Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your arteries. The more
forceful it is—the higher it is—the more likely it is that the walls of your arteries will
enter cells. The body tries to compensate by churning Out more insulin, to little avail; too much glucose still remains in the bloodstream. Insulin resistance generally stems from a combination of genetic sus- syndrome may be ceptibility and weight gain—very few thin people
Uncontrolled high blood pressure results in stiff, damaged arteries are inflexible artery walls that are a veritable magnet for more susceptible to white blood cells,
High blood pressure damages arteries, and damaged arteries are more susceptible to plaque buildup.
cholesterol, and other blood components that accumulate and form plaque. Its easy to envision the damage high-pressure blood flow can wreak if you already have plaque buildup: That blood rushing past at high force is just what it takes to nick the “cap” off the plaque, setting the stage for a heart attack. (See Which Tests to Get?)
By the Numbers
Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day; it tends to be higher when you wake up in the morning and lower in the evening. And many factors can influence it—like what you eat that day and whether or not you’re feeling stressed, So doctors don’t like to diagnose high blood pressure until you’ve been tested on at least three separate occasions,
| Blood pressure (mm/Hg) | Classification |
|---|---|
| $120/80 | Optimal |
| <130/85 | Normal |
| >140/90 | > High |
How the Plan Can Help
The Live It Doum Plan will significantly improve your blood pressure readings through various means. First, the eating strategy: Studies show that a diet rich in grains, fruits, vegetables, and nonfat dairy products—like the Plan diet—can reduce blood pressure by about 10 percent, and more than 15 percent when combined with sodium restriction. Exercise, weight loss, and stress relief also help lower blood pressure. In fact, studies find that meditation can be as effective as medication in lowering blood pressure. We also encourage you to quit smoking, which on its own should be enough to: substantially lower your blood pressure. The nicotine in a single cigarette is potent enough to raise blood pressure levels above normal, and it can take 30 minutes to an hour for the effects of a cigarette to wear off and for blood pressure to return to baseline. Weight loss, another benefit of the Plan, can reduce blood pressure as well.
