IN YOUR DAILY DOSE today is news from three different Universities who collaborated on a study to evaluate how low your blood pressure should really go when you’re on medication. What they found should change the guidelines used to treat patients in the months and years to come.

MAKING CHANGES gives you some concrete methods of lowering your blood pressure to within normal limits without medications. These methods won’t take your pressure too low, but will help your body to stabilize and normalize the numbers.

YOUR DAILY AFFIRMATION continues to look at how helping others will help you more than it helps them.

IN FACT OR FICTION you’ll discover the little trick you can use to “wake your brain” up in the middle of the afternoon.

In The News

A new study was released in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology which was a collaborative effort between 3 Universities. The researchers evaluated the upper limit of the systolic blood pressure measurements usually used to determine high blood pressure.

The current recommendations are to treat blood pressure which is higher than 140 or 150 for the top number (systolic) and 90 for the bottom number (diastolic). However, in this new study the researchers discovered that the use of anti-hypertensive medications (blood pressure medicine) to bring blood pressure to 120 instead of 140 could greatly reduce the risks for heart attack, heart failure and death.

New guidelines based on this research could be years away will have to weigh the potential adverse effects of the medications against the benefits.

SOURCE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151109153147.htm

Daily Health Tip

Maintaining a normal blood pressure should be a high priority in your health plan. High blood pressure is called the silent killer because there are no symptoms until you’ve had your first heart attack. For this reason, the medical community has increased the number of touch points or places where your blood pressure is measured consistently. Today, your pressure will be measured in the doctor’s office, the eye doctor’s office and machines are available for use at the grocery stores and pharmacies.

Making Changes

While medication to treat your high blood pressure might be necessary, it’s always good to start with strategies which don’t include warnings and side effects. Here’s a list of holistic ways of impacting your blood pressure. However, controlling your pressure is necessary, so if you don’t see results using these strategies by the time your doctor is read to prescribe medication then it’s time to take the medication. You can continue to practice these safe methods of reducing your pressure and may be able to reduce your medication or come off of it completely at some point.

1. The amount of pressure your heart must exert to push blood around your body is dependent, in part, on your weight. By normalizing your weight and maintaining it, you can go a long way to normalizing your blood pressure.

2. Regular physical exercise will impact your blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels. If you have slightly high blood pressure, a good exercise program can help you avoid needing medication to control the pressure.

3. Reduce your sugar intake. Although you’ll see a lot about reducing your sodium intake, unless your kidneys are already compromised, they’ll take care of how much sodium is floating around in your body. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for how much sugar you eat. It increases the inflammatory response in your body, spikes your blood sugar, increases your cholesterol levels and is generally very unhealthy.

4. Quit smoking. Each cigarette increases your pressure, which remains elevated for several minutes after you’ve stopped smoking. People who quit will substantially increase their life expectancy.

5. Monitor your pressure and get support. By monitoring your blood pressure regularly you’ll notice changes more quickly. Get the support you need to manage your condition and help reduce your stress levels, which also increase your blood pressure.

My Daily Affirmation

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What can I do to show my family members how much I love them?

2. Do my friends know how much I care about them? How?

3. How do I show appreciation to strangers?

Fact Or Fiction?

What can you do when you’re tired to ‘wake up’ your brain? And, when you do it, why does it work? Click here to find out!

Have a wonderful day!

Your Healthy Life America Team