Hypertension

Hypertension

High Blood Pressure Made Simple

Blood pressure refers to the force your heart uses to pump blood through your circulatory system. When you have high blood pressure (known as hypertension), the blood is pumping too hard, sometimes through arteries that are too narrow, which stresses your heart and causes it to work harder than it should.

How does this relate to salt? Blood is basically made up of platelets, and red and white blood cells, mixed in a salt-water solution.

When you eat a lot of salt, some is absorbed into the body as needed, but the salt drags along water into your system too. (That’s why you crave water when you eat very salty foods.) Because your body is retaining water along with the salt, your cells (think swelling/bloat) — including blood cells — expand and bloat. The volume of your blood, therefore, swells, boosting the pressure on your arteries.  That’s high blood pressure.

So how much salt is ok- what would that even look like?

Ok, wait!!!  Before you say it, let me say it for you, “But doc, I don’t even use a salt shaker…!”

I know, I know- no one in America does….

But look at this:  Your favorite restaurant owns LOTS of salt shakers.  What’s worse?  Most people each out at least two-three times a week or more:

Where 1500mg (3/4 tsp total- home or restaurant combined) is the max intake recommended):

So now that you know that 80% of your salt comes from take-out food/fast foods/processed/brined foods, plus the bit of Lawry’s you might add on the sly (I know because I do it too- don’t judge me!).

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You also now understand the extra salt in your blood stream results in high water/high pressure volumes of water in your blood vessels (and ankles)- otherwise known as retaining water.

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This is High Blood Pressure.

(aka “Hypertension”)

When High Blood Pressure cause Heart Attack and Stroke:

It’s this high-volume blood pressure that breaks down the fabric of the tiny arteries in your brain, heart, and kidneys over time.

So much so that after a while, they crumble apart (hemorrhagic stroke or heart attack) or clot (myocardial infarct or dry stroke).

Don’t get sad, GET RIGHT (but do take my water pill I gave you)!

Indulge ‘entertainment food’ (aka ‘take-out’) no more than once weekly.

And forget about counting calories-

COUNT SODIUM!

• How many servings are you about to indulge? Multiple it based on the number of servings if you’re eating the whole cup.
• Know your numbers:
  1. High Sodium is either 400 mg or more or 15%
  2. Low Sodium is either less than 150 mg or less than 5%
• So know your numbers:
  1. 400/15: No Go!
  2. 15/5: Good to Go!