High Blood Pressure and Kundalini and Medication

[Jim and His Karma]

I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Not SO high resting, but ridiculously high while exercising. This differential made the cardiologist (who administered the stress test) scratch his head, and whenever a doctor scratches his head, I figure there's a spiritual element.

I do have a lot more energy than ever...kundalini awakes consistently in every AYP session. But I'm also getting a lot better at moving it down from my head. Or so I thought.

Anyway, the doctor wants me on Altace (aka ramipril), an (ACE) inhibitor.  I'm loathe to put drugs into my system (I'm already on Lipitor, fwiw). Any thoughts?

One problem is that I'm 20 lbs overweight. If I can't work out hard (as I certainly can't with this issue as-is), I can't lose weight. And that's a self-reinforcing thing. So what I'm leaning toward doing is take the drug, drastically reduce salt, work out like crazy and diet like crazy, lose the 20 lbs, and then reevaluate if I need the drug.

But what I'm not sure of is how K factors into any of this....

[weaver]

Hi Jim,

How would you feel about the option to lose weight by eating a lot less calories with a raw vegetable diet (which should lower blood pressure in itself) and not take the drug?

[Jim and His Karma]

Thanks for the reply, Weaver.

Obesity runs in my family. Every pound I don't gain is like five pounds lost. I'm already working out regularly and eating very little. I need to ramp up on both fronts, but I'll be forced to substantially tone down my workouts if I don't take the meds.

I'm currently very slowly losing weight doing workouts with heart rate maxxing out at 170 beats/min. My cardiologist told me that without medication, I need to not exceed 140. That's a very drastic downscaling, and it'll be really tough to make up for it in diet...and if I do, I'm still only veeeery slowly losing weight. Also, where I am (especially this time of year) it's hard to get real good produce.

I absolutely do need to cut salt, though. My salt level's quite high.

I took one pill tonight. Will try to examine how it affects me.

[Jim and His Karma]

I should add (not sure why I didn't think of this) that the AYP session immediately before the stress test was super duper energizing...tons of opening. I'm actually feeling slightly overdone.

Could this have skewed the results of the stress test?

[weaver]

quote:Originally posted by Jim and His Karma

I absolutely do need to cut salt, though. My salt level's quite high.

Yes, salt is known to cause high blood pressure, so cutting this should take it down. If you do this maybe the test will turn out different (and maybe reduce the need for the drug).

If you haven't studied this site http://biologyofkundalini.com/article.php?story=KundaliniandDiet maybe there could be some useful information.

[yogani]

Hi Jim:

The "DASH Diet" is a well-researched reliable way reduce blood pressure:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash
http://dashdiet.org
For a more articles, Google "DASH Diet."

It is a low fat, low salt diet, leaning toward fruits and vegetables. When combined with regular aerobic exercise, it is highly effective.

As for the AYP practices skewing the results in a stress test, it can vary, but over time it tends toward more relaxed body functions rather than hypertensive, due to the rise of inner silence. Even so, the formative stages of kundalini awakening can be very energizing, as many of us know, so hiccups in the body's parameters may happen. So, at any point in time the influence on biological functioning may vary, depending on where we are in our over all development (and also time of day in relation to our practice routine can make a difference).

It will probably take many years of research by the scientific community to determine the full metrics of human spiritual transformation. Of course, with or without the science, we have to use our common sense and self-pace as needed, which includes doing what is necessary to preserve our health for the long haul. We'd like to be practicing as long as possible in this lifetime.  

All the best!

The guru is in you.

[emc]

quote:One problem is that I'm 20 lbs overweight. If I can't work out hard (as I certainly can't with this issue as-is), I can't lose weight. - - - I'm already working out regularly and eating very little.

You do not mention how much or what kind of work out you do, so I'll just share some general thoughts. I'd say one of the most fat burning work out are fast walks, preferably with poles. It suits almost everyone. It is low but intensive exercise. The key is regularity. At least 30 min/day can make a miracle. That is better than to do exhausting aerobics now and then. Of course, both walks AND aerobics now and then is even better!

And if you eat too litte, the metabolism will slow down and put the body in a starvation mode, where it saves all fat it can! When I tried to loose weight with the weight watchers, I did 1 hr aerobic work out + 1 hr body building 3 times a week + + horse back riding 2 times a week, and followed their program minutiously. I GAINED weight!!! I got a mad instructor on me saying: START EATING! I started to eat twice as much and during the first week I lost 3 kg!!! The metabolism started again, and fat reduction was a fact.

Losing weight is finding a balance where metabolism is as high as possible while the body is given less calories than usual. Now, with the kundalini flowing the normal levels of both metabolism, food intake and exercise may alter. If I were you I'd change one thing at a time and see what happens, until you find the perfect blend.



   

[Lili]

Hi Jim,

Why don't you try to change your eating habits to Macrobiotic? This was recommended by Kathrine and after trying out some of their recipies I think they seem quite OK. Only the soya part is questionable as there are a lot of contradictory materials out there and I can't figure out whether eating soya is any good or not in the end.

Another option is to try a once-a-week 24 to 36 hours water fasting. This should help the weight situation without exercise. I have very low blood pressure (with the upper limit below 100) so I can't measure the impact on that but the books I read say that it does reduce blood pressure. Paul Bragg is a useful author on that.

Also on the EFT home page (www.emofree.com) they say that sometimes being overweight is the result of suppressed past traumas or which can be released. They have a free manual on the site.

My brother has high blood pressure and he said he managed to reduce it by quitting coffee and drinking bean coffee made from cikoria in the morning.

Hope that helps,
Lili

[Jim and His Karma]

quote:Originally posted by yogani
The "DASH Diet" is a well-researched reliable way reduce blood pressure:

Thanks, Yogani, I'll read up. I'm also looking at the Millet Tofu diet, though it seems pretty awfully tedious. http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/kyt23.html

quote:Originally posted by yogani
As for the AYP practices skewing the results in a stress test, it can vary, but over time it tends toward more relaxed body functions rather than hypertensive, due to the rise of inner silence.

Well, it's reduced my resting heart rate from 80 to 60 beats/min, so I can attest to that!

quote:Originally posted by yogani
Even so, the formative stages of kundalini awakening can be very energizing, as many of us know, so hiccups in the body's parameters may happen. So, at any point in time the influence on biological functioning may vary, depending on where we are in our over all development (and also time of day in relation to our practice routine can make a difference).

I first awakened K over two years ago, but only recently is it approaching anything near 24/7. After my first awakenening, it took months before the next...then weeks...then days...and now hours. So, in a sense, I've been continually in "ramping up" mode, though it's thousands of times more smooth now than my original (slightly rough) opening. So I suppose I am in formative mode, and will be until this energy flows 24/7.

But the thing is that the openings, now coming very close together, are pretty smooth, and since they occur very quickly in my practice session, I'm not sure there's any way to self-pace back on this energy at this point. So I guess I'll try diet and weight loss and salt adjustment, and see if that works.

If you were me, would you avoid this drug? It's a pretty non-invasive one, with few side effects. Though adding drugs to a semi-spiritualized system is always, I guess, a gamble.

[Jim and His Karma]

quote:Originally posted by emc
 Of course, both walks AND aerobics now and then is even better!

60 mins fairly grueling asanas and 25 minutes jogging every other day. I do try to walk on off days. Walking alone doesn't raise my heartbeat to aerobic levels, though, and even with this regimen, I was only losing weight slooowly.

quote:Originally posted by emc
And if you eat too litte, the metabolism will slow down and put the body in a starvation mode, where it saves all fat it can!

It's true. Worse, I tend not to eat until dinner. I need very badly to break that cycle. what's worse, Meditation slows the metabolism, which makes the whole thing harder.

quote:Losing weight is finding a balance where metabolism is as high as possible while the body is given less calories than usual. Now, with the kundalini flowing the normal levels of both metabolism, food intake and exercise may alter. If I were you I'd change one thing at a time and see what happens, until you find the perfect blend.

yup. makes sense.

[Jim and His Karma]

quote:Originally posted by Lili
Why don't you try to change your eating habits to Macrobiotic?

Thanks, Lili. I've tried this, but I don't know if it's the high carb/low protein thing or what, but it never feels right or yields great results for me. Of course, everyone's different...

quote:Another option is to try a once-a-week 24 to 36 hours water fasting.

I find it easy to fast, but it's too hard on the metabolism (which, per above, can flip into survival mode, and which I'm trying to regulate into something more consistent and long-term sustainable.

quote:My brother has high blood pressure and he said he managed to reduce it by quitting coffee and drinking bean coffee made from cikoria in the morning.

yeah, but I don't do any caffeine. one cup makes me bounce off the walls, and two cups make me feel like I'm gonna die.

[Lili]

Looks like all of my great advice is kind of useless. Try the EFT and the cikoria caffein free coffee then

[yogani]

quote:Originally posted by Jim and His Karma

If you were me, would you avoid this drug? It's a pretty non-invasive one, with few side effects. Though adding drugs to a semi-spiritualized system is always, I guess, a gamble.

Hi Jim:

I would not avoid it indefinitely. If natural methods don't work decisively within a few weeks or months (they can work quickly), you may not have a choice, because walking around with high blood pressure indefinitely is an invitation for a health disaster.

I was in a similar situation about 10 years ago and the approach mentioned worked well for me, so medication was avoided. I also lost 20 pounds without even thinking about it. What has been little known about blood pressure until recent years is the role that a high fat diet plays in it. Fat in the diet is at least as much a contributor to hypertension as salt. This is the significance of the DASH diet -- it reduces both, and the results have been verified to the point that government health organizations now recommend it.

In any case, it is well worth a try, but if it isn't working pretty soon, better do what is necessary medically to get the BP within acceptable limits.

The nice thing about health alarms like high blood pressure, is that they call us back to better habits that can improve our over all health, and spiritual progress too. From adversity comes progress, if we are listening and act. Abiding inner silence cultivated in deep meditation helps a lot in that.

The guru is in you.

[Anthem]

quote:Originally posted by Jim and His Karma

Thanks for the reply, Weaver.

Obesity runs in my family. Every pound I don't gain is like five pounds lost. I'm already working out regularly and eating very little. I need to ramp up on both fronts, but I'll be forced to substantially tone down my workouts if I don't take the meds.

I'm currently very slowly losing weight doing workouts with heart rate maxxing out at 170 beats/min. My cardiologist told me that without medication, I need to not exceed 140. That's a very drastic downscaling, and it'll be really tough to make up for it in diet...and if I do, I'm still only veeeery slowly losing weight. Also, where I am (especially this time of year) it's hard to get real good produce.

Hi Jim,

It is a popular misconception that you need to work out hard in order to burn fat and lose weight. In a rough summary, there are 3 sources of energy in the body (not including prana[]) that are available to us when we move physically: ATP-CP, glycogen and fat. Which system your body will access is determined by the duration and intensity of the movement (i.e. your workout).

If you are working out intensely, above approximately 80% of your max heart rate, you will pass your anaerobic threshold and your body will start to use ATP-CP and glycogen as fuel instead of fat. Naturally we are not able to sustain this for very long and after 3 to 4 minutes the body will cycle back down into an aerobic rate of output and start burning fat. It will take the body approximately 5 times the length of time you were exercising anaerobically before it will be rested enough to do it again. We don't notice the cycles when we exercise but it is all happening automatically. So in a 1 hour workout trying to exercise at a HR of 170 for someone over 40, won't be burning fat as efficiently as they could be because they will be spending time burning ATP and glycogen instead.  

So ironically, if we decrease out intensity of exercise below our anaerobic threshold to approximately 75% of our theoretical maximum heart rate (this can be roughly calculated by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying by .75, for a 40 year old 220-40 X .75 = 135 beats per minute) we will be burning fat far more efficiently and losing weight more quickly.

It seems counter intuitive but people are often amazed at the results. You will burn fat faster by exercising around 135 beats per minute and it is less stressful on the body.

Good luck with it,[]

A

ps- it is usally recommended to people who want to lose weight to do 45 to 60 minutes of this type of fat-burning cardio workout at least 3 times a week.

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