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THE DOWNSIDE TO LOW BLOOD PRESSURE
Have you ever been patted on the head by your doctor and praised for having low blood pressure? I have and it's frustrating. Those of us that have chronic low blood pressure have, at one time or another, experienced the less-than-desirable side effects of this condition. Chronic fatigue, poor circulation and vertigo or dizziness when standing are typically associated with low blood pressure but did you know that menstrual cramps, depression, anxiety, decreased libido and cravings (salty and sweet) can also be caused by this as well?
The Downside to Low Blood Pressure
Have you ever been patted on the head by your doctor and praised for having low blood pressure? I have and it's frustrating. Those of us that have chronic low blood pressure have, at one time or another, experienced the less-than-desirable side effects of this condition. Chronic fatigue, poor circulation and vertigo or dizziness when standing are typically associated with low blood pressure but did you know that menstrual cramps, depression, anxiety, decreased libido and cravings (salty and sweet) can also be caused by this as well?
Why do I have low blood pressure?
First, let me say that there can be other reasons for low blood pressure, but the one I'm going to talk about today tends to be the most common and one of the easiest ones to fix. Blood pressure is directly linked to the amount of electrolytes (i.e. minerals) in your bloodstream. The short and sweet of it is, minerals thicken your blood, increasing the pressure, making you feel better. So why are your minerals low? There are several causes but one of the biggest ones is digestion. If you are not properly digesting your food and absorbing minerals, your body's supply will slowly diminish. If you drink lots of water throughout the day, you are diluting (and peeing out) your minerals and if you exercise, you are sweating them out through the skin.
How can I help bring up my minerals?
The first step is working to correct digestive issues. Are you producing enough stomach acid to properly breakdown your food? Are you producing enough bile to further break up food into its most basic elements so that it can be assimilated into the body? Are you eating REAL food? If not, start there. Next, try adding in a simple sea salt to your diet. Celtic or Himilayan sea salt contains valuable minerals that help you feel better and fight cravings. Load your food up with as much sea salt as you can tolerate. Lots! Limiting your water intake throughout the day can help as well. This does NOT mean don't drink water... it just means you shouldn't overdo it. If you want to take it a step further, you can add trace mineral drops to your water.
To wrap it up...
Low blood pressure is not an "issue" in western medicine because there is no pill to fix it. However, just like running on overinflated tires is risky, so is running on underinflated tires. Our brain and nervous system rely on minerals in our bloodstream to relay information back and forth. When these resources run low, you feel like crap. The best thing you can do is work on any digestive issues you might have. You can also add sea salt to your diet or possibly a trace mineral drop to your water. Knowledge is power - now you know that low blood pressure is not "good", don't ignore it!
Do You Really Need Vitamin D?
You've just been to the doctor and he or she has told you that your vitamin D is low and you should start taking a supplement. In fact, they may have made the off-hand remark that it's "just something everyone needs to take". So why do you need it? To help absorb calcium? Probably not. Mainstream medicine is on their soapbox about the importance of vitamin D to fight osteoporosis. It's important to note that osteoporosis has been on the rise ever since they've been telling us that. Vitamin D is actually the perfect recipe FOR osteoporosis.
Do you really need Vitamin D?
You've just been to the doctor and he or she has told you that your vitamin D is low and you should start taking a supplement. In fact, they may have made the off-hand remark that it's "just something everyone needs to take". So why do you need it? To help absorb calcium? Probably not. Mainstream medicine is on their soapbox about the importance of vitamin D to fight osteoporosis. It's important to note that osteoporosis has been on the rise ever since they've been telling us that. Vitamin D is actually the perfect recipe FOR osteoporosis.
What does vitamin D do in relation to calcium?
Vitamin D helps calcium make the jump from your digestive track into your bloodstream where it can then be absorbed in the body. That's a good thing. Unfortunately, it can also have the ability to pull calcium from the tissues as well.
Why do we want calcium in the tissues?
Calcium in your tissues is like the alarm bell for invaders in the body. Without calcium, your body would never recognize it has a "bug" to fight and therefore never trigger your immune system to take care of the problem.
So, the more D the better, right?
Um, no. First off, most people will make enough vitamin D just by stepping out in the sun for about 10 minutes. In higher doses, it not only pulls the calcium out of the digestive tract and into the bloodstream, like it should, it also starts to pull calcium out of the tissues AND bones and then holds the calcium in the bloodstream. And now the calcium cannot leave the bloodstream and go back down to the tissues where it's needed because the blood has become calcium-retentive. Now's it's a problem for your kidneys to handle and if they are not able to excrete the higher calcium precipitated by the excess vitamin D, the body will allow the calcium to be deposited in the joints. Joint pain, anyone? Vitamin D has its benefits but when it's taken in higher amounts like it's being prescribed these days, it could cause more trouble than good.
Why did my blood test tell me I have low Vitamin D?
When a person's blood test comes back saying vitamin D levels are low, the medical world just looks at average numbers and says "you're low, you must need more D". A better question is WHY your body is not making higher levels of D. Wouldn't it make sense if a person already had a high level of calcium in the blood and lower levels at the tissue level, they the body would reduce the amount of vitamin D being produced so that it does not pull MORE calcium out of the tissues and dump it into the bloodstream?
The medical world is going to look at clinical trials (this is a topic for another day) and not at the circumstances surrounding the person. You are an individual. You are unique. Don't be average!