Hello.
I am new to this forum, and have dabbled in the raw foods world here and there (I was originally intrigued because it didn't require any use of the oven, stove, toaster, etc... I've always been a terrible cook). I have high blood pressure, about 140/90, and I'm wondering if an all raw diet will help it come down. It's been moderatly high for as long as I can remember, even as a teenager. I've never been overweight, I exercise, but my father has also had high blood pressure most of his life, so it's likely that this is genetic for me. Well, genetic or not, I'm willing to try natural ways to bring it down. I want to have a second child but I can't have a homebirth unless my BP goes down. And I'd really love a homebirth!

I am not currently raw, but would love to give it a try! I truly believe in the health benefits it can bring - it just makes sense! I guess the reason I've never gone raw for anything longer than a day or two is mostly because of time, money, and lack of variety when it comes to the simple recipes that I have in my closet.

Anyway, I'm looking to you all for info, similar stories, delicious, simple recipes, anything you've got to offer I guess

Thank you!
Emily

Welcome, Emily! I can't speak from experience about whether raw helps correct high blood pressure, but there are people on here for whom this is the case; check out the other forums here for more info. I have found it to be an all-around healing regimen, so it cannot hurt, provided you eat enough and eat enough of a variety of raw foods. It doesn't have to be complicated, either, as one needn't do elaborate recipes or make them all the time. Peeling several bananas and eating them, or opening a bag of baby spinach and dressing it simply and eating it is cheap and easy

Raw food establishes the natural equilibrium in the body, it should solve high blood pressure, the body heals itself when it is given the elements it needs [tv.naturalnews.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2012 03:23PM by RawPracticalist.

Hi and welcome Erw9 In normal circumstances the change of diet, together with a little exercise would definately reduce a person's blood pressure. However, since you've said that your problem is most likely hereditary, then unless someone who has had a similar problem has had their BP reduced by such a diet, then it's anyone's guess.

And like Tam has said, it certainly won't hurt. But in my opinion, I'd say that it WILL help, as over time the hereditary problem may also be corrected.

jalan

Thanks for your replies. I'm going to give it a try. I've found a few more recipes to add to my collection, and will continue to search for more (I'm picky). I'll let you all know how it turns out!

Thanks!
Emily

Maybe try not using any salt or soy sauces, as well.

In conclusion there is no known case of solving high blood pressure using raw food?

When I first went raw I had a lot of health issues, including high blood pressure. I visited an ND instead of a Dr. and she treated it with a homeopath remedy while I lost weight, walked a lot, juiced greens, and ate all raw and then very high raw. I lost 60 lbs. the first 6 months, and a total of 71 lbs. in a years time. My blood pressure went down.

I was fine for about 3 years, then things happend and I fell off of high raw slowly.

This is 10 years later now and I'm not in the same boat as I was 10 years ago, but I'm getting there..that is with the bad health issues and high blood pressure. I won't go on the usual meds which ticks off my Dr. but I'm now doing a juice fast to kick start my way back to high or 100% raw. I'm determined that in 3 months I'll have the blood pressure under control and will have lost half the weight I need to.

It can be done. I did it once..I'm going to do it again. This time I hope to emulate Mimi Kirk who is in her 70's and all raw and looks and she says feels terrific. I'm 60 now, just a kid

Love,
Prism

Emily,

I had high blood pressure when I was younger. What make my blood pressure go back to normal was to reduce salt from my diet, no raw foods was necessary at that time. If you eat a raw diet but still use salt, you may still have high blood pressure.

Celery, both the seeds and the stalks, are an old time remedy for HBP. Don't let anybody tell you that celery is "full of sodium". It does contain some naturally bound organic sodium, but the problem is not with this form of sodium, it's SALT. Sodium Chloride. These are not the same thing. If you can stand to eat about a dozen stalks of celery a day, this might work. Who knows. I love celery, it's the best food ever. Crunch crunch crunch

Good luck! And lower your salt intake!

Thanks for the info, very useful, I have many friends suffering from HBP. No salt and celery should do it.

I don't think it's that easy really, just say no to salt and yes to lots of celery.

I believe it has more to do with what you don't put in your body and not what you do put in.

Some people like to think that food is medicine and I don't really think that's the case so much. If what you ate everyday acted like the medicine of how we've come to think of it as that wouldn't be very healthful would it? A healthy raw fooder wouldn't think that the food they eat is for medicinal purposes would they?

If your friends would just not put certain foods in their bodies like junk foods, etc..and ate healthier whole foods, even if some are cooked they likely would have much healthier blood pressure barring there's nothing more wrong like well developed heart disease.

On the other hand if they continued to eat SAD and ate tons of celery I don't think their blood pressure would improve much if at all.

I also think that certain foods we wouldn't eat everyday or lots of it can certainly act like medicine. Garlic, ginger, tumeric, and lots more.

Love,
Prism

Good point Prism.
Conventional medicine will not work too in a contaminated environment where the patient is not cooperating. It is the body that does the healing when given the proper tools, cleanse, and rest.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2012 03:29PM by RawPracticalist.

There are many different causes of high blood pressure, which is why no one treatment works for all. There is adrenaline induced, calcium induced high blood pressure, other conditions such as diabetes or endocrine disorders can also raise blood pressure. Pain from injury is another cause of increased blood pressure.

Treatment really depends on the cause. Its always good to do multiple readings when it comes to blood pressure, as there are many factors which can cause a temporary increase such as stress on the way to the doctors office or caffeine.

[www.natuhealth.co.uk]

Then the question becomes what is the cause of endocrine disorders, calcium induced high blood pressure?

I don't do any recipes at all. I find my digestion works so much better on mono meals. That means I eat one fruit until I'm full. Veggies work differently. I can eat a few kinds together, and juice them together, and my digestion works really well with this. The fanciest I get, is soaked wild rice with honey dijon mustard or figs dipped in coco with a bit of water. For me , the similar the better.

My video to keep me inspired on my health quest: [www.youtube.com]