Fast Diet and high blood pressure

This topic contains 14 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by takloo 10 years, 5 months ago.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

MarkNZ

8:27 pm
25 Oct 13
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i’ve been on the Fast Diet since mid May 2013 and have had some positive results so far. I’m 48, and my cholesterol level is down (7.3 to 6.4 since Jan 2013), good HDL increased, bad HDL decreased, and ratio decreased from 4.7 to 4.0. i told my GP about the 5:2 approach and while not discouraging, they instead implied that this could as easily be put down to the diet changes & regular exercise i’m now doing. perhaps … more of concern, was that my blood pressure (160/100) hasn’t changed over the past 5-6 months of doing the Fast Diet and now i’ve been recommended to take an ACE inhibitor ‘Cilazapril’ and see if this improves my situation. So my questions is: Is there any science currently on Fast Diet / 5:2 approach and high blood pressure? … keen to read more on this issue before popping any pills.

Speedy

11:29 pm
29 Dec 13
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HI Mark, I just saw your post.
I have the same sort of experience. 5:2 since September with good weight loss and improved bloods but bp staying stubornly at 155/90 I think it was. (I am very overweight) I just started taking 12.5mg of a diuretic and don’t like to do so but have a family history. I mailed Dr Fung who is mentioned on other threads here. He told me he thought fasdting can bring down bp but it may take longer to see it.
I’m aware that being overweight can make bp worse – but that many thin people have hight bp so it’s a bit of a quandary what to do. I decided to try this pill just because of my family history and continue 5:2 and hope that bp catches up.
I guess if you are overweight it will probably help to some extent – but if you are not overweight, I’m not sure.
I’m investigation turmeric as a possible bp help but it also has side effects.

Best wishes,

MountainMyst

11:58 pm
29 Dec 13
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Hi Mark and Speedy, I just now saw this post also. I have been on medication for hypertension for over 20 yrs. like you, Speedy, I have a family history of hypertension, stroke and heart attack. so far I have lost 20 lbs since late July, and sadly can’t see that it’s helping as yet. BUT, I have been dealing with it for a very long time and I expect it may take a while to see results. Hopefully you won’t need medication soon. Especially if you can add exercise to your 5:2. good luck and let us know how things go. Phyllis

Speedy

10:21 am
30 Dec 13
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Hi Mountain Myst 🙂
Well done on your weightloss. It does good in so many ways I think.
Yes it’s a shame bp reacts differently or perhaps slowly. But plod on and it might help I hope. BP medicines have so many side effects I am reading 🙁 Especially sometimes raising blood sugar and that really wold be counter productive to weight loss 🙁 But yes exercise seems to help as well.
My GP who used to work in an obesity clinic says she only saw bp drop when people (obese) people had dropped a lot of weight (about 30 kilos) for example after a gastric bypass operation. But I’m trying to see 5:2 as a non surgical gastric band so am still hopeful, but meantime am taking these diuretics.
I’ve been Googling about Beetroot juice, not sure what to think about it, hate the taste but might try it anyway!

Best wishes, 🙂

MountainMyst

2:54 pm
30 Dec 13
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Hi Speedy, I mentioned exercise because it does seem to help in some cases. because of my M.E./CFS I can’t really exercise much, so I’m hoping the weight loss will help. I’ve about another 10 lbs to go to get to my goal, then possibly more. I set my goal at the top of my “normal” weight range, so time will tell.

I think the 5:2 is a much better option that weight loss surgery too. one thing to watch with your diuretic is your potassium levels. Did they put you on a potassium supplement along with it? a few years back I was started on diuretics in addition to my ACE inhibitor. after a couple of weeks I had a dangerously low potassium level and ended up in hospital. be sure and read the side effects and warnings that come with your meds.

as for the beet root, it would be good, but then any veggies would increase your potassium and that is good for lowering b/p. up until our juicer broke we did beet root with apple, carrot, cucumber. it was pretty good. going to get another juicer soon and add that to our routine.

good luck and keep me posted on how you are doing. 🙂 Phyllis

Speedy

3:21 pm
30 Dec 13
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Phyllis, ME + CFS must make exercising – and many other things very difficult. I think if anything I’m over cautious about side effects! But better that I think. I’ve been a bit shocked at the potentially serious side effects of seemimngly every bp drug.
Beetroot juice is Horrible! But I’m going it a go even though the research is very small so far and not at all conclusive.

Odd isn’t it that diuretics can lower bp but you lose potassium from them – but you need potassium to lower your bp … I don’t really understand that. I guess with diuretcs lose water and salt so maybe you cen get by with a little less potassium?
I’m not on a potassium supplement but I’m aware some are so will get a blood test to check that in a few weeks when I’ve done my first month.

Go get that new juicer!
Best wishes,

MountainMyst

9:28 pm
30 Dec 13
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Hi Speedy, yes the illness does make life a challenge that’s for sure. Especially as my husband and daughter have it also. we joke that between us we can do as much as one 90 yr old. 🙂

one of the things I have is intermittent rapid and irregular heart rate that comes with weakness,nausea etc. unfortunately when my potassium dropped, I thought that it was just one of those episodes. darn near died before my levels were checked and was hospitalized. so I’m a bit paranoid about diuretics. 🙂

sounds like you have done your homework, most folks seem to just take what ever the doctor orders and don’t read the info with their drugs. I’m with you on the paradox of giving something that lowers potassium when you need it to function. I promise the beat root is better when diluted. 🙂

good luck and hopefully further weight loss will take care of our blood pressure problems. Phyllis

Speedy

12:07 am
31 Dec 13
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Thank you Phyllis, this forum is so helpful I intend to keep on posting! At the very least it helps gets thoughts in some sort of order 🙂

kilroyscarnival

2:52 pm
23 May 14
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I’m also hoping that some weight loss will help improve my blood pressure. It was never an issue for me until about two years ago – not when I was quite obese, but then again I’m getting older, and I have a more stressful job.

I recently had a routine medical test with blood work, and the BP was 126/87. Not dramatically high, but I’m trying to get it to improve. In addition to regular exercise, which I’ve been doing now for some years, I’ve been trying adding some foods that are supposed to help the body regulate BP. One is celery, including celery seed. I have some celery seed capsules from the natural foods store for those times where I haven’t had my stalks. Another is hibiscus, so I’m drinking more hibiscus-berry herbal tea (I keep a pitcher in my refrigerator.)

By extension, and also because I’ve also had muscle and joint soreness more than usual lately, after and during the aerobic dance exercise I do several times weekly, I’ve become interested in reducing inflammation in general and its possible relationship to blood pressure. I’m adding turmeric to foods and trying a course of turmeric capsules. A friend’s sister has seen great results with this in dealing with rheumatoid arthritis, which I don’t have, though some osteo arthritis is showing up on x-rays.

I’ve also added “potassium” to myfitnesspal as a tracked component of my daily eating.

MountainMyst

2:54 pm
26 May 14
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Hi Kilroyscarnival, sorry I haven’t replied already. had a flare of M.E. and haven’t been on much.

good idea to up you foods that help with B/P now instead of waiting until it gets too high. I have been trying to eat more celery (not my favorite food) and I recently bought some hibiscus. I haven’t tried it cold, think I’ll make some today. thanks for reminding me.:)

glad your sister’s friend has had good results with the turmeric. I am planning to make some capsules with willow bark, turmeric and ginger for pain and inflammation. I take quite a bit of Advil for pain and it can increase blood pressure also. I’m currently being assessed for psoriatic arthritis, so need to decrease inflammation seriously.

good luck with your plans and please let us know how you get on. Phyllis

kilroyscarnival

8:54 pm
4 Jul 14
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Hi, Phyllis,

I believe this is my seventh week of 5:2, and while I’m only weighing myself once per month officially, I did sneak on the other day and am pleased with the weight loss. 15 pounds since I was weighed at a medical facility in early May. However, my blood pressure continues to be higher than normal and the systolic number particularly so. So far I’ve not seen any noticeable improvement, when I average the higher and lower readings, it’s about the same as three months ago.

Best,

Ann

Elainefriend

11:30 am
5 Jul 14
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Hi Mark, I’m coming to the conclusion that although the 5:2 regime is beneficial for so many health perimeters, it dosent appear to make any difference, neither good nor bad, to blood pressure. Of course this isn’t scientifically proven but most people posting on this forum seem to be saying the same thing about blood pressure.

takloo

2:44 pm
5 Jul 14
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I just did my BP check after 2 months of 5:2 (more 4:3) the BP has significantly improved….the doctor said I have BP of a teenager (I am 41 and had poor diet and sedentary liftstyle before)

simcoeluv

4:47 pm
5 Jul 14
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Hi:

While many people on 5:2 report nice reductions in blood pressure, some do not. Blood pressure levels sometimes seem like a mystery – thin people have high blood pressure, fat people don’t, and everything in between. Generally, weight loss combined with additional exercise works for many people, but no one I am aware of has come to a conclusion that seems to work for all people.

While you should always follow your doctor’s advice, one avenue to explore is to eliminate (as much as possible) sugars from your diet. Sugars (especially fructose) have been shown to have a correlation with high blood pressure, and reducing them has been shown in some cases to reduce blood pressures in study groups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG89j432w-Y (starting around minute 25, but watch the whole thing if you want to hear about IF, too). Getting rid of sugars in your diet is hard, because they are everywhere. I notice an advertisement on TV where a company is saying they have improved their bread by eliminating high fructose sugar from the recipe.

Even if getting rid of sugars does not help your blood pressure, it won’t hurt anything and will certainly help with your weight loss efforts!

Good Luck!

takloo

5:19 pm
5 Jul 14
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try eating healthy on fast diet…that will probably help….