Basic Foundation for Health Recovery

[PurpleUrkel]

@PurpleUrkel how you feeling brother?

I'm feeling pretty good. Just had that hernia surgery two and half weeks ago and it has been a bit rougher than I imagined (wound up having a double hernia). A bit worried I have a 3rd one, but I go in tomorrow for post-op check up so I'll know more then. The good news is I'm totally committed to getting back in shape and taking better care of myself because this surgery thing was/is a real bummer. It's just going to be a year or two journey to really see good results so I've got to be patient (not one of my strong suits) and research how to strenghten my core without giving myself another hernia.

And so I'm in a bit of a holding pattern until I can get fully recovered from these hernia issues. Next up is to get bloodwork like you suggested and to get a thorough heart health check up and add the krill, Coq 10, and berberine like you also suggested. Feeling a bit weak but my spirits are high and I know I can make vast improvements, It's just going to be a slow, painful process that I can't fully embark on just quite yet.

 

[FrancisK]

I'm feeling pretty good. Just had that hernia surgery two and half weeks ago and it has been a bit rougher than I imagined (wound up having a double hernia). A bit worried I have a 3rd one, but I go in tomorrow for post-op check up so I'll know more then. The good news is I'm totally committed to getting back in shape and taking better care of myself because this surgery thing was/is a real bummer. It's just going to be a year or two journey to really see good results so I've got to be patient (not one of my strong suits) and research how to strenghten my core without giving myself another hernia.

And so I'm in a bit of a holding pattern until I can get fully recovered from these hernia issues. Next up is to get bloodwork like you suggested and to get a thorough heart health check up and add the krill, Coq 10, and berberine like you also suggested. Feeling a bit weak but my spirits are high and I know I can make vast improvements, It's just going to be a slow, painful process that I can't fully embark on just quite yet.

Hahahaha I'm 5 weeks removed from hernia surgery myself! My second one both umbilical! I assumed it was form deadlifts but nope, picking up 125lb dumbbells one at a time to do incline press like an idiot....I knew it right away. First round I did mesh and it wasn't so bad, this time no mesh and it's a terrible recovery. What kind of hernia? Mesh or did they just stitch you up?

 

[PurpleUrkel]

Hahahaha I'm 5 weeks removed from hernia surgery myself! My second one both umbilical First round I did mesh and it wasn't so bad, this time no mesh and it's a terrible recovery. What kind of hernia? Mesh or did they just stitch you up?

One umbilical without mesh, and one inguinal with mesh. For me the inguinal one has been the longer more painful recovery. Just got back from doc and thank God he doesn't think I have a third incisional hernia and that the lump I'm feeling right next to the umbilical site that he fixed is either a blood "knot" or just residual swelling from where he arthroscopically entered through the upper belly button. If it's not gone in a month or so then we'll get a CT scan to see whats up.

Hope you heal up perfectly. Praying for you. Bro, and 125lb dumbells! C'mon, ease up on that sh*t! I'm maxing out with 15 pounders, though I do eat quite a bit of soy (no homo).

 

[FrancisK]

One umbilical without mesh, and one inguinal with mesh. For me the inguinal one has been the longer more painful recovery. Just got back from doc and thank God he doesn't think I have a third incisional hernia and that the lump I'm feeling right next to the umbilical site that he fixed is either a blood "knot" or just residual swelling from where he arthroscopically entered through the upper belly button. If it's not gone in a month or so then we'll get a CT scan to see whats up.

Hope you heal up perfectly. Praying for you. Bro, and 125lb dumbells! C'mon, ease up on that sh*t! I'm maxing out with 15 pounders, though I do eat quite a bit of soy (no homo).

Oh boy you got the best of both worlds brother! Don't worry there is going to come a day soon where you're not even thinking about it anymore, you'll just be back to normal, I had that same swelling and I thought the same thing too that I had another hernia but nope it went away. The hernia will still be "sore" it will be like a weird sore like you know something is there but it doesn't necessarily hurt, that will subside as well. Funny I'm telling you this as I'm going through it all over again haha. I was back at my warehouse the next day, sucked and probably wasn't very smart I just couldn't sit at home, but it took me about two months to get back in the gym. I was scared to go back to be honest, most guys I know who had it done, it's more common that you would think, said they were back in the gym much sooner than that so I pushed myself to go. I started real slow only doing cardio for a couple weeks, then cardio with body weight stuff for a couple weeks, then machines only and then after that I was good to go as normal.

Thank you so much for the well wishes brother God bless that you don't have a third one that's great news. You'll happy when this is all over, I let my hernia bother me for years like an idiot instead of getting it fixed. There was no reason for me to put it off at all there is nothing "tough" about being in pain that you didn't need to be in. So many times I was out somewhere or just a day at work and all of a sudden my hernia was half debilitating me, totally pointless to live like that.

I'm a dumb donkey no more 125lb dumbbells for me that's for sure I would be lying if I didn't say it was half vanity just because I could do it I was doing it, I don't go heavy like that anymore there just is no point. I don't do deadlifts anymore either, I do kinda miss those though, and I don't even do dumbbell incline press anymore which is what I was doing when I felt it. I'll only do dumbbells chest presses at the very end of a chest workout now so that I can use much less weight and still burn myself out, to start I stick with the bar now.


How long as the hernia bothering you for before you decided to get it fixed up??

 

[PurpleUrkel]

I had that same swelling and I thought the same thing too that I had another hernia but nope it went away. The hernia will still be "sore" it will be like a weird sore like you know something is there but it doesn't necessarily hurt, that will subside as well.

Misery loves company! Haha. This made me less stressed about it all as this is exactly what is going on. "Weird sore" describes it perfectly.

How long as the hernia bothering you for before you decided to get it fixed up??

The umbilical one I had for 6 or 7 years and it never bothered me. Then about 4 months ago I was moving this heavy chair and several days later I noticed that it was noticeably bigger and all of a sudden it had a bit of a "sensation" to it but nothing too painful. But then I started noticing a slight constant "tinge" in my left testicle kind of like a groin pull except it never went away. Again, nothing too painful, but it started to become more annoying more than anything else so I decided to go and get it checked out. Sure enough, double hernia so the doc and I just decided to knock em' out before they got bigger and started causing me any problems (intestinal pinching, pain, etc.).

Yeah, I'm definitely going to train with dumbells as they're my favorite but just keep em' light with lots of reps. Of course I need to work on strength but even moreso on flexibility and stamina as my primary activity is surfing.

Do you have any thoughts on pilates? I've got some dvds I thought I might try out. I've got a smallish live/work space warehouse (4,000 sq. ft.) too so I'm setting up my own gym and have plenty of space to work with. I'm starting a two year journey tomorrow with just some pushups, 15 lb. dumbell bench presses and flys, squats with just body weight, light crunches on an ab ball (got the okay from the doc as long as I don't push it too hard) and a 3 mile walk. The journey of a million miles begins with a single step! Gotta' turn this whole thing around.

Thank you for the mental support, advice, and encouragement.

 

[FrancisK]

Misery loves company! Haha. This made me less stressed about it all as this is exactly what is going on. "Weird sore" describes it perfectly.

The umbilical one I had for 6 or 7 years and it never bothered me. Then about 4 months ago I was moving this heavy chair and several days later I noticed that it was noticeably bigger and all of a sudden it had a bit of a "sensation" to it but nothing too painful. But then I started noticing a slight constant "tinge" in my left testicle kind of like a groin pull except it never went away. Again, nothing too painful, but it started to become more annoying more than anything else so I decided to go and get it checked out. Sure enough, double hernia so the doc and I just decided to knock em' out before they got bigger and started causing me any problems (intestinal pinching, pain, etc.).

Yeah, I'm definitely going to train with dumbells as they're my favorite but just keep em' light with lots of reps. Of course I need to work on strength but even moreso on flexibility and stamina as my primary activity is surfing.

Do you have any thoughts on pilates? I've got some dvds I thought I might try out. I've got a smallish live/work space warehouse (4,000 sq. ft.) too so I'm setting up my own gym and have plenty of space to work with. I'm starting a two year journey tomorrow with just some pushups, 15 lb. dumbell bench presses and flys, squats with just body weight, light crunches on an ab ball (got the okay from the doc as long as I don't push it too hard) and a 3 mile walk. The journey of a million miles begins with a single step! Gotta' turn this whole thing around.

Thank you for the mental support, advice, and encouragement.

Yea you'll get over that, that weird feeling will subside eventually it's normal.

Good that you knocked it out quick as soon as it started bothering you. I was the same I noticed my belly button was sticking out further for years but never thought it was a hernia and then all of a sudden it's bothering me and just keeps getting worse, I was dumb and kept putting it off for years. I didn't so much dread the surgery what I dreaded was the downtime, we do different things but I know you sell merch like I do so you probably understand that part of it.

Pilates is great it's functional work that helps with daily life and core daily activity, any activity/workout is great. There is no wrong way you can go, keep in mind 95% of the population is sitting on the couch with a bag of chips while you're doing that workout. It's all preference and tailoring to your needs and wants, whenever someone says you gotta do this or that or this is a waste of time I laugh at them. I have a friend, super greasy 100% italian guy craziest genetics I've ever seen, he looks like a fitness model/bodybuilder ready to step on stage on any random day. He's incredibly muscular and incredibly lean, not like hey he's been working out for the summer or vacation big and lean just every day and has always been like that for decades it's kinda ridiculous what he looks like just day to day walking around like a normal person. I love the guy he's my best friend but he's a mess, he doesn't stretch, doesn't warm up, doesn't do any cardio, doesn't really do anything active at all other than go to the gym and pound the shit out of himself with weights. He can barely lift up his kids his joints are so bad and he's constantly complaining to me about aches and pains asking me which peptides might help or what supplement he can take for them. Does he look good....yea he does, but to who? I'm a decent sized guy myself or at least I think I am but not on his level and I've had multiple girls tell me I'm "too big", I've had plenty of guys admire my build and they go nuts for my friends build but haha is that who I'm trying to look good for....guys?! That's not even mentioning the fact that yea he looks "good" but he sure as hell doesn't feel good. Don't get me wrong it's good to have some size, especially these days, you don't want to be a target you want someone to think twice when they look at you. But that isn't necessarily what is healthy, what is healthy is living an active and clean lifestyle which brother from things you have said you're doing all the right things. I'll be honest you're kinda going extreme with it which is hard to keep with but if you're making it happen then God Bless brother you deserve it all the benefits.


Don't thank me brother, I should be thanking you.....you've inspired me more than once I admire the lifestyle you are looking to lead and beyond even that your strength makes me stronger. I would help any brother here that would ever allow me because that helps me just as much, we are in this together following the same path as brothers in Christ. Beyond even that, the fact that you are humble enough seek help in improving yourself is a great trait.....the guys who think they already know everything do themselves a huge disservice, you can't help them.

 

[Australia Sucks]

Interesting, as I've almost always had issues from dairy I think to some degree, and mostly I stay away from it at this point except for cheeses and some yogurt. What do you think is the mechanism or reason why raw milk or raw dairy in general improves one's ability to handle it or reaction to it?

From what I have read the enzymes and good bacteria in milk which are heat sensitive get destroyed in the pasteurization process. Without the enzymes and good bacteria its harder for your body to digest the milk properly hence many people who cannot drink normal milk are okay when they drink raw milk. Pasteurization also destroys the colostrum in milk.

 

[PurpleUrkel]

So apparently I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure (I'm in my 50s) with readings of 146/93, 154/88, and 147/83 over the last 6 months and a doctor I'm currently seeing wants to put me on meds for both.

Also, just had a stress test and the girl administering the test said things looked better than "average" (took awhile on tread mill to get blood pressure up and blood pressure came back down quickly).

Not sure what to do? I'm fairly active and 6'3" 215 pounds so not really over weight (though could absolutely lose some belly fat and add muscle mass). But for sure, I know I need to increase vigorous aerobic exercise and lifting.

I drink about a cup of half and half a day (I know, I know, I like a bit of coffee with my cream), and ribeye or filet 5 or so nights a week.

My question is should I cut out all fat and go high fiber and start intense aerobic activity before trying meds? Start taking the meds in combination with a low fat, high fiber diet? Or never take the meds and die like a carnivorous hero?

 

[analyst_green]

So apparently I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure (I'm in my 50s) with readings of 146/93, 154/88, and 147/83 over the last 6 months and a doctor I'm currently seeing wants to put me on meds for both.

Also, just had a stress test and the girl administering the test said things looked better than "average" (took awhile on tread mill to get blood pressure up and blood pressure came back down quickly).

Not sure what to do? I'm fairly active and 6'3" 215 pounds so not really over weight (though could absolutely lose some belly fat and add muscle mass). But for sure, I know I need to increase vigorous aerobic exercise and lifting.

I drink about a cup of half and half a day (I know, I know, I like a bit of coffee with my cream), and ribeye or filet 5 or so nights a week.

My question is should I cut out all fat and go high fiber and start intense aerobic activity before trying meds? Start taking the meds in combination with a low fat, high fiber diet? Or never take the meds and die like a carnivorous hero?

Whatever you do, do not take the cholesterol pills. Those have a ton of side effects that are even worse than high cholesterol. There were some recent studies linking them to lowered bone density.

Blood pressure medicine may be alright if you're constantly in the danger zone. But better to try to get it down yourself first. No medication is without side effects. How is your psychological and spiritual state, are you under a lot of stress? Can you start praying more and find ways to relax?

 

[FrancisK]

So apparently I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure (I'm in my 50s) with readings of 146/93, 154/88, and 147/83 over the last 6 months and a doctor I'm currently seeing wants to put me on meds for both.

Also, just had a stress test and the girl administering the test said things looked better than "average" (took awhile on tread mill to get blood pressure up and blood pressure came back down quickly).

Not sure what to do? I'm fairly active and 6'3" 215 pounds so not really over weight (though could absolutely lose some belly fat and add muscle mass). But for sure, I know I need to increase vigorous aerobic exercise and lifting.

I drink about a cup of half and half a day (I know, I know, I like a bit of coffee with my cream), and ribeye or filet 5 or so nights a week.

My question is should I cut out all fat and go high fiber and start intense aerobic activity before trying meds? Start taking the meds in combination with a low fat, high fiber diet? Or never take the meds and die like a carnivorous hero?

Blood pressure medicine is generally safe it doesn't have any downsides, I wouldn't be too opposed to that. But cholesterol meds on the other hand absolutely are not, most of them were designed for people who couldn't get off the couch so the trade off in potential side effects made sense for them.

That being said there are other routes, natural supplements for blood pressure and cholesterol do have impact because these are things which can be regulated and manipulated in your body as the issues are generally caused by nutrition and lifestyle factors just as much as genetics. Also I know we're all about the meat in here because we're "men" and "men" eat meat....blah blah blah fake tough guy compensation blah blah. I love me a steak as much if not more than the next guy but you should probably go easier on it, nothing wrong with lean meat but 5 nights a week is excessive and obviously not working out well for you as you're not overweight so it has to be attributed somewhere. Add in some chicken or other lean meat and add in a lot of green vegetables also find a way to be more active, honestly those things should alleviate both those issues. I would wait and do whatever I can before jumping on any lifelong medications, straighten up the diet a bit, add some supplements and foods known to be beneficial to those issues, be more active and then test again in 3 months. If it's not better well then you have a decision to make but blood pressure and cholesterol drugs are usually a lifelong thing and that always worries me, also they are a bit of a mind manipulator as they will make your numbers look better without doing anything else so you're still living the same way which created the problem in the first place.

You don't necessarily have to go to extremes just some tweaks here and there, normally when someone goes to extremes when changing their lifestyle it doesn't stick. Extremes should be for people with dire health issues who don't have a choice anymore due to their own actions.

 

[FrancisK]

So apparently I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure (I'm in my 50s) with readings of 146/93, 154/88, and 147/83 over the last 6 months and a doctor I'm currently seeing wants to put me on meds for both.

Also, just had a stress test and the girl administering the test said things looked better than "average" (took awhile on tread mill to get blood pressure up and blood pressure came back down quickly).

Not sure what to do? I'm fairly active and 6'3" 215 pounds so not really over weight (though could absolutely lose some belly fat and add muscle mass). But for sure, I know I need to increase vigorous aerobic exercise and lifting.

I drink about a cup of half and half a day (I know, I know, I like a bit of coffee with my cream), and ribeye or filet 5 or so nights a week.

My question is should I cut out all fat and go high fiber and start intense aerobic activity before trying meds? Start taking the meds in combination with a low fat, high fiber diet? Or never take the meds and die like a carnivorous hero?

Purple I reached out to one of my friends who is a coach in the fitness industry to ask what he did as he had really bad cholesterol numbers and didn't want to go on any meds. He told me he's back well into normal range here was his list:

Cut my protein intake in half
Fasted cardio everyday
Cardio post work out
Limited my red meat intake
Upped apple cider vinegar
red yeast rice
Garlic supp also garlic stuffed olives
Krill oil


Keep in mind he's a former bodybuilder who still trains so some of that stuff wouldn't apply the same as he had extremely high cholesterol, also everyone reacts differently do some trial and error there are other supplements as well.

 

[PurpleUrkel]

How is your psychological and spiritual state, are you under a lot of stress?

I feel good in these departments but I'm pretty high strung and I think some people have referred to me as "intense" . Maybe I am under a lot of stress and just don't realize it?

Can you start praying more and find ways to relax?

Yes.

Cut my protein intake in half
Fasted
cardio everyday
Cardio post work out
Limited red meat intake
Upped apple cider vinegar
red yeast rice
Garlic supp also garlic stuffed olives
Krill oil

I would wait and do whatever I can before jumping on any lifelong medications, straighten up the diet a bit, add some supplements and foods known to be beneficial to those issues, be more active and then test again in 3 months.

This is what I'm going to do. Great advice and suggestions.

Thank you!

 

[scorpion]

So apparently I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure (I'm in my 50s) with readings of 146/93, 154/88, and 147/83 over the last 6 months and a doctor I'm currently seeing wants to put me on meds for both.

I am not a doctor (you're shocked, I know), but from my research I've concluded that diagnoses of both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are wildly inflated by doctors, out of a combination of ignorance and the simple desire to medicate people as much as possible.

In regard to blood pressure, the fact is that blood pressure cuffs (the way that most people have their BP measured) are not very accurate to begin with, and are even less accurate for men who are older, taller, and with higher than average muscle mass. Further, most clinicians don't even bother to follow the standard protocol for BP measurement, which calls for the patient to have the cuffed armed supported at chest level, and to have been seated and at rest for at least 5-10 minutes before taking the BP reading. In my experiences, doctors and nurses will usually cuff your arm and take the BP reading as soon as you sit down, and often the arm is totally unsupported. As the link above shows, and as my own personal experience supports (as well as that of many others), the old-fashioned method of measuring BP tends to produce a much more accurate reading. In short: your blood pressure is probably normal or slightly above. Have it measured the old way and see what reading you get.

As for cholesterol, there's a lot of research demonstrating that cholesterol rises naturally with age, and that it may actually have a protective effect on the brain in particular. Cholesterol is one of the most important building blocks of human physiology, and studies have proven conclusively at this point that statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) have achieved zero reduction of all-cause mortality. In other words, whatever cardiovascular benefits you may achieve by lowering cholesterol, they will be offset by the damage inflicted on other systems of the body that benefit from increased cholesterol, especially as we age.

 

[PurpleUrkel]

I am not a doctor (you're shocked, I know), but from my research I've concluded that diagnoses of both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are wildly inflated by doctors, out of a combination of ignorance and the simple desire to medicate people as much as possible.

Great post. Thank you. And you know this makes a lot of sense and kind of struck a chord with me.

I think I just needed some outside input to give me the confidence to slow down and trust God and the body he gave me. Of course I need to make the above changes and put in the work but now I'm motivated for this next 3 months stretch to bring these numbers down without meds.

What you said about blood pressure readings is interesting too (and accurate as my arm has never been supported at chest level) so I will start taking my own blood pressure following the above protocol (not sure if I can do it the "old" way but I will at least do it with a cuff first thing in the morning before I get moving and with the arm elevated and supported).

 

[Read_Lives_of_Saints]

Garlic is one of those things that has been waaay over-hyped in the past as some kind of "it's always good to have some" heart helper, but it is not.

Garlic is more of an herbal strong medicine that is not always helpful and can be overdone.

Garlic AGITATES the heart/mind and has effects on the lungs. This can be helpful, but it should only taken as a when needed medicine, as advised by a person with traditional knowledge of herbal medicine.

Garlic and other pungent veggies can make prayer more difficult.

 

[Australia Sucks]

So apparently I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure (I'm in my 50s) with readings of 146/93, 154/88, and 147/83 over the last 6 months and a doctor I'm currently seeing wants to put me on meds for both.

Also, just had a stress test and the girl administering the test said things looked better than "average" (took awhile on tread mill to get blood pressure up and blood pressure came back down quickly).

Not sure what to do? I'm fairly active and 6'3" 215 pounds so not really over weight (though could absolutely lose some belly fat and add muscle mass). But for sure, I know I need to increase vigorous aerobic exercise and lifting.

I drink about a cup of half and half a day (I know, I know, I like a bit of coffee with my cream), and ribeye or filet 5 or so nights a week.

My question is should I cut out all fat and go high fiber and start intense aerobic activity before trying meds? Start taking the meds in combination with a low fat, high fiber diet? Or never take the meds and die like a carnivorous hero?

Consuming fat/cholesterol does not increase your blood cholesterol. 90% of the cholesterol in your system is created by the body and the other 10% is dietary. If you consume more cholesterol your body will generally produce less cholesterol to counterblanace it.

Generally speaking if you have high cholesterol you need to reduce your carbohydrate intake not your fat intake. There is no evidence that a high fat diet (assuming they are good quality natural fats rather than seed oils or trans fats etc) increases your cholesterol level.

Cholesterol is not the problem its a symptom of inflammation in the body. Mainstream science gets this wrong. Alternative sources I have read seem indicate that your body cranks up cholesterol production when you have high inflammation. It means you need to reduce inflammation in your body which generally means reducing carbs and processed foods.

I would suggest reduce carb intake but also whenever you do eat carbs try to have to take something to counterbalance the blood sugar absorption e.g. lemon juice on your salad/food, consuming two table spoons of poapple cider vinegar before eating a meal, sprinking cinnamon on your sweets, eating berberine extract pills before a carb laden meal, drink green tea after a heavy meal or with sweets, etc. Spikes in blood sugar do eventually in an indirect way affect blood pressure and cholesterol that is why I am mentioning it.

I would check out the youtube channel of Dr. Berg as he covers the topics of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and many other things.

Plenty of natural supplements you can take for both high blood pressure and high cholesterol which don't have the damaging long term side effects of statins and other pharmaceutical drugs. I would try to visit a competent naturpath who will likely get you to do a full blood test and send a stool sample to the lab and they will give you a customised regime of herbal supplements to help with your blood pressure and cholesterol. On the diet side as mentioned above Dr Berg has a great youtube channel that covers these topics. And of course regular exercise is a must.

Regular fasting also helps with lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. All the science shows it has a massive and immediate effect. If you can do for example a 3 day water fast twice a month (or even a dry fast if you are ready for the challenge) in combination with one meal a day (assuming you eat clean the rest of the time and exercise regularly) you could probably fix your high blood pressure and high cholesterol within 3 - 6 months.

 

[bubs]

If you aren’t doing much cardio, I think adding 1/2 hr or so of cardio 3-4 days a week helps reduce both blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Like 5-10% reduction from what I was reading, so not major drops but helps. No need to make simple fixes overly complex.

 

[PurpleUrkel]

^ There is some good advice in there. Appreciate it and will definitely check out Dr. Berg's channel.

I would like some second opinions on the following though:

Generally speaking if you have high cholesterol you need to reduce your carbohydrate intake not your fat intake.

There is no evidence that a high fat diet (assuming they are good quality natural fats rather than seed oils or trans fats etc) increases your cholesterol level.

Consuming fat/cholesterol does not increase your blood cholesterol. 90% of the cholesterol in your system is created by the body and the other 10% is dietary.

I have heard this type of thing before but it gets a bit difficult to know what is correct theory. One year it's all about "Low fat high fiber!," the next year it's "High fat low fiber!" One year it's "Coffee is good for you!" and the next year it's "Coffee will kill you!"

It makes me think the world just runs on fads and money.

I just can't see how a person can go wrong eating organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats yet there are people who are now saying to only eat meat and that if you only eat high fat meat and butter and bacon for breakfast with no grains (carbs), fruits and vegetables you will have low cholesterol, no atherosclerosis, and live to be a 100. Maybe if it was 500 years ago and you were running around Africa naked living in constant fear of being eaten by lions and spent 15 hours a day on your feet hunting antelope you would be doing enough cardio and fasting to live on bone marrow without having high cholesterol/blood pressure, but most of us can't live in the gym, afford a lot of supplementation, nor are we interested in doing a lot of thinking about our diet (I don't mind doing some supplementation, thinking and reading on diet and health but I don't want to turn it into another hobbie as I am already short on time).

No need to make simple fixes overly complex.

This is where I'd like to be on the subject.

 

[PurpleUrkel]

Thanks to @FrancisK for suggesting Krill Oil and coq10 and @scorpion for his suggestions in getting an accurate blood pressure reading, and last but not least @It_Is_My_Time for stating that giving up caffeine was a "game changer."

Yesterday I went to the doctor and got my first "perfect" blood pressure reading in years. I asked the nurse to "wait 10 minutes after sitting down" and to do the blood pressure reading old school with a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope with my arm and hand at chest level.

I feel part of this good blood pressure success was also giving up caffeine about three weeks ago after reading one of IIMT's posts on the subject. The other huge benefit of giving up caffeine is that I'm staying up an extra two to three hours later every night due to increased energy yet still getting up at 7am every morning, and yet I feel more rested. So better sleep with less sleep time which is indeed a "game changer." I found an incredible locally roasted Colombian organic decaf coffee I'm having in the morning and it tastes just as good as the caffeinated stuff.

The Krill Oil and coq10 no doubt played a role as well in decreasing my blood pressure.

Next up is the high cholesterol issue. Switched from red meat to organic chicken breast and salmon about a month ago and went from 3 whole eggs a day to one yolk and 4 whites. Also added a bowl of slow cooked steel cut oats topped with real maple syrup and organic blueberries in the mornings. Cut my butter and dairy intake by about 80%. Will test again in three months and hopefully my cholesterol will have lowered without statins.

Next will be to start a cardio routine, just having trouble getting started due to my current obsession with working as many hours as possible (not just for money but because for the first time in my life I actually like what I'm doing and look forward to getting up and going to work).

 

[It_Is_My_Time]

Thanks to @FrancisK for suggesting Krill Oil and coq10 and @scorpion for his suggestions in getting an accurate blood pressure reading, and last but not least @It_Is_My_Time for stating that giving up caffeine was a "game changer."

Yesterday I went to the doctor and got my first "perfect" blood pressure reading in years. I asked the nurse to "wait 10 minutes after sitting down" and to do the blood pressure reading old school with a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope with my arm and hand at chest level.

I feel part of this good blood pressure success was also giving up caffeine about three weeks ago after reading one of IIMT's posts on the subject. The other huge benefit of giving up caffeine is that I'm staying up an extra two to three hours later every night due to increased energy yet still getting up at 7am every morning, and yet I feel more rested. So better sleep with less sleep time which is indeed a "game changer." I found an incredible locally roasted Colombian organic decaf coffee I'm having in the morning and it tastes just as good as the caffeinated stuff.

The Krill Oil and coq10 no doubt played a role as well in decreasing my blood pressure.

Next up is the high cholesterol issue. Switched from red meat to organic chicken breast and salmon about a month ago and went from 3 whole eggs a day to one yolk and 4 whites. Also added a bowl of slow cooked steel cut oats topped with real maple syrup and organic blueberries in the mornings. Cut my butter and dairy intake by about 80%. Will test again in three months and hopefully my cholesterol will have lowered without statins.

Next will be to start a cardio routine, just having trouble getting started due to my current obsession with working as many hours as possible (not just for money but because for the first time in my life I actually like what I'm doing and look forward to getting up and going to work).

One thing I have noticed, about giving up caffeine, now after a few months, is that it has really curbed my desires. Caffeine was the only thing I felt I had to need in my life. If I was going some place, I would take coffee with me to ensure I had caffeine. It was not just a crutch, but more so it made me believe I was weak and dependent on an outside substance. I no longer feel this way, and it has given me a big boost in inner peace and self confidence. I know that what I am, is enough, and I don't need outside substances.