6 Easy Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure

One of the worst things a doctor can tell you is that your blood pressure is high. According to statistics, 15% of deaths in the US are attributable to high blood pressure. You shouldn't necessarily worry too much about this. In certain situations, you can reduce it without the aid of medication by making small lifestyle adjustments. While there may be negative effects from using medication to lower the numbers, lowering them naturally will not only save you money but also improve your general health. A list of natural methods for lowering blood pressure is provided below.

 

1. Exercise more

Regular exercise has numerous benefits but is especially effective in reduction of blood pressure count. If you cannot perform intense training, aerobics and endurance training with activities like swimming, running, dancing, and brisk walking can help you reduce blood pressure. Only perform exercise under a doctor’s supervision with high blood pressure.

 

2. Reduce sodium

High levels of sodium in the body are partly responsible for high blood pressure. The main source of sodium in our diet is the salt we use in foods. To control your sodium intake avoid excess use of salt. Before buying packaged food products read the label carefully. Avoid processed foods like frozen dinners, potato chips, and bacon as they contain artificial preservatives which are high in sodium.

 

3. Cut back on alcohol

Alcohol when enjoyed in moderate amounts has many heart health benefits, however overconsumption of alcohol is unhealthy for your heart and liver. Various studies have shown that men who have more than 2 drinks per day are more likely to get health problems like hypertension. If you can’t control your alcohol intake, try drinking while you eat as it nullifies the alcohol’s impact on blood pressure.

 

4. Breathe deeply

Studies have shown that practices like meditation, yoga, and tai chi that involve deep breathing bring down levels of stress hormones. This reduction in stress hormones elevates renin, a kidney enzyme that increases blood pressure. Moreover deep breathing increases oxygen supply to the body which enhances the transportation of essential nutrients to various parts of the body through the blood.

 

5. Avoid unhealthy fats

Fast foods like burgers and pizzas may taste great, however they are the prime source of unhealthy fats because they contain cheese and harmful oils. These unhealthy fats result in an increase in cholesterol levels and eventually lead to blockage of the arteries, this in turn increases blood pressure. Putting a check on intake of these harmful fats can drastically bring your blood pressure down without medication.

 

6. Skip caffeine

Coffee is prescribed to people with low blood pressure as it helps increase it. The caffeine present in coffee results in a rise in blood pressure therefore is dangerous for people who already have high blood pressure. Often people who keep sipping coffee throughout the day have elevated blood pressure levels. The recommended consumption of caffeinated beverages is not more than 2 cups a day. Monitor your blood pressure before drinking coffee and 30 minutes after drinking it to check your sensitivity to caffeine.

The above mentioned natural remedies can help you reduce your blood pressure, in severe cases consult your doctor first and follow his advice.

 

True Story: How She Got Rid of Severe Eczema (After All the Miracle Treatments Failed)

Sara McFall was dismayed when she developed severe eczema as a teenager. She kept the rashes at bay using steroid creams such as Elocon. Unfortunately, as the years passed, her skin stopped responding to the cream as well. Sara tried to go on a gluten-free diet and stopped using the cream altogether. Her face broke out into a horrible rash around her eyes and mouth. She felt hopeless. Her cream no longer worked, and her skin was actually experiencing withdrawals from not using the medication. Her new rashes were caused Perioral Dermatitis, which is triggered by overuse of steroid creams.

 

A Miracle Cure

Sara eventually began seeing a naturopath and created her own remedy for her face. Her rashes eventually went away, and she attributes it to the natural ingredients she used. What did she use for her main cure? Apple cider vinegar is the answer. Sara applied unpasteurized apple cider vinegar diluted with water to her face three times a day.

She noticed that her rash went away within six weeks. This may seem like a long time, but most people with Perioral Dermatitis experience symptoms for up to a year. Sara also used tea tree and lavender oils on her face, stopped wearing makeup, and did not wash her face in order to let her the natural oils on her face cleanse away the irritation.

 

The Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Why did apple cider vinegar cure Sara’s skin conditions? The answer lies in apple cider vinegar’s healing properties. The liquid contains lactic, malic, and acetic acids. These acids are both antibacterial and anti-fungal. These acids also soothe inflammation. The beta-carotene in vinegar encourages cell renewal. Sulfur not only gives vinegar its sharp taste and small, but it serves as a powerful topical antibiotic as well. Vinegar flushes out the toxins that can cause mild, moderate or even severe eczema flare-ups.

Vinegar can also help your skin overall, even if you don’t have eczema. Vinegar can kill the bacteria that causes acne, and it can also lighten the appearance of scars and age spots. It may even reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

 

How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar

To make an astringent or face treatment out of apple cider vinegar, simply mix vinegar and water. Make a 50/50 mix so that the vinegar does not irritate your skin. It is recommended that you try the mixture on a small patch of skin on your arm or hand first to rule out an allergic reaction. Once you are certain that the mixture will not irritate your skin further, spread it onto your face with a clean cotton ball up to three times each day.

If you suffer from eczema all over your body, you may want to take an apple cider vinegar bath. To do this, you can add half a cup of apple cider vinegar to your bath water, then soak in the tub for up to 15 minutes.

The many vitamins in apple cider vinegar strengthen the immune system, so drinking it certainly won’t hurt if you’re looking to be healthier overall. The potassium found in vinegar can even reduce allergy symptoms. To make an apple cider vinegar drink, add two teaspoons of it into an 8 ounce glass of water. Make sure that you mix it with water so that you do not cause yourself any stomach upset. You can add honey or baking soda to your drink for maximum benefits.

 

Conclusion

Apple cider vinegar certainly helped Sara’s skin problems, and it has been proven to be beneficial for many other people suffering from skin maladies. However, you should check with a healthcare professional before changing your diet or drastically altering your skincare routine to make sure that apple cider vinegar will not interact with any other medications you are taking.

 

Anti-Anxiety medication linked to depression and DEATH. Try this effective anti-anxiety tonic…

Prescriptions for sleep aids and anti-anxiety drugs have increased during the past ten years. Furthermore, many teenagers receive prescriptions for these medications from their family doctors, proving that this trend isn't limited to adults. However, like with many conditions, drug therapy ought to be your last option rather than your first choice.

Long-term risks and potential dangers are associated with medications. The use of sleep aids such as Ambien has been linked to an increased risk of falling or being involved in an automobile accident during the day, as well as impaired motor and cognitive functioning.

They also may have carcinogenic effects and may be related to increased rates of cancer. One study found that people with prescriptions for hypnotics (sleeping pills) had about 4.6 times higher mortality risks than people who didn’t use these drugs. Even those who used hypnotics sparingly were at an increased risk of mortality. Anti-anxiety medications come with similar serious risks.

 

Some of the symptoms of anxiety:

• Cloudy thoughts
• Heart palpitations
• Sweaty palms
• Muscle tension
• Dry mouth
• Queasy
• Feelings that the worst is going to happen
• Inability to concentrate
• Insomnia
• Not wanting to get out of bed

 

POWERFUL HOMEMADE ANTI-ANXIETY ELIXIR

Lemon and honey are known for their soothing and relaxation benefits. Certain compounds in honey have a calming effect, this is prominent when taken in significant amounts.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp lemon Juice
• 2 tsp ground Ginger
• 1 tsp raw Honey

Method:

Add everything to a small bowl, mix well and take three times a day before meals.

 

HERBS TO CALM ANXIETY NATURALLY

The great news is that these herbs can be either taken internally or used in aromatherapy. If taken internally, 80 mg daily is the suggested dosage for lavender, while the ideal dosage for lemon balm is 60 drops from a tincture daily.

Lavender

A 2010 multi-center, double blind randomized study of lavender oil compared to anti-anxiety medication lorazepam found that both were effective against generalized and persistent anxiety.

Bonus — lavender had no sedative side effects.

 

Lemon Balm

Research published in 2004, for instance, gave participants a single dose of lemon balm extract (300 mg or 600 mg) or a placebo, then measured their mood after one hour. The higher dose resulted in reduced stress and improved calmness and alertness. Even the lower dose helped participants do math problems more quickly.

Dosage: Use in aromatherapy, try 300-500 mg of dried lemon balm three times daily, 60 drops daily, or 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of dried lemon balm herb in hot water for a tea four times daily.

 

L-Theanine

This one isn’t really a herb—it’s a water-soluble amino acid,  but it’s gotten such good research behind it we had to include it here. It’s found mainly in green tea and black tea and is also available as a supplement.

Studies have found that it acts directly on the brain, helping to reduce stress and anxiety—without causing drowsiness.

 

Cannabis

For many people, the natural compounds found in cannabis, including the plant’s wide range of cannabinoids—cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are among the most well known—are far more effective at alleviating stress and anxiety, as well as promoting restful sleep. And unlike pharmaceuticals, cannabis is not dangerous and does not harm the body.

A 1986 study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, for instance, found that cannabis, which is often referred to as marijuana, produces clear anti-anxiety effects in the body.

Compared to controls not consuming the plant, subjects taking cannabis during this study manifested very low anxiety scores, the result of cannabis compounds interacting with the body’s benzodiazepine receptors.

Similarly, cannabis makes a far better sleeping aid than prescription sleeping pills like Ambien, as the appropriate strains act as a natural, gentle sedative to put the mind at ease.

Pharmaceutical sleeping pills, on the other hand, are highly addictive, can cause extreme psychosis and dangerous behavior, and as the new UK study has shown, are extremely harmful to the body.

“One of the effects of THC administration is sedation,” wrote Karen I. Bolla, the lead author of a 2008 study published in the journal Sleep. “One group of marijuana users report… they use marijuana to help them sleep. Interestingly, the marijuana users report negligible use of alcohol, sleeping pills, or other medicines to induce sleep.”

 

Sources:
http://www.naturalnews.com/044761_anti-anxiety_drugs_sleeping_pills_mortality.html
Cannabis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3002503
http://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-drugs/antianxietysideeffects/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19962288

20 Medications That Cause Memory Loss, Stop Using Them

If you are having trouble remembering things and you have taken some of the medications we are about to talk about, then that might be the problem. In the past, doctors thought that memory loss was only a part of the aging process. However, nowadays, scientists claim that memory loss is not inevitable. Actually, our brain can grow new cells and reshape the connection during life.

A lot of people are aware of all the things that can cause memory loss, like for instance alcohol and drugs, also, head injuries, strikes, heavy smoking, severe stress, sleep deprivation, lack of vitamin B12, or illnesses like Alzheimer’s. What most people do not know that some prescribed drugs can also affect your memory.

 

Unfortunately, the number one death cause in the United States is adverse drug reactions. Actually, prescription drugs cause more than 100.000 deaths per year, and over 1.5 million hospitalized patients that have experienced adverse drug effects.

 

MEDICATIONS THAT CAUSE COGNITIVE HEALTH ISSUES AND MEMORY LOSS

1. STATIN DRUGS
These drugs are used to regulate high cholesterol levels and they can lead to brain damage. Actually, our brain is made out of 1/4 of cholesterol, which is very much needed for memory, learning, and thinking. Nevertheless, they still can cause side-effects and lead to memory loss.

2. SLEEPING PILLS
Sleeping pills can also cause memory loss and lead to a state similar to being drunk or a coma. This is why they do not regulate the sleep that the body needs to recover itself. For instance, Ambien is also known as an amnesia drug due to the fact that it causes night terrors, hallucinations, sleep driving, and sleepwalking.

3. ‘ANTI’ DRUGS
These ones include antispasmodics, antipsychotics, antihypertensive, antidepressants, antibiotics, antihistamines and other, affect the levels of acetylcholine in the human body, the main neurotransmitter essential for learning and memory.

The low levels of acetylcholine in the body lead to blurred vision, hallucinations, mental confusion, delirium, dementia, memory loss, and other health issues. Drugs that can block the effects of acetylcholine are known as anticholinergics. Some of the most common side effects of anticholinergics are:

-Dry mouth
-Blurred vision
-Confusion
-Lightheartedness
-Loss of bladder control
-Constipation
-Difficulty to urinate

 

20 DRUGS THAT LEAD TO MEMORY LOSS
The former vice chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, Richard C. Mohs, made a list of 20 drugs, which lead to memory loss. Here is the whole list:

-Steroids
-Antihistamines – Dimetane, Clistin, Tavist, Vistaril and Benadryl.
-Lithium
-Methyldopa
-Naproxen
-Antidepressants – Vivactil, Elavil, Anafranil, Norpramin, Pamelor, and Surmontil.
-Interferons
-High blood pressure drugs
-Beta-blockers (particularly those used for glaucoma)
-Quinidine
-Insulin
-Benzodiazepines – Ativan, Dalmane, Librium, Klonopin, Doral, Versed, Restoril, Valium, and Xanax.
-Parkinson’s disease – scopolamine, glycopyrrolate, and atropine.
-Antipsychotics – Haldol and Mellaril.
-Barbiturates – Amytal, Seconal, Phenobarbital, and Nembutal.
-Epilepsy – Phenytoin and Dilantin.
-Chemotherapy drugs
-Antibiotics (quinolones)
-Painkillers – heroin, codeine, and morphine.
-Sleeping pills – Sonata, Lunesta, and Ambien.

If you are taking some of these drugs, make sure you get in touch with your doctor and discuss the possibility of them affecting your memory. You can always find something healthier.
Moreover, you need to take more food supplements, be more physically active and include healthy foods in your diet, this is good for the health of the brain.

 

WELL-KNOWN OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS THAT LEAD TO MEMORY LOSS
You need to know that also some popular over-the-counter medications can lead to memory loss as well. They actually block the action of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter.

12 popular OTC medications that are anticholinergic:

• Zantac (acid reflux)
• Unisom (insomnia)
• Tylenol PM (insomnia and pain)
• Tagamet (acid reflux)
• Sominex (insomnia)
• Pepcid Ac (acid reflux)
• Nytol (insomnia)
• Excedrin PM (insomnia and pain)
• Dramamine (motion sickness)
• Claritin (allergies)
• Benadryl (allergies
• Advil PM ( sleep and pain)

Over-the-counter medications like Benadryl increase the risk of Alzheimer’s, many studies have shown. Therefore, be careful of the medications that you take and always consult with a doctor!