Welcome to the Younger Longer 14-Day Blood Pressure Challenge. My name is Dr. Warrick Bishop. I'm a preventative cardiologist and I'm super excited that you're looking to look after your blood pressure. It is one of the most important and really one of the simplest things you can look after to look after your heart for the rest of your life.
During this 14-Day Challenge I'm going to share with you a whole lot of stuff. Every day, a video, some resources, a challenge or a task for you to complete and a fun fact. Stay tuned, your blood pressure is super important. Let me explain to you how, what you're going to do about it and how you're going to look after yourself for the years ahead
Why Listen?
- Get practical tips and science-backed advice you can apply immediately.
- Learn from real-world examples and medical expertise.
- Gain daily challenges to help you stay engaged and track progress.
- Take charge of your heart health in a simple, effective, and engaging way.
Transcript
Hi, Dr. Warrick here and welcome to day five. Today we're talking food, not calories or taste, but the impact food can have on your blood pressure. And unbelievably, what you put on your plate, what you put therefore in your mouth, can in fact impact your blood pressure and therefore your cardiovascular system.
Let's start with potassium. Most people consume too much sodium chloride or salt and not enough potassium. And potassium is a key mineral that helps your body, your kidneys, excrete excess sodium and so lower blood pressure. Foods like bananas, leafy greens, legumes and sweet potatoes. Even salmon are all rich in potassium. And these foods can be helpful in moderating blood pressure.
Let's talk about fibre next. And there's more to this than just digestion because fibre slows absorption of different foods, particularly sugar. And this is good because it reduces insulin response and reduces potential weight gain.
But fibre also protects the integrity of the gut lining and reduces leaky gut syndrome. And this is really important because leaky gut syndrome allows inflammatory molecules from within the gut to get into the bloodstream, which can then lodge within the arteries causing inflammation and driving blood pressure changes. So fibre to protect the gut, really, really important.
Let's talk colour. And you probably, if you're listening to this, are aware already that the pigments, the colours, the antioxidants, the anthocyanes, the lycopene, etc. are powerful antioxidants that help with blood pressure control and reduce inflammation. So we often use the term, eat the rainbow, which is sort of visually appealing on the plate, but good for your heart and your blood pressure.
Not sure if you're aware of it or heard of it, but there is a diet called the DASH, D-A-S-H diet, short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. And this has been shown to lower blood pressure as effectively as low dose medication for many people. And it's built almost entirely on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean proteins. Not supplements, not processed foods, but real food.
So what's on your plate has a direct connection to your arteries and your blood pressure and your heart health. So think about it. And tomorrow we'll talk about the sort of importance of exercising in maintaining a healthy blood pressure till then. I wish you the very best. Live as well as possible for as long as possible. Take care and bye for now. Thank you.
Are You at Risk of a Sudden Heart Attack? How Healthy is Your Heart? Really?
Heart disease is the #1 killer in the Western World. In Australia, someone dies every 28 minutes from heart disease. That’s 51 people a day. In the US, someone has a heart attack every 40 SECONDS! Fortunately, many heart attacks are preventable. However, regular exercise and eating healthy are no guarantee you won’t succumb to this silent killer.
- 94% of Australians have at least One Risk Factor for heart disease.
- 59% of Australians have been Touched by heart disease.
- Yet only 3% of Australians have had a Full Heart-Health Assessment in the past 12 months.
Do the free heart check today at www.virtualheartcheck.com.au
Join the Healthy Heart Network and become part of our growing community!
Do You Want to Improve Your Heart’s Health and Reduce Your Risk of Suffering a Heart Attack? Join The Healthy Heart Network For Only $5 Lifetime Access (Valued at over $55)!
The Healthy Heart Network is designed to help members:
- understand the present state of their heart’s health
- recognise their current level of risk of suffering a heart attack
- Learn the positive steps they can take to improve their situation
Visit https://healthyheartnetwork.com/ and click on the JOIN THE FAMILY BUTTON
