3 Unusual Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure of the blood flowing through your arteries, and is usually written as two numbers. The top number, known as the systolic pressure, is the pressure exerted on your arteries during your heartbeat; the bottom number, also called the diastolic pressure measures the pressure experienced by your arteries ‘at rest’ or between heartbeats.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, can cause many health problems if left uncontrolled. Arteries can harden and become narrower, disrupting blood flow to major organs; this can lead to pain, disability, and even death. Some of the potential problems caused by high blood pressure are: heart attacks and strokes, kidney failure, dementia, vision loss, obstructive sleep apnea and trouble sleeping, bone loss, and sexual dysfunction. Your doctor has good reason to pester you about keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range.

Some of the common and most well-known measures to correct high blood pressure are by reducing salt intake, limiting alcohol consumption, losing weight, and taking medications. These can seem annoying or daunting, which helps to explain poor patient compliance.

While it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in general—and not just for the sake of your blood pressure—there are some options for controlling blood pressure which are often overlooked, and frankly, a lot more fun than thinking about how much salt you’re eating. Here are three examples to get you started:

#1: Go Sunbathing

Vitamin D deficiency is very common, and several studies have linked it to high blood pressure. Taking a supplement is quick and easy—and is helpful in case of a severe deficiency—but it can’t match sunlight for cardiovascular health. UV energy in sunlight triggers Vitamin D production in your skin, and is the main source of this vitamin for most people. But that’s not all.

Your body stores a compound called nitrate in your skin; when your skin is exposed to UV light, nitrate is converted to another chemical, called nitric oxide, which helps expand your blood vessels. This dilation effect lowers blood pressure even before your body has a chance to start making Vitamin D.

About twenty minutes of sunlight daily is a good dose, and it can be obtained while relaxing, or combined with a walk or other outdoor activity for even more power. For the UV rays to do their job, sunlight will need to shine on exposed skin. As always, you should be mindful of your skin, and keep it protected with sunblock while spending time outdoors.

#2: Make Time for Your Furry Friends

Physical contact—such as hugging and petting a dog or a cat—causes beneficial hormonal changes such as lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increasing the amount of oxytocin produced in the body. Spending just 3 minutes petting your dog can lower both your heart rate and blood pressure for an hour afterward. Spending time with a pet has been shown to be even better for stress relief and blood pressure reduction than human contact and conversation. This may be because pets offer a level of loyalty and unconditional love that even the most devoted spouse would be hard-pressed to match: whatever happens, you won’t hear your dog criticizing you for leaving your dirty socks out or failing to listen as it talks all about its day.

If you’re allergic or live in a place that doesn’t allow pets, don’t worry; you can get the same blood pressure-lowering effect by visiting a zoo and looking at the animals. One study found a significant effect, with blood pressure dropping by 6-8 percent.

No time for the zoo? There’s hope for you yet. Benefits have been measured from looking at animals in virtually any way you can manage—the birds flying outside your window and even pictures of cats on the Internet are good for your health. The benefits are not only for blood pressure but also for many health issues.

#3: Learn an Instrument

A study in the Netherlands revealed that musicians have lower blood pressure than non-musicians due to the activation of somatosensory nerves (used to measure sensations, such as warmth or pressure, which are not confined to a single sensory organ).

As with animals, though, music is good in pretty much any way you can get it. If you don’t have the time, money, or talent to plan an instrument yourself, listening to a song—especially if it’s classical music—is a good substitute. Slow music is better for this purpose in general; studies noted that music played at fast tempos raises blood pressure, though for some reason the effect is less marked in musicians compared with non-musicians. For best effect, you can also pause the music from time to time, as this decreased the heart rate and blood pressure to levels even lower than at the beginning.

You may have noticed that the methods for reducing blood pressure discussed above have something in common: they make you feel good. Hormonal and neurological explanations have been found for the specific cases, but the implication is that anything which reduces stress is going to be good for you. So bask in the sunshine, listen to the music of birds or of your own making, enjoy the silky feel of your dog’s fur. Don’t feel that you need to limit yourself to the tactics in this article, either: experiment and find the things that help you relax and give you a sense of well-being. Savor a cup of hot tea or a piece of dark chocolate. Enjoy your life.

If you’d like another great read on health, I suggest checking out Daniel’s Diabetic Miracle article I’ve written for you. It relates to how modern food can be causing this disease and some simple tips to follow to ensure you fight diabetes from plaguing you.

About the AuthorAnthony Alayon

Anthony Alayon is a best selling fitness author who is a regular contributor to Natural Muscle Magazine. His work has been feature in Bodybuilding.about.com (New York Times Co.), Bliss Magazine, Bodybuilding.com, Labrada,com and many more. He studied accounting at the University of South Florida.

To learn more about him, check out his web site at www.HealthReporterDaily.com

You can follow Anthony via:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthreporterdaily/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113655964608523248061
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HealthReporterD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthreporterdaily/

References:

  1. Allen, Karen, Barbara E. Shykoff, and Joseph L. Izzo Jr. (2001) Pet Ownership, but Not ACE Inhibitor Therapy, Blunts Home Blood Pressure Responses to Mental Stress. Hypertension. 2001; 38: 815-820
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/
  3. https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/hypertension/

How Doing Yoga Can Help Burn Fat

Alright I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. Yoga is all the rage these days…ironically enough, since the most frequently cited benefit is a tranquil, stress-free mind.

The range of near-miraculous health benefits touted by those who enjoy this hobby runs the gamut from stress relief and better sleep to increased flexibility and enhanced sexual performance.

It’s attractive because it requires very little in the way of special equipment or space.

The busy modern person has a lot of responsibilities—school, long hours at work, caring for a family—which brings up an important question: if your goal is to burn fat, would signing up for a yoga class be a good use of your limited time at the gym? The answer: perhaps more than you’d think.

Different Styles of Yoga are not Created Equal when it Comes to Burning Fat

There are several types of yoga, and while all are good for you, some are better than others for burning calories and fat.

A 150-pound person will burn a little less than 200 calories during an hour practicing hatha yoga, which is one of the more ‘gentle’ styles; a hatha yoga class is a great place to get some stretching done, as well as training basic postures and breathing techniques. However, the caloric expenditure is equivalent to spending an hour walking at a leisurely (2 mph) pace.

At the other end of the spectrum, vinyasa yoga is a much more athletic style, featuring fast transitions between poses in a style more like martial-arts kata. You’re sure to work up a sweat, burning 600 calories in an hour (again assuming a 150-pound person), which is equivalent to using the same amount of time running at a moderate (5 mph) pace. Any class with the word ‘power’ in the title is likely to be using the vinyasa style, and will be a good choice for burning off calories.

Bikram, or ‘hot yoga’ is performed with the temperature in the room cranked up as high as 105 degrees. The heat allows your muscles to be more supple sooner, and boosts the heart rate into the aerobic range faster, but the puddles of sweat you’ll be mopping off yourself and your mat can be misleading; this is probably not your best bet for burning fat. You won’t be able to exercise as vigorously, or for as long, in very high temperatures as you could in a more moderate environment.

An Exercise that Keeps on Giving

The fat-burning power of yoga extends beyond the energy expended during the class period, however. Postures make use of your own body weight to build muscle, and the increased muscle mass will increase the amount of fat you burn even at rest.

Many of the poses specifically target your core for a balanced workout involving the muscles you’ll need in your everyday life; in addition, better tone in your core muscles will give you a flat stomach and decrease fat deposition in the belly.

Yoga increases the amount of fat you burn in other, more subtle ways as well. Studies have documented a decrease in BMI in subjects who practiced yoga, in comparison with their counterparts who engaged in cardiovascular exercises such as aerobics.

Part of this is thought to be due to the hormonal changes which occur with stress relief and more sleep—cortisol (a hormone associated with stress and which can inhibit the breakdown of fat in some circumstances) and insulin (a hormone which influences blood sugar and fat deposition) are decreased. Cortisol levels have been linked to the amount of Neuropeptide Y, which increases the body’s number of fat cells, as well as the amount of energy stored as fat, so decreasing your stress hormones will do a lot more than just make you feel better.

Not Just for the Ladies

The first popularizers of yoga in the United States tended to be women, and despite the majority of practitioners in the practice’s native India being men, it has had the (erroneous) reputation in this country of being an activity largely for housewives. (For our female readers who want an amazing introduction to Yoga, Check out Yoga Burn, by Zoe Bray-Cotton. It’s a great course for men as well, but definitely geared towards the ladies.)

Women undoubtedly gain some important benefits from a regular yoga practice: in addition to better flexibility and weight control as discussed above, women who practice yoga on a regular basis report greater acceptance and connection to their bodies. Specific sequences have also been developed which help to ease the symptoms of PMS and menopause, and the yoga studio provides a strong sense of community.

Men obviously also appreciate the centering and fat-burning aspects of a yoga practice, but an area where this activity really stands out is the improved flexibility. After the teenage years, many men lose flexibility more quickly than women do, and this is compounded by bulking up and performing repetitive movements (e.g. bicep curls) over time.

Tight muscles contribute to back pain and increase your chances of suffering a sports-related injury which will leave you on the sidelines, so it’s easy to see how becoming more flexible will help you to be consistent with your other fat-burning activities.

Overall, if you’re just looking to burn as many calories as possible in the next hour, you’re probably better off cranking up the speed on a treadmill or going to a spin class. If you’re willing to take a bit more of a long-term approach, working yoga into your fitness regimen will enhance your other efforts to burn fat, making it very much worthwhile.

About the AuthorAnthony Alayon

Anthony Alayon is a best selling fitness author who is a regular contributor to Natural Muscle Magazine. His work has been feature in Bodybuilding.about.com (New York Times Co.), Bliss Magazine, Bodybuilding.com, Labrada,com and many more. He studied accounting at the University of South Florida.

To learn more about him, check out his web site at www.HealthReporterDaily.com

You can follow Anthony via:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthreporterdaily/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113655964608523248061
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HealthReporterD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthreporterdaily/

References:

  1. Shinde N, Shinde KJ, Khatri SM, Hande D (2013) A Comparative Study of Yoga and Aerobic Exercises in Obesity and its Effect on Pulmonary Function. J Diabetes Metab 4:257. doi:10.4172/2155-6156.1000257
  2. Arlet V. Nedeltcheva, MD; Jennifer M. Kilkus, MS; Jacqueline Imperial, RN; Dale A. Schoeller, PhD; and Plamen D. Penev, MD, PhD (2010) Insufficient Sleep Undermines Dietary Efforts to Reduce Adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(7):435-441. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-153-7-201010050-00006
  3. Health Status’ Calorie Calculator: https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc
  4. 4. http://www.yogajournal.com/category/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/

7 Ways to Burn Fat Naturally & Build a Lean Body

Everyone wants a toned, lean body. For the most part, we also have an idea of what we could do to get such a fabulous physique: regular, strenuous exercise burns off fat just fine. The problem is that not everyone has the time or—let’s face it—interest to commit to spending hours at the gym on a regular basis. Luckily, there are a few tricks which will aid you in burning fat, and which will fit in your daily life; the effect of each is pretty small compared to a crazy workout, but they add up.

#1: Up Your Downtime

It seems counter intuitive that time spend just lying there could help with burning fat, but making sure you get enough sleep can have a big impact. First and most obviously, being well-rested will make you feel more energetic, which in turn will increase the amount of moving around you’re able and willing to do. You’ll be more likely to make it to the gym for that workout you planned.

Changes in your body chemistry account for a large proportion of sleep’s benefits. With regard to building a lean body, the chemicals of interest are the hormones cortisol, insulin, and ghrelin. Cortisol is a stress hormone which can inhibit the breakdown of fats; there’s also a connection between the level of cortisol and the amount of Neuropeptide Y, which governs how much fat is deposited on your body and increases the number of fat cells. Insulin is a hormone which influences your blood sugar as well as how much fat your body stores, and ghrelin—the ‘hunger hormone’—affects your metabolism in addition to acting as an appetite stimulant. The levels of all three of these hormones are decreased when you get enough sleep.

#2: Buy Organic

Organochlorines are a group of chemicals used in pesticides, the most famous example of which is DDT. While their use has largely stopped in the United States, they are still common in developing countries, so you’ll want to watch the country your produce was grown in; even fruits and vegetables grown in the U.S. aren’t off the hook, as these compounds last a very long time in the environment…and in our bodies.

Just one of the problems with organochlorines is that they are stored in fat cells, and can interfere with your fat metabolism.

Some of the foods to avoid are listed yearly in the EWG’s “Dirty Dozen”—watch out for them, or save yourself some trouble and simply buy organic produce instead.

#3: Drink Green Tea

A hot mug of matcha green tea is delicious and energizing. Even better, it contains a group of antioxidants called catechins, which increase norepinephrine levels and are known to boost metabolism. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a daily dose of green tea significantly decreased body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and the amount of subcutaneous fat.

#4: Plenty of Iron, Inside and Out

Muscle burns more fat than flab does, even when you’re not doing anything; strength training will help you to get the lean shape you want, and help you keep it after that. No need to worry about getting bored with a single routine, either—you can build your muscles with exercise machines and free weights, or through exercises such as yoga and Pilates, which use the weight of your own body to provide resistance.

In addition to ‘pumping iron,’ you’ll want to eat it. Your body needs oxygen to make energy, and for that it needs iron—specifically, it needs the hemoglobin to carry oxygen from your lungs throughout the rest of your body, and you can’t have hemoglobin without iron. Anemia can rob you of the energy to complete a workout, sap your general health, and harm your metabolism, making all of your fat-burning efforts less effective.

#5: Eat More Dairy

Calcium in your fat cells regulates how much you store and how much you break down. Dietary calcium has been found to preserve cells’ thermogenesis even during calorie restriction, all while helping to build strong bones.

#6: Divide and Conquer

The effectiveness of steady-state cardio workouts in burning fat has been seriously overstated in the past. Studies have since shown that interval training—short bursts of vigorous activity alternating with more relaxed exercise or rest—is much more effective.

Dividing a 20-minute workout into two 10-minute mini-workouts will also increase the effectiveness, and makes it easier to get it all in. It’s much easier to find ten minutes now and then than it is to try to set aside a half-hour or an hour all at once.

#7: Eat Like a…Cat?

Okay, so maybe mouse brains don’t sound all that good, and that’s perfectly fine; you’ll still benefit from eating smaller meals more often. Large meals mean large swings in blood sugar and a bigger variation in energy levels throughout the day. When the blood-sugar dip arrives after eating a meal, you’ll feel hungry and specifically crave sweet or fatty foods.

Making sure to include protein will help to stabilize your blood sugar even more, and will give your body what it needs to build muscle.

Bonus Tip: Drink Clean Water

It’s such a challenge to drink clean water daily. Sure you’ve heard that it’s good to drink 8 cups a day or .67 of your bodyweight in ounces daily. However, most of the water we drink is loaded with chemicals and contaminants. That’s why I feel it is super important to purify the water you drink as much as you can. A great way to do this is using turapur pitchers. It’s fast and easy to do.

So there you have it.

Sure, go to the gym when you can; more exercise is always good. If you want to get–and keep–a lean, toned body, be sure to incorporate as many of these other tips as possible into your life. Once you’ve formed them into habits, it will be easy to keep them up long-term, and will increase your overall well-being.

About the AuthorAnthony Alayon

Anthony Alayon is a best selling fitness author who is a regular contributor to Natural Muscle Magazine. His work has been feature in Bodybuilding.about.com (New York Times Co.), Bliss Magazine, Bodybuilding.com, Labrada,com and many more. He studied accounting at the University of South Florida.

To learn more about him, check out his web site at www.HealthReporterDaily.com

You can follow Anthony via:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthreporterdaily/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113655964608523248061
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HealthReporterD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthreporterdaily/

References

1. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
2. Nagao T1, Komine Y, Soga S, Meguro S, Hase T, Tanaka Y, Tokimitsu I. (2005) Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men.Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1):122-9
3. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/sub-clinical-anemia
4. Shapses, Sue A, Stanley Heshka, and Steven B. Heymsfield. (2014) Effect of Calcium Supplementation on Weight and Fat Loss in Women
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Feb; 89(2): 632–637.

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