Health Tips for Older Nigerians

11/02/2024

Welcome to the FINAL day of our BP management series.

If you followed this class till the end, congratulations you have been very intentional about your health.

We're very happy for you.

And we have a special giveaway if only you stick till the end.

Now "Drinking and Smoking: Should I reduce or stop?"

Well, if you can quit both, please do.

Alcohol and ni****ne or Ma*****na can be very disasterous for Hypertensive adults.

Also, it can put you at risk for other deadly disease like lung issues, kidney and liver problems.

Not to talk of worsening your cardiovascular health.

So yes, I strongly advice you to

STOP SMOKING. STOP DRINKING

Even for people with normal blood pressure levels, drinking alcohol and smoking ci******es can increase their risk of getting strokes, heart attacks and even die.

So imagine what the risk is like for someone who is Hypertensive.

If there must be a leeway, this is the only one that professionals agree on.

Moderate drinking

With two glasses of beer for men and one glass for women, twice a week.

Mind you, there is no moderate smoking.

Quit altogether.

But I know that can be difficult to do.

Some have quit smoking for the 9th time.

What you can use to replace the itch to smoke include sweets, chewing gum, ni****ne patches and for some, keeping hands and mind busier than before.

Ni****ne patches only increase your dependence on ni****ne and worsens your addiction.

So try sweets, and gum.

Change your crowd if you need to.

Get someone that will encourage and help you, even if you relapse.

Everyone needs a support system.

Thats all I have for you today.

Did you forget our giveaway?

Hope you didn't.

The small gift we have for you is a small PDF on how you can eat your way back to better health.

You don't have to eat the roast yams n plantain with too much oil. It's bad for you anyway.

We call it the 11 BP-FRIENDLY SNACKS AND DRINKS

It details simple snacks you can make in your kitchen today that has essential nutrients for lowering blood pressure.

There are sweet smoothies on there.

Delicious easy snack options for busy people and workers.

Something you can make and pack in 15-30 minutes and zoom out of the house.

Plus, your whole family can enjoy them with you.

They are low in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.

But they are overflowing in fiber, essential nutrients and natural fruits that you'll love.

All you need to do to get this free PDF is to message me with this message:

" 7-day BP series was 🔥 "

Fastest fingers tho.

Hope you have a blessed Sunday and a marvelous week ahead.

With love,

Nutritionist Nen

10/02/2024

Hello again.

We're slowly getting to the end of this 7-day BP management series.

How has your week been?

Hope that high blood pressure has lowered a bit.

And hope the headaches, back pain, constipation and others are easing.

There's something you should know.

And it's very important.

Hypertension takes years to develop.

Just like you might have already suffered it for quite sometime. 5 - 10 years for some people.

In the same vein, Hypertension will not go away in one week.

It won't go away in one month.

You need to be strategic and particular about your health.

Just like you've taken drugs for months, that's also how you should change your lifestyle and sustain it for months.

At least 90 days.

This is the minimum time you need to reverse all the side effects of drugs and Hypertension from your body.

This is also why you should manage your Hypertension with a goal in mind.

Hypertension Management isn't just about lowering blood pressure, but it also involves:
1. Reducing and stopping the headaches, cough, eye strain, knee pain that plague you
2. Reversing all the side effects from taking drugs for so long
3. Bringing energy, strength and rejuvenating your body, soul and mind
4. Eventually getting your doctor to reduce your drugs and then stopping them.

Wouldn't you want this?

So have this in mind when you are looking for a solution to your High blood pressure.

To today's lesson: "Supplements"

On this topic, it coincides with Day 3 where we talked about "Eating more fruits and vegetables. You can scroll down to refresh your memory.

Our lesson that day was about being specific with the nutrients we need as Hypertensive adults.

And the nutrients included: Calcium and Vitamin D, Potassium, Magnesium, and Niacin.

In the same vein, doctors advice patients to buy supplements like Garlic extract, Fish Oil, CoenzymeQ10, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin C, Probiotic supplements and a lot more.

If you read some posts online, they'll just suggest supplements and go their way.

Today I'm going to tell you to eat your nutrients from your food.

Day 3 has all the info you need.

Did you ask why?

Because some of these supplement can give you more than you need, especially if you combine it with the nutrients you gain from food.

Calcium can be taken in excess.

Magnesium can be taken in excess

And they can mean a serious imbalance in your body's function.

We don't need you to suffer more when hypertension means a risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Get your nutrients from your food.

But if you really think you need to take supplements, get professional advice before you do that.

I'm a professional. A Nutrition professional at that.

If you'd like to consult me for supplement-related advice, send me a picture of your latest (a week ago) laboratory and electrolyte test.

I'll include a picture of what it should like.

Looking forward to your messages.

Have a lovely Saturday

09/02/2024

When you think of meditation, what comes to mind?

Sitting on the floor, cross legged,

Putting your thumb and index finger together,

Chanting "ooommmmm"?

You're not wrong.

All of that is part of it. But it is also more...

Meditation can simply be closing your eyes and listening for sounds around you.

It can be focusing on a happy memory or a happy thought.

And replaying that memory for as much as 5 minutes.

That seems pretty easy, doesn't it?

And it can help you ease your stress and soothe any negative emotions you might have.

And you'll agree, negative emotions like anger and grief worsen Hypertension and make it difficult to manage.

There's something else that can help.

Breathing exercises.

There's nothing fancy about this one.

Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Focus on the breath coming in

While chasing away any intrusive thoughts that pop into your head.

If you sleep off, there's no problem.

But try to be self-aware for at least 5-10 minutes before continuing your day.

Deep breathing exercises improve the amount of oxygen entering your body and can help soothe headaches, improve blood flow, even help relieve the weight you feel on your shoulders.

However, breathing exercises and meditation, on average, reduces systolic blood pressure (top number) by 5-10 mmHG.

And while this is significant for some people, it might not bring blood pressure to normal numbers for others.

In conclusion: meditation and breathe exercises work. If you stick with it for long.

It won't reduce your BP in two days.

Try 90 days.

And it'll help you better if you combine it with the other strategies we've talked about this week.

Follow us on Health Tips for Older Nigerians

Have a blessed weekend.

Let's talk about Supplements tomorrow

08/02/2024

Have you ever received a concoction and the seller says it'll cure your High Blood Pressure?

It's a lie.

There's no herbal concoction that has been proven to cure HBP

But High Blood Pressure can be cured.

How?

By being strategic and particular about your health.

Not by buying anything labeled For Hypertension.

But following programs that have been guaranteed to help you lower your blood pressure and cure all other Hypertension issues like high cholesterol, high blood sugar levels, complications from having High Blood Pressure for years and drug side effects.

Teas are one of the things rumoured to be beneficial to Hypertension.

They lower your blood pressure, can help you resolve high cholesterol and high sugar levels.

To an extent this is true.

But what teas can help you with these results?

1. Green Tea
2. Black Tea
3. Oolong Tea
4. Hibiscus Tea (like Zobo)
5. Rooibos Tea.

These taken daily or 3 times a week, can reduce your systolic blood pressure (top number) by 5 - 10mmHG and reduce the diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) by 2 - 3mmHG.

Now there are herbs that can actually help lower your blood pressure.

These include Mint leaves and Olives.

You can apply this knowledge by:
1. Adding mint leaves into your glass of drinking water
2. Using olive oil in your cooking
3. Eating olives, if you have access to them.

That'll be all for today's lesson.

Tomorrow we'll talk about Meditation and Breathing Exercises.

Stay Tuned.

08/02/2024

In today's lesson on Hypertension Management, we'll talk about 'Eating more fruits and vegetables: Does it really work for BP?'

Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each day is always going to benefit your health.

Whether you're old or young, male or female, no matter the disease condition you have.

For people who are Hypertensive, it's a good thing to eat more fruits and vegetables,

but the BEST thing to do is to know which fruits and vegetables to eat more of.

Read that again.

Why should you be particular about the kind of fruits and vegetables you eat?

Because, based on the disease condition, in this case "Hypertension", there are particular nutrients that:

1. enhance blood flow,
2. improve the way your arteries widen,
3. help your kidneys filter waste and blood,
4. keep your bones strong and reduce the risk of damage to your bones
5. help you with the arthritis
6. help protect your heart from further damage and;
7. most importantly, lower blood pressure.

Now what nutrients are these?

I'll list the nutrients, the most important thing they do for your body and then some foods that contain these nutrients.

1. Potassium

FUNCTION - relaxes your blood vessels thereby lowering blood pressure

FOODS - Skimmed Milk, Locust Bean (iru/ogiri), Breadfruit (called ukwa in Igbo), Tamarind (icheku in Igbo, awin in Yoruba, tsamiyar kurm in hausa), Dates (dabino), Avocados and even African Star Apple (udara/agbalumo)

2. Magnesium

FUNCTION - produces nitric oxide that relaxes blood vessels. Also prevents potassium from being excreted as soon as it's eaten.

FOODS - Pumpkin Seeds, Cashews, Soya milk, Fish, Bananas

3. Niacin

FUNCTION - help lower cholesterol and ease arthritis pain

FOODS - Liver, Fish, Beans, Groundnuts, Potato, Bayleaf, Crayfish, Chicken

4. Calcium

This nutrient is special because when you eat animal foods, the calcium easily enters your body and it can be used.

But when you're eating plant foods like sesame seeds or okra that are have a lot of calcium, then you need to eat them with foods high in vitamin D.

If you don't, you'll pass out the calcium in your urine, without your body using it.

FUNCTION - widens blood vessels.

FOODS - Milk, Sesame Seeds, Okra, Spinach

CAUTION - Try not to buy calcium supplements. Those taking amlopidine and other calcium channel blocker drugs like nisodipine, felodioine, nifedipine

5. Vitamin D

So most animal foods have a lot of vitamin D.

But because these animal foods also have a lot of cholesterol, we'll not suggest meat like beef, chicken, turkey and eggs.

FUNCTION - helps in the absorption of Calcium.

FOODS - Catfish, Cod Liver Oil, Tilapia Fish, Orange Juice fortified with Vitamin D, Sardine, Mackerel.

Other foods you have to watch out for, aside those high in cholesterol, are foods high in fats, sugar and sodium.

These might include: packaged popcorn, sausages, potato chips, suya, salted crackers and biscuits, soft drinks, yogurt flavoured drinks.

Make sure to look at the label of food items before you buy.

See you in the next class

06/02/2024

Today we will be talking about 'Reducing Salt: Does it really work for BP?'

When you were diagnosed with Hypertension, the first thing the doctor said was probably to reduce the amount of salt you eat.

All the books and posts say the same thing.

And it's actually good advice.

But it doesn't work for everyone.

(If you're one of those, message me. I have an amazing, super easy way to help you lower that stubborn high BP)

But why doesn't it work for everyone?

Because of something called Salt Resistance.

There are people who normally don't eat a lot of salt. If those people have high blood pressure and start eating a low salt diet, it will not make a difference in their health.

If you're one of those people, reducing salt and sodium will not lower your blood pressure to normal levels.

On the other hand, there are people who are salt sensitive and if they follow a low salt/sodium diet strictly for at least 30 days, they might see a reduction in systolic BP (top number) by 3mmHG.

Which honestly, still isn't much.

But this is because, they already eat a lot of salt, so their body thanks them by lowering blood pressure when they reduce the amount.

Now how can you use this simple rule, "Reducing Salt/Sodium" to the fullest?

How can you take this simple advice and make it into something that reduces your blood pressure by as much as 8mmHG?

By avoiding more than just the salt in your cooking.

1. Stop adding salt into your boiled rice, boiled potatoes, boiled yam, cut yam or potatoes or plantains before you fry, all those stuff. Stop adding extra salt. It hurts your heart and your blood pressure.

2. Reduce the salt in your cooking. Instead of adding salt, so many seasoning cubes like Maggi and Knorr, and also adding extra seasoning powder like Kitchen Glory, MaDish, All purpose seasoning; use herbs and natural spices.

Use curry, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, turmeric, cloves in your stew, jollof n tomato dishes.

Use locust beans (iru/ogiri) and fresh pepper to bring out more flavour in your soups.

3. Salt n sodium exists in so many commodities these days and in dangerously high quantities. Too high for Hypertensive patients. These foods include Soft drinks, tomato paste and canned tomato, biscuits, sardines, baked beans and so many other foods.

Look carefully at the label of foods before you buy them. If the number written beside sodium exceeds 10g or 100mg, try to find an alternative product.

That'll be all for today's lesson.

I hope you learned something vital.

Tomorrow we'll discuss whether "Eating more Fruits and Vegetables" works to lower BP and manage Hypertension.

I'll also tell you why you need to set goals in your Hypertension Management and how that can help you lower your blood pressure, easily and faster.

If you really are salt resistant, reach out to me. There's an important material I have to share with you.

Till tomorrow,

Live Well, Love Full.

05/02/2024

DAY 1 - LOSING WEIGHT

Losing weight is a very effective way to lower blood pressure, manage Hypertension and BP complications like knee pain, arthritis and back pain.

For some people, losing weight is hard but achievable.

For others, they've tried exercising, reducing their meals, doing yoga, running or walking, going on extreme diets, wearing waist trainers, drinking only smoothies or weight loss teas and still they haven't been able to lose enough weight.

For those who haven't been able to lose weight, you might believe that your body clings to the fat and wont let go, but thats not true. You can get rid of that stubborn fat. But you can't do it alone.

More on that later.

Now there are lots of benefits to losing weight

• First, your health will generally improve. Your sleep, your attention, your productivity, your self esteem.

• Second, the strain on your heart will reduce, well well.

• Third, your blood flow or circulation will improve.

• Fourth, your risk of having a stroke or artery rupture will reduce.

While this is great news for people with High Blood Pressure, losing weight, on average, will reduce your top number (systolic BP) by 8.5mmHG, if you lose as much as 8kg, by the way.

People with BP 160 and above, will need more than just weight loss to successfully manage hypertension and live stroke-free.

This is why just losing weight is not the best way to manage Hypertension.

On the other hand, how do you shed stubborn fat? You use a regimen that combines exercise, diet (aligning what you already eat to lose weight for you, not buying or paying for outrageous teas), and your mindset. This is the regimen that helped a woman who was size 14 to come down to a size 9.

Message me if you are interested in this regimen that helps you lose weight while also lowering your blood pressure, for life.

Tomorrow, on the 6th, we'll discuss if "Reducing Salt" works to lower blood pressure and manage hypertension.

Follow us and Stay tuned.

05/02/2024

15/07/2023

Who else loves Food? 😋😋

29/06/2023

Let me itemize what happens when you have hypertension and it is not controlled:
1. Your blood vessels could BURST! Imagine what happens when there's a Pepsi plastic bottle in the road. Every time a car tyre CLIMBS OVER IT at full speed, the bottle CRUMPLES more and more. that's how narrow your blood vessel is.
If your bp is uncontrolled; that is, NO drugs, NO exercise, NO lifestyle changes as suggested on this page or elsewhere on the internet, then the blood that is being restricted from flowing is going to find another way, thereby bursting your blood vessel and spilling the blood into your brain (stroke), your heart (heart attack) and in your kidneys (kidney disease).

Do you want to hear more about how your S*X LIFE will become NON-EXISTENT, even as a woman? Or how you might be a 40-year-old woman but feel like a 73-year-old with all the aching joints and back pain? What about the FACT that you might NOT be able to even SEE talk more of READ in the coming years?

Get yourself an exercise and diet regimen, then get out there and see a doctor.

Hypertension is a SILENT killer. Get checked NOW!

28/06/2023

For a hypertensive patient, there are some necessary lifestyle modifications that will lower your blood pressure as well as your heart disease risk.
These strategies are very necessary if you wish to live drug-free for the rest of your life, keep your s*x life as exciting as it is (or was); reduce the pain in your ears, eyes, back, feet or any other part of your body.
Now what do you have to do?
1. Shed some weight: if you're overweight, shedding 1kg of weight can reduce your systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg or more.

Don't know if you're overweight, message me immediately, let us calculate it for you.

2. The DASH diet is short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is the globally approved diet for Hypertensive patients or adults with elevated blood pressure. This diet can help you reduce your bp by 11 mmHg.

3. Physical Activity: This requires a structured exercise regimen and can reduce about 8 mmHg.

4. Reduce sodium intake and increase potassium: both dietary modifications can help reduce bp by 6 - 8 mmHg.

Not sure how to incorporate all of these? Read through the posts on this page or send me a message. My team is ready to take you from Elevated bp to a state of normalcy called Normotension.