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High Blood Pressure Diet – Top Tips

fruit and vegetables

Blood Pressure Diet What is hypertension and why is a Blood Pressure diet so important? It is something many of us never think about, but it keeps you alive and it is important to stay in a healthy range!  In this blog, we cover all you need to know and how to improve it. Blood pressure is when your heart pumps blood through your arteries, putting pressure on the artery wall. This naturally goes up and down with your normal daily activities. A normal blood pressure level is less than 120/80 mmHg What do blood pressure numbers mean? Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers: The first number is called systolic blood pressure. This is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second number is called diastolic blood pressure. This measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats. If you have never had this checked yourself you may have seen a Dr on TV using a cuff and stethoscope on patients to listen to their arm! This is checking blood pressure. An electronic blood pressure monitor is the up-to-date way of checking your home blood pressure: What is High Blood Pressure? High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when your blood pressure is higher than normal. The higher your blood pressure means you are at greater risk of heart disease heart attack heart failure stroke Not what you want to be hearing. High blood pressure also increases your risk of developing the following health problems Kidney disease Vision problems, retinal changes Sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction Circulatory problems, including peripheral artery disease (leg pain when walking) Atrial Fibrillation – Abnormal heart rhythms Vascular dementia Aortic Aneurysm – vessel swelling in the abdomen So how common is High Blood pressure?  Nearly 1/2 the population in America have high blood pressure and in the UK it is not far behind with 1 in 3 adults (around 16 million) having high blood pressure (a reading of 140/90 or higher). This rises to at least 1 in 2 over-65s. Unfortunately, most people will never know they have high blood pressure as it is known as the silent killer. If you do have the following symptoms: Headaches, anxiety, nosebleeds, and palpitations do get them checked out as these can be signs of high blood pressure. Why do we get High Blood pressure? The top risk factors for high blood pressure include: Being overweight/obese –  The more you weigh the more blood flow is required to the tissues to supply nutrients and oxygen. Blood vessels increase and so does the pressure inside your arteries. Too much salt (sodium) in your diet – your body retains fluid when there is too much sodium in your diet. This causes the arteries in your body to narrow. Both increase blood pressure. Too little potassium in your diet -Potassium is important to help balance the sodium in your cells. Potassium causes the smooth muscle cells in your arteries to relax, which lowers blood pressure. Not being physically active – Exercise lowers blood pressure by increasing blood flow through all the arteries of the body. This leads to the release of natural hormones and cytokines relaxing blood vessels. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight which as we know now is a risk factor in itself. What lifestyle change lowers blood pressure the most? Weight loss for high blood pressure Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. If you’re overweight or have obesity, losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce blood pressure. Blood Pressure diet – Nutrient-rich foods Many people embark on trying to lose weight for multiple reasons, many due to health, and they hit a brick wall after a few weeks or months. Following macros, friends’ recommendations, or very kcal-restricted diets. They start with the best of intentions, but if they are not focused on the long game the diet becomes boring, and tasteless and can lead to far more problems than they started with. I have written about this in other blogs and also have several videos on my YouTube channel about weight loss, macros and intuitive eating. The focus for blood pressure is getting key nutrients in each day potassium, calcium and magnesium are just a few. These nutrients help control blood pressure. While building these in, reducing sodium, saturated fat and added sugars is critical. Salt/Sodium and High Blood Pressure Salt/sodium intake is directly correlated to high blood pressure and is found in so many processed foods – both sweet and savoury. Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day (2.4g sodium) – that’s around 1 teaspoon in all the foods and fluids you consume. Children aged: 1 to 3 years should eat no more than 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium) Bacon, sausages, ham, meat pies, sausage rolls, pizza, crisps, bread….. are all high-salt processed foods. One slice of pan-fried pork bacon alone has 194 milligrams of sodium! Thankfully there are no special foods required to reduce your blood pressure,  just focus on eating a wide range of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Including low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and unrefined oils. 121 Dietitian programmes are created especially for you to ensure you get all of the correct nutrients and still make it tasty and enjoyable lifelong. How did we design our Blood Pressure Diet? DASH The DASH eating plan was designed from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension clinical study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 1997. This study found that populations who consume diets rich in vegetables and fruits have a lower blood pressure than those whose diets are low in vegetables. In addition to fruits and vegetables, dietary fibre, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and protein were all essential. All these important nutrients are the cornerstone of our 121 specially designed programmes! Drinking less alcohol Having more than two drinks per day

5 Reasons to Eat your Green Vegetables!

“Eat your Greens” How many people are fed up hearing this in their lives!!  Green vegetables are notoriously disliked by all age groups and this makes me sad, but I completely understand why. The data I gather from advising thousands of people gives me expert insight.  And as you probably guessed, the largest percentage of dislikes stems from being forced to eat these as a child. Definitely, bland, boring over-cooked bitter vegetables do not appeal and should not be on the menu at any age! Green vegetables and especially green leafy vegetables are full of important health-improving benefits which we need to be serving daily – cooked nice. 5 Health Benefits of eating Green vegetables Green vegetables assist in feeding your good gut microbiome – essential for multiple benefits, especially if you have dysbiosis, irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune conditions and much more. Green vegetables can assist your blood sugar levels – the nutrients are involved in numerous actions with the help of fibre, Vitamin C, magnesium, Vitamin K. If you are Diabetic, pre-diabetic or have metabolic syndrome it’s time for a rethink. Bones – Green vegetables are excellent providers of non-dairy calcium and vitamin K, boron, manganese all essential for strong and flexible bones. Check out my YouTube video on Osteoporosis  Green vegetables can assist in weight loss – we know from studies that obesity is linked to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. Eating good quality nutrients from your food is the key to long-term weight loss success and keeping healthy. Green vegetables provide a plethora of nutrients with fibre, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals while providing very low amounts of energy. You can learn more by watching my weight loss for life series. Green vegetables for wrinkles. Vitamin E is an antioxidant we know protects skin cells from free radical damage from the environment and the sun. Folate is a vital nutrient for DNA repair and new cell growth. Green leafy vegetables are rich in these and beta-carotene which is a super antioxidant known to renew and repair the skin. Is it OK to eat fruit instead of vegetables? Fruits are amazing for multiple nutrients but should not take the place of vegetables. They should be consumed in moderation. Fruits contain natural sugars that if eaten to excess may derail your nutrient balance. What should I eat if I don’t like greens? Thankfully it is easy to re-establish or start to like eating greens!  As a Dietitian I teach people how to be able to add 3-4 of these each day into their diets. It takes a little time and some great recipes but improving the gut bacteria allows for the brain and gut to work together and this is where the magic happens! What green vegetables are good for weight loss? All green and colourful vegetables are important for weight loss. Some green choices can include Spinach, Kale, Rocket/Arugula, Lettuce, Bok Choi, Pak Choy, Broccoli, Sprout, Asparagus, green peppers, Cucumber, cabbage, and watercress. What green vegetables can I eat every day? All! The more the merrier as long as you are getting sufficient good quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Should you eat green vegetables every day? Absolutely. If you take a blood thinner warfarin it is really important not to stop eating these if they are part of your normal diet. We know warfarin works best when the level of vitamin K in your body stays the same. So if you typically eat leafy greens, you can continue to eat your usual serving. Is drinking your greens the same as eating them? Blitzing vegetables is a useful way to add in greens just make sure you use the whole vegetable, stalks etc as this is the fibre-rich part. Powdered greens have been big business in recent years. If you have the money to spend on them they may assist you if needing more nutrients. But be mindful they do contain many add-ins that you may find change your gut bacteria. If these probiotics are not right for you or the amount of added fat-soluble vitamins are high, these may be stored in excess in the body if not required – not really what you want.  In my professional opinion, sporting or highly active people are the ones who may find these helpful. And finally greens from top to bottom! Green vegetables for eyes Green leafy vegetables can assist with preventing age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. The human body cannot make lutein or zeaxanthin; they must be consumed. Spinach, kale and broccoli are leafy green vegetables rich in both lutein and zeaxanthin and vitamin C.  These antioxidants act as a natural sunscreen for your eyes and they protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Green Vegetables for Constipation Constipation- Green vegetables are essential as part of a healthy dietary intake each day as the expandable fibre absorbs water as it passes through the bowel and triggers a regular bowel motion relieving possible constipation. The softening action of the insoluble fibre decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and may help diverticular disease/diverticulitis. Check out my YouTube Video on Constipation. So if you are still keen and green and … Need help optimising your foods or are unsure of how to change your eating habits? please contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition-related queries big or small. In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop for specially selected choices created for you. If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Why not visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. How can a Dietitian help Book a consultation via our Online Portal About Gillian Killiner  Check out our tailored dietary programmes Gillian x [instagram-feed]

Coeliac disease – how a dietitian can help

Coeliac Disease

COELIAC DISEASE How can a specialist dietitian help optimise people diagnosed with coeliac disease? This is a great question and one that is asked every day by enquiring patients. Here at 121 Dietitian we have helped thousands of people, many diagnosed with coeliac disease. It can be overwhelming to learn of such a diagnosis and it can be difficult to know who to turn to. Thankfully we are the experts in optimizing health for all conditions and we have a dedicated programme that takes all the worry and stress away! WHAT IS COELIAC DISEASE? Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered in those people who are genetically at risk. This trigger causes your immune system to attack your own tissues when you eat gluten. The gastrointestinal tract is the targeted organ for this attack and the consequences are many. Interestingly 35-40% of the general population have the genes that predispose a person to celiac disease, but only around 1% of the general population develop the autoimmune disorder. SYMPTOMS There are several classical symptoms and a few more not so common, so if you feel you have an issue with Gluten you may find this helpful in getting a diagnosis. The most well-known symptoms of coeliac disease include diarrhoea (pale foul smelling fatty stools) fatigue bloating weight loss stomach ache Other not so well know coeliac disease symptoms include: indigestion constipation itchy rash nerve damage (B vitamin deficiencies) malnutrition – not getting enough nutrients from food, infertility problems –  women with coeliac disease can have difficulty becoming pregnant disorders that affect coordination, speech, and balance (B vitamin deficiencies) Children with coeliac disease: have all the above symptoms along with nausea and vomiting may not grow at the expected rate and may have delayed puberty. And some people do not have any notable symptoms and this diagnosis comes as a complete surprise. IMPORTANT COELIAC STATISTICS 1 in 100 -people worldwide are affected by coeliac disease In Europe: Germany, The Scandinavian countries, Ireland, and the United Kingdom population have a higher prevalence of coeliac disease ~ 1000 to 1500 per 100,000 individuals Women to men ratio 3:1 Of patients diagnosed with Coeliac disease 50% still report symptoms while following a gluten-free diet (this is where 121 Dietitian can help) Family members 1 in 10 also have coeliac disease If you are diagnosed with coeliac disease you have a x 2 increased risk of coronary artery disease You have an increased risk of small bowel cancers x 4. COELIAC DISEASE TESTING Coeliac disease diagnosis can be made by your GP. They will take a history of your symptoms and arrange a blood test to check for antibodies that are present in the blood of people with coeliac disease. You need to keep eating gluten foods otherwise you may have an inaccurate blood test result. If this is +ve you will then be referred to a gastroenterologist to confirm this with an endoscopy and a biopsy. They will also be looking for blunt villi. Villi are finger-like projections in the gastrointestinal tract required for nutrient absorption, and when flattened do not have enough surface area to absorb sufficient nutrients. COELIAC DISEASE TREATMENT As this is an autoimmune disease – Gluten a protein found in grains is the trigger, coeliac disease is treated with a gluten-free diet. If you have been experiencing symptoms for a while with malabsorption you may need vitamins and minerals to be replaced. A specialist Dietitian who is trained in gastrointestinal diseases is the best person to assist you with optimising your diet and health for the long term. COELIAC MEDICAL TREATMENTS Coeliac disease unfortunately does not have a cure.  So a strict gluten-free diet will help control symptoms and prevent long-term complications. What can often be a problem is when people have none to mild symptoms, or their symptoms go away within a few weeks of the diet, they can continue to eat or sneak some gluten and over time if not addressed serious complications can occur. Many years ago my patients often presented as very underweight, anaemic, exhausted, and having multiple nutrient deficiencies. Today this is not always the case. Many people are now being diagnosed who come to see me eating an unhealthy poor quality diet. Some carry excess weight and are nutrient deficient from this and less so from malabsorption. The worst for these people is that, if not educated in the right choices, they replace their poor gluten diet with gluten-free processed unhealthy choices.  Unhealthy choices lead to the consumption of insufficient nutrients causing the patient to feel poorly and gain further weight. It is really important to therefore ensure that your gluten-free diet is designed to suit you and is wide in variety, healthy and balanced. Overall it has been fantastic that there has been an increase in the range of available gluten-free foods in the past 10 years. But the negative to this is that it is now possible to eat a diet full of unhealthy choices instead of focusing on a healthy and varied gluten-free diet. WHAT FOODS TRIGGER COELIAC DISEASE? Foods and fluids that contain Gluten include: Wheat and derivatives of wheat such as: Durum Emmer Couscous Semolina Spelt Farina Farro Kamut Einkorn wheat Rye Barley Triticale Malt including, malted milk, milkshakes, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavouring, malted barley flour, malt vinegar Brewer’s Yeast Wheat Starch that has not been processed to remove gluten to below 20ppm Oats are contaminated in processing and packaging so are not allowed even though they do not naturally contain gluten. GLUTEN FOOD EXAMPLES  The following are examples of popular foods containing gluten  -so these are no longer suitable to eat – lifelong. bread pasta cereals cakes and pastries biscuits or crackers pies gravies, stocks and sauces beer WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE WITH COELIAC DISEASE EATS GLUTEN? I advise and treat hundreds of newly diagnosed and refractory Coeliac patients. It is a common fear that when not in control of the cooking they are going to

Folate (L-Methylfolate) 1000μg x 90 Capsules, 5-MTHF Active Form of Folic Acid/Vitamin B9, Please See Our 400mcg Version for Pregnancy, Magnesium Stearate Free, Made in Wales

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✔ 5-MTHF THE ACTIVE FORM OF FOLIC ACID – The terms folate/folic acid are often interchangeably used to describe B9, but they are not all the same. Supplements called “folic acid” likely only contain pteroylmonoglutamic acid, this form once consumed needs to be converted in the liver or other tissues to the active form 5-MTHF. Folate (5-MTHF) is the active form of folic acid called 5-MTHF (L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, L-Methylfolate), this is the biologically active form which is better absorbed.
✔FOLIC ACID BENEFITS IN PREGNANCY – The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend that “All women, from the moment they begin trying to conceive until 12 weeks of gestation, should take a folic acid supplement (400 μg folic acid daily). Please see our 400mcg version for pregnancy