Massage, Most Pleasurable Way To Cure High Blood Pressure

Most of the time when tackling health issues naturally, the healing requires some sacrifice or pain. You may have to give up some foods you love or exercise more than you would like to.

One method, however, proven by a new study from University of Medical Sciences in Iran, requires nothing but pure pleasure. And it’s available almost everywhere.

In a recent study published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, scientists released even more proof in the growing body of evidence that shows that a particular ancient practice is absolutely effective at reducing high blood pressure without drugs.

What’s the practice? Massage!

In the study, a group of women were tested for the effects of massage on high blood pressure. Half the group was labeled “control” and the other half “massage.”

The “massage” group received 15 minutes of relaxing massage three times per week, for 10 sessions.

The “control” group was instructed to relax in the same environment, for the same time, listening to relaxing music and muscle relaxation directions.

All women’s blood pressure was taken before and after each session.

Both group’s blood pressure benefited from the sessions. The massage group, however, had significantly lower blood pressure after each session. Their blood pressure also stayed lower 72 hours after the final session.

So why is this?

You see, high blood pressure is always caused by stress. Be it physical (disease), emotional (loss of a loved one), mental (money worries) or sensory (loud TV), the stress accumulates and causes high blood pressure and other conditions.

The massage group addressed more versions of stress (mental, emotional and physical stress) than just the relaxation group (mostly mental stress). Therefore, a higher level of the accumulated stress was removed and blood pressure lowered more.

But if you want to completely heal high blood pressure and bring it below 120/80 permanently, you must remove all levels of stress from your body. You must reboot your brain to lower the overall stress hormone production.

Foods For Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Part 2

Today we look at five more - add these foods to your diet, as they may help lower blood sugar levels.

1.    Maitake mushrooms. Maitake not only contain compounds that enhance immune function, but appear to lower blood sugar levels as well. Cook some up and serve as a side dish!

2.    Underground vegetables. Also known as tubers, veggies such as leeks, potatoes and yams have been shown in studies to lower or return to normal high blood sugar levels.  

3.    Brewer's yeast. Rich in essential amino acids and B vitamins, brewer's yeast may also lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, and may improve glucose tolerance, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower cholesterol as well. Shake some on your next batch of popped corn!

4.    Prickly pear. The green pads of this plant are called nopal, a staple of Mexican cuisine that is very low on the glycemic index and may have blood-sugar-lowering effects. Look for it at specialty or ethnic grocers.

5.    Bitter melon. When cooked and added to other dishes, bitter melon will impart a unique flavor that may help glucose tolerance in people with type 2 diabetes, and help keep blood sugar levels in the normal range.

Foods For Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Part 1

To keep blood sugar levels stable, regular exercise is helpful - but a healthy diet is a must. Add these foods to your diet, as they may help lower blood sugar levels.

1.    Green, leafy vegetables. Broccoli, spinach, and kale are good sources of fiber - which helps regulate blood sugar levels - and are high in vitamins A, C, and K. Plus, some studies have shown that eating vegetables can help prevent diabetes, so aim for four to five servings per day.

2.    Beans and legumes. Beans of almost any variety, as well as lentils, are rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and soluble fiber - and are low-glycemic-load foods. Make sure you get one to two servings per day.

3.    Cabbage. A very low-glycemic index food (near zero!), cabbage is high in fiber, low in calories, inexpensive and versatile. It's especially useful for stabilizing blood-sugar levels because it converts to sugar very slowly in the body. Try eating more slaw, sauerkraut or kimchi.

4.    Okra. This southern staple is high in soluble fiber - which slows down the digestion of carbohydrates and can help stabilize blood sugar - and is also a low glycemic-index food. Try adding it to your next pot of soup.

5.    Onions. This kitchen staple is more than a tasty addition to many dishes - onions offer blood-sugar lowering effects. 

Foods To Eat For Help To Lower Cholesterol Level Part 2

Fish is best consumed baked or grilled for maximum health benefits. Other ways to get the Omega-3 fatty acid is to take supplements or foods like ground flaxseed. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.

Walnuts, almonds and other nuts

Walnuts, almonds and other nuts are a great snack for when you don’t feel like eating sweet fruits. Just make sure that the nuts you eat are not salted or coated in sugar or chocolate.

Nuts can help to reduce blood cholesterol because they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy.

Instead of crisps or other unhealthy snacks, make a habit of eating nuts. You can also substitute cheese, meat or croutons in your salads by walnuts or almonds. Even just a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease.

Olive oil

To reduce cholesterol, use olive oil for cooking your food. Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol but leave your “good” (HDL) cholesterol untouched.

Just 2 tablespoons (around 20 grams) of olive oil a day is enough to get many of the health benefits….

Some ways of adding olive oil to your diet is to sauté vegetables in it, add it to a marinade or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat or as a dip for bread.

The cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But keep in mind that “light” olive oils are usually more processed than extra-virgin or virgin olive oils and are lighter in color, not fat or calories.

Foods To Eat For Help To Lower Cholesterol Level Part 1

High cholesterol leads to a whole host of other serious health complications, including diabetes, obesity, a weak heart and reproductive issues. It is therefore extremely important to have your cholesterol under control. Over a period of time, the following foods can help you control and lower your cholesterol levels:

Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods

One of the best things you can do to lower your cholesterol is to have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad,” cholesterol.

The reason oatmeal lowers cholesterol is because it contains soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. One cup of cooked oatmeal contains around 6 grams of soluble fiber. You can increase this number by adding fruit such as bananas. You can also substitute oatmeal for oat bran or cold cereal made with oatmeal.

Soluble fiber can also be found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids

Fish is not only delicious, but it is also very heart healthy because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are the good kind of fats and which can reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots.

The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

Mackerel

Herring

Sardines

Salmon

Halibut