8 % higher in winter is: 139 over 85, which is much less OK.

A higher blood pressure of 150 over 95 that may be safe to treat with nondrug methods only, particularly if you use effective methods, might easily become 162 over 103 in the winter with this eight percent increase.

With blood pressure that high, almost all doctors prescribe drugs as it will begin to damage you fast enough you need to bring down your blood pressure right now.

The good news is that the report listed why this might be so. And, you can reverse many of these causes.

If you get a reading of higher than 160 over 100, you would be well advised to get the drugs first.

1. When you are outside your surface blood vessels tighten to preserve warmth.

So, try to be outside less if you can when it’s really cold. Dress a bit more warmly than you might have otherwise. (Adding a hat or a hat that covers your ears does a surprisingly good job if you haven’t yet tried it.) Last, do your best to keep moving when you are outside. That keeps you warmer & keeps your internal blood vessels more open.

2. Cold medicines & pain killers increase blood pressure. Many people don’t know that. And, taking pain killers may slow your immune system so you stay sick longer. Many people don’t know that either.

So, try not to take any cold medicines & pain killers. If you do take them, do so as short a time as you can manage. Drink LOTS of water instead. Doctors say that but they hardly ever do a good job of how powerful it really is. You do still feel sick & yucky. But if you do drink about twice as much water as normal, you remain a lot more functional and you recover much faster. It also helps prevent complications & worse.

Also, get a bit more rest & pace yourself.

3. People get depressed more in dark weather. Then they eat more bad foods & exercise less.

So, if it’s not too cold or dangerous out, take a 10 or 15 minute walk at about Noon. It doesn’t LOOK like there’s much light. (Your eyes adjust to the light level.) But light meter readings and actual experience prove there is enough light then to prevent light deprivation depression (SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder.) Spending about 30 to 45 minutes each morning in your bathroom or kitchen also works if you have installed very bright full spectrum light bulbs. You also get some exercise.

You can also eat fish that is safe to eat & is quite high in omega 3 oils or take lots of omega 3 supplements and get regular exercise several times a week. Those two things are effective depression lifters.

Last, even if you are depressed, make sure to keep exercising & when you need food for stress break eat health enhancing foods that are tasty or high in fat instead of sugary foods with bad fats.

Walnuts, pecans, almonds, avocados, & guacamole on veggies you like can work. So can tasty soups & chili that you like that are made with health OK ingredients like lentils, pinto bean, & extra virgin olive oil & very little if any salt. Fresh fruit you like also works. The fiber & micronutrients prevent the sugars in them from doing much harm. And, fruit like sour cherries, blueberries, strawberries, black berries, & kiwi fruit can be very enjoyable.

4. Many people only get enough exercise when they can be outside. And, in cold, dark, & windy weather they stay inside more. (The staying inside more might be a good idea. But the lack of exercise is NOT.)

So, find at home exercises that fit your schedule & do them. Or, make sure to go to the gym for half an hour of actual exercise when you are there at least twice a week.

5. People eat more fat gain inducing foods during the holidays.

So, make absolutely sure to keep up regular exercise; eat right for virtually EVERY meal that isn’t a holiday feast; eat the health OK foods like salad with just a bit of dressing, vegetable dishes, & fresh fruit first (you automatically eat a bit less of the other stuff); focus more on good conversations with the people than the food because enjoying that lifts your need to reward yourself with just the food & also makes the fat gain foods you do eat less bad for you; & cut back just a little on the really fattening stuff. It’s OK to love those foods. Just eat one of some of them instead of two of all of them.

Think this doesn’t work? If you take these steps it does. The year I did a good job on them all, I didn’t gain an ounce.

6. Since your blood pressure may go up in the winter, this is a great time to begin doing the things that lower blood pressure without drugs.

Our upcoming website & eBook on these methods will be out soon. We’ll announce it here as soon as it’s ready.

But if you know some of these methods already, be sure to do them all this time of year.

Here are some quick ones: Limit your alcohol to two drinks a day instead of way more. Cut WAY back on salt at every meal that’s not a holiday celebration. Try to stop eating ALL commercial snacks & baked goods when you aren’t at a holiday celebration. Eat whole, unprocessed foods fresh or frozen that you thaw out instead of packaged foods if you can possibly manage it. Take 400 to 600 mg a day of magnesium. Eat lots of vegetables. And, eat significantly more high potassium foods like avocado, banana, kiwifruit, oranges, berries, & orange juice. Be sure to get regular exercise several times a week. Reach out to people more & socialize more. And be good to the people around you.