February is National Heart Month. There are about 2.6 million people in the UK living with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Every single one of us has a heart which means every one of us is at potential risk.
There are so many factors to take into consideration when talking about the health of our hearts – take blood pressure. High blood pressure has been the NHS focus for many years now, but taking medication is not always straightforward.
Some say that the reason there is such a high level of high blood pressure is because we all lead such stressful lives, yet I know those who have it, know how to deal with stressful events. Some say it’s diet, though I know those who have spent years adopting a healthy diet, which the blood pressure tablets have disrupted.
Some say smoking and alcohol consumption, yet I know those who do neither and still have the condition. So genetics can play a part, or kidney function, the truth is there are many factors. I for example used to have low blood pressure in my teens, whereas all my family have high.
The latest information about drinking alcohol is that even small amounts cause the arteries to harden, yet in the same breath the experts tell us to socialise into old age as it keeps our minds active.
Health advice is confusing, so if you have been identified with high blood pressure, you might also like to check your cortisol levels. These rise in the early hours of the morning to prepare us for the day ahead. If you are waking around 4am, then it may be your cortisol levels need checking. If found high, your morning blood pressure may be high – always regularly check.
Ways of improving cortisol levels are to switch to a whole grain foods, anti-inflammatory diet, reduce and manage stress better, exercise regularly, try meditation, yoga, tai chi and hypnosis to relax, and essential oils like lavender to promote relaxation.
If blood pressure is high, try changing your diet to one with less processed food, and more whole grains, oily fish and vegetables, less salt and sugar.
If you have problems making changes, then seeing a therapist can help. Why? Well they can help keep you focused on the end goal, they can help you work out possible solutions to the way you can change your habits (hypnosis can help with suggestions). They are a neutral party and can be impartial and non judgmental, where family members may nag, or act in a counter productive way. (I knew one lady who needed to stop eating chocolate and sweets, her husband bought them for her. It was his way of dealing with the guilt of drinking beer – which he shouldn’t have done as he was diabetic). It takes about 6 – 8 weeks to change a habit, using meditation and self-hypnosis can speed the process up, and not getting down when you occasionally fail, will help – again the therapist can help with this.