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SYMPTOMS & AYURVEDIC REMEDIES
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (Hypertension)WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT'S CAUSING IT? WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Are you prone to a problem with 'High Blood Pressure'?
What is High Blood Pressure?The concept of blood pressure is simple - it refers to the force of blood pressing against the walls of your arteries. Healthy blood pressure is around 120/80mm Hg. When your blood pressure reaches or exceeds 140/90 mm Hg, you may be diagnosed with hypertension by a doctor. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood and causes atherosclerosis, as well as increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also damage other organs. Heart disease as a leading cause of death in America. Many pharmaceuticals used to treat high blood pressure have strong side effects. Fortunately there are many foods, herbs and lifestyle changes you can implement to prevent high blood pressure, reduce the dosage of your medications, or bring your blood pressure back to a normal, healthy level. These home remedies are slowly gaining recognition as complementary choices to western medicine, however individual results may vary and it is always a good idea to check with your medical doctor before beginning any new health & wellness program.What Does High Blood Pressure Feel Like?Blood pressure is often referred to as a 'silent killer' because many people do not know they have it. Some individuals may experience a pounding feeling in their head or chest, a feeling of lightheadedness or dizziness, or nosebleeds. You may have a flushed face, or notice blood spots in your eyes where vessels have burst. It is important to note that these symptoms may not occur until your blood pressure has reached dangerous levels. If your blood pressure is extremely high you may experience:
Complications
Prolonged high blood pressure causes damage over time to both your heart and vascular system, such as the following complications:
Main Risk Factors
Home Remedies for High Blood PressureWhen your circulation is poor your heart has to pump harder to move your blood. The result is high blood pressure. Your heart literally pushes through resistance in the blood vessels. Like swimming up river against a strong current, "pushing through" is a strenuous undertaking. The river cannot be controlled, and life can't either. Learning to accept things as they are is a lifelong venture, but a worthy one. When you and your heart let go and accept reality for what it is, you'll notice less pressure in your life in general.
Example Client with High Blood Pressure
The first step to letting go of pressure inducing tension is to breathe deeply. When you breathe deeply, you release tension held in the muscles of your chest and abdomen. Deep breathing also calms your mind and gives you some perspective on life, and is guaranteed to reduce the pressure you feel in your life.
Client expresses that at any moment he can swing from okay to extremely angry and frustrated, usually when he doesn't understand what's going on or the plan is seemingly changed. Going with the flow is not this client's forte. Funny enough, the client exclaims, "I simply can't take the pressure." The intake reveals a history of frequent alcohol consumption, smoking, caffeine, and a diet high in sugar. Client has a temper like a loose cannon. The emotions associated with high blood pressure include frustration, anger, worry, and impatience. Many people who experience high blood pressure are full of passion, opinions, and fire. Internally, these intense emotions wear down the very organ of passion, your heart. Whether boiling internally with unexpressed emotions, or overflowing with them into your life, the heart takes the hit. If you are full of fire and passion, practice taking a reflective breath before responding to whomever has made you angry and do your best to speak softly. Shift your attenion towards nurturing love, affectionate touch, and tender softness. Live your life slowly, and be kind with yourself. It is not easy to bring calm into an environment that is traditionally difficult for you. Speak the truth. Not only does lying require a lot of mental energy, it increases blood pressure. Finally, laugh more! Laughter is proven to decrease adrenalin and cortisol production, two hormones that increase heart rate and create a "fight or flight" reaction in your nervous system. Here are some other lifestyle practices to incorporate into your daily routine for the new healthy-blood-pressure-you!
High Blood Pressure Due to Congested, Stagnant Blood (Kapha Type)
Typically, all three three doshas are involved in high blood pressure. Thick Kapha blood is often a root cause behind high pressure. Since blood is fiery in nature, high blood pressure is also related to Pitta. Circulation is governed by Vyana-vayu (a subdosha of Vata), making blood pressure fundamentally related to Vata dosha.
Kapha type high blood pressure is the easiest type of blood pressure to understand in Western terms. Kapha is associated with congested, thick blood. Thick blood moves through vessels with more difficulty. Sluggish blood means the heart has to pump harder to move it through your body, placing extra burden on your heart. Sometimes, the blood vessels themselves become hard, thick, and inflexible, a condition called atherosclerosis, which also translates to increased blood pressure. High blood sugar, high triglycerides, and high cholesterol are just some of the reasons why kapha blood is thicker than other body types. Blood thinning herbs, removing excess fluids and fats, and tonifying the heart are all very important when dealing with heavy kapha type high blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure Due to Hot Blooded Emotions (Pitta Type)Hot Blooded Pitta Types experience blood pressure spikes when frustrated or angry. If you have this type of high blood pressure, your face and ears becomes red and hot. This is the stereotype of steam coming out of someone's ears. Cooling herbs are especially useful, as well as alteratives and blood purifiers that renormalize blood chemistry.
High Blood Pressure Due to Heart Racing, Fear & Anxiety (Vata Type)
Tense, anxious vata types who suffer from anxiety and stress sometimes experience high blood pressure. Under stress, the heart races, blood vessels constrict and muscles tighten, leading to increase pressure in the vascular system. Sometimes known as "Ideopathic" hypertension, meaning there is no known physical cause, this is an anxiety based high blood pressure. Do you know someone whose heart races during stressful situations, say, at the doctor's office? This condition, lovingly referred to as white-coat syndrome, falls into this category. Antispasmodic, muscle relaxants, vasodilators, sedatives, and nervines are especially useful for acute high blood pressure spikes. The root cause of Vata anxiety, however, is deficiency. Therefore, include herbs that nourish Vata.
Herb Formula for Vata type High Blood Pressure
Disclaimer: 'High Blood Pressure' could be serious and should be checked by a medical doctor.
DIET REMEDIES FOR 'HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE'PRODUCT REMEDIES FOR 'HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE' FIND MORE BLOOD AND CIRCULATION RELATED PRODUCTS
See our herbs & products in these categories. Or, click here for general Blood and Circulation Tips.
DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. HOW DOES AYURVEDA HEAL 'HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE'?
AVOID DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS THAT AGGRAVATE THESE EFFECTS
With High Blood Pressure, one or more of the following
doshas
and qualities may be aggravated.
If you have an imbalance of one of these doshas or qualities, Ayurveda recommends avoiding foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate that quality and/or dosha.
These imbalanced doshas and qualities may need to be brought back into balance before this condition can be healed.
Click on the quality to learn what foods and
lifestyle habits should be avoided.
 Symptoms Tell A Story The first step to healing is learning patterns from your symptoms. Symptoms are clues that reveal underlying imbalances, showing you where your body is weak. Specifically, they reveal the doshas & qualities that may have become aggravated. If you notice a quality or dosha appears next to many of your symptoms, it helps you establish a pattern that may be systemic.V = VATA, P = PITTA, K = KAPHA  
To learn more about the symbols above, click on them. Are you prone to a problem with 'High Blood Pressure'?
FAVOR DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS WITH THESE MEDICINAL EFFECTSEverything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using gunas. Gunas are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. For 'High Blood Pressure', you should select foods with the following qualities (gunas). Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.
To learn more about the symbols above, click on them. Heart & Circulation: Cardiac Tonic , CARDIAC-TONICStrengthens and tones the heart. Cardiac tonics are used to treat a wide range of heart issues.Blood Thinner , BLOOD-THINNERHerbs that thin the blood. Helpful for people with heart disease or clogged circulation.Hypotensive , HYPOTENSIVEAn herb that lowers blood pressure.Vasodilator VASODILATORA vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.Immune System: Anti Inflammatory ANTI-INFLAMMATORYReduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.Kidney & Urinary: Diuretic DIURETICHerbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.Mind, Stress & Sleep: Anxiolytic ANXIOLYTICHerbs that help people suffering from anxiety or panic. They promote a state of calm and often improve sleep. Most anxiolytic herbs are also nervines.ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE 3HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE 3 - ATTACKING TISSUEIf you have symptoms in this category it means that your imbalances are becoming stronger and weakening your body's resistance. Most people have a weakness in one or more organs. These areas of weakness are the 'weak link in the chain.' They are first to succumb when an imbalance reaches a tipping point. Repairing imbalances in this category often represent your last opportunity to prevent disease. At any moment, these imbalances could overwhelm weakened tissue and develop into a disease. You may feel pain or discomfort in the weakened area. At this stage you will need to support the weakened tissue with specialized foods and herbs for the weakened tissue. REDUCE THESE RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITSThe following symptoms & habits may be related to 'High Blood Pressure'. See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type. Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them.
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WHY IS AYURVEDA THE RIGHT SOLUTION?Ayurveda strengthens the body, in addition to addressing the disorder. It take a holistic, systemic approach, instead of myopically focusing on the disorder in question. Ayurveda shows a person how to interpret signs and symptoms of imbalance, and how to address them using materials from home, so they can optimize their health on a continual basis. You can't take the doctor home with you, but you can take Ayurveda home with you. Ayurveda is the most advanced and easy to use home system for self healing with an exceptional focus on digestion.HOW DOES AYURVEDA WORK?Ayurveda starts by identifying your body type, which identifies certain tendencies in your body to get sick (as well as identifying your strengths). It uses body type to determine the likely root causes of your disorders. Next, Ayurveda analyzes the nature of your disorder. It fits all your signs and symptoms into a pattern, expressed as a combination of gunas / qualities. For example, you may have a heat disorder, a cold disorder, or an oily disorder, etc. This simple categorical approach shows you how to correct systemic imbalances and strengthen your body as a whole.On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalances (gunas). By eating an optimal diet that balances your gunas, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing. Want to learn more about Ayurveda and its step-by-step approach to healing? Click below.LEARN MOREGET STARTEDTo get started on your Ayurvedic journey, we first recommend that your find your body type by taking our free quiz. In Ayurveda, every solution is based on your unique body type, so by taking this quiz, you’ll get the best results.5 WAYS TO HEAL YOUR BODY
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About the Author John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful. His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda , which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition. John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Comments & Personal ExperiencesHow does 'high blood pressure' affect your quality of life? What aggravates it? What has helped you? Is there something you'd like to know about 'high blood pressure'?
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