High Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Blood Pressure

[Shashi]

I've had high blood pressure for eight years and have been on metoprolol (a beta blocker) and chlorthalidone (a diuretic) since that time. However, recently my blood pressure has been running higher (averaging 150/85), so my PCP has added verapamil (a calcium-channel blocker) to my regimen, but so far, it's not really helping much.

In addition, my cholesterol is 267 and my triglycerides are 345. I was taking simvastatin (Zocor) to help lower the cholesterol, but it was causing horrible muscle pain, so I can no longer take it.

I'm substantially overweight, and know that I would feel much better if I could just lose some of the weight and eat better. It's just really hard to do, for some reason. (A total lack of motivation and self-discipline could be the problem.) I did buy a treadmill, but my cat keeps chewing on the wire that runs up to the computer, so I've had to stash it away in my spare bedroom until I can figure out how to keep her away from it. I know I need exercise, as I do sit a lot (my legs are stiff and hurt a lot, so it's difficult to walk a lot or move around much.)

What foods can I eat that can help me lower my B/P, cholesterol, and triglycerides? I think at one time I ate a lot of olives and oatmeal and it did help. I also used to take niacin, but it lowered my B/P so much that I almost couldn't move because I was so exhausted (this was back before my B/P was high.) What else might help, either food or supplement?

[Sir-Voor]

Fish oil lowers BP, and would assume eating more fish will also help lower BP.
Plus eating more fish will help you your other goals also.

Here is link http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-man...olesterol-diet to 9 tips to lower cholesterol. The good thing is almost all are basic healthy diet tips also help in many areas of health including all your issues.

I to have self-discipline issues, and had motivation issues until my weight and BP got as high the fear of a stroke got me motivated. (Strokes run in my mom’s family.)
Luckily a healthy diet does not take as much self-discipline as you may think, because cooking yourself is fun and taste.
Play with different spices, they are vary healthy and make cooking fun.
Who need sugar and salt when you have garlic & onion (fresh, dried, minced or powder.) cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, oregano, basil, parsley, Peprika, and a lot more.
And buy your spices from a good store the Penseys.com to get quality and save money.
I like taking some plan Quaker oatmeal (not the preseason full of sugar packs) and spice it up and add some olive oil.

Down the page I start two threads that I think will help and make a good read.
One is on spices and the other on vitamin timing.

Make changes that you can live with and enjoy and not ones that will only last a few weeks. Those only make a person feel like a failure, when they are not. It is the diet that failed not you.

There is no quick and easy fix, but there easy steps to take.

[Sequoia]

I have found that taking Hawthorn lowers my blood pressure significantly. It's available in capsule form in most health food stores, and at a big discount online at iHerb and other sites.

Regular meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure, too.

[nutritiontara]

Triglycerids can be completely controlled by diet. The simpliest and fastest way to reduce your BP is to eliminate all sugars and severaly reduce all forms of carbohydrates except vegetables. This mean grains.......sorry gang grains are not part of a heart healthy diet (read Sally Fallon) and fruit. The only carbohydrates you should be consuming (and IMO anyone should be consuming) are vegetables. There is enough sugar in carrots.

Ok, now that everyones pissed off, lets keep going. But maybe the diet docterines should be attacked...cause they don't work! ok, I'm done ranting.

You have high blood pressure because you have large molecules in your blood vessels; bugs in the garden hose, clogs the hose and you have in your blood: triglycerids, insulin, sugar, cholesterol.....stuff that makes the blood thick and raises BP.
Supplements: certainly the most proven is cod liver oil, quality fish oils...I would also add flax oil. These will keep your blood from sticking together. So in the meantime until you can get your diet under control.... in 3 weeks you could have new blood work; lowered TGs, how bad do you want this?......lets keep all that "junk" from sticking together. You will lose weight, get your blood sugar under control and reduce inflammation in your arteries. Then you can work on normallizing your cholesterol #s.