Is High Blood Pressure a Disease?

by Glen Depke

I have seen more and more new clients in my office lately that are challenged with hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. This has at times been shared by my clients as a disease that they have been diagnosed with that needs to be treated by medicine. So the question is, “Is this really a disease?”

If you do not already know this I will share that the answer is, absolutely not. While this is not a disease, it is often a symptom of stress or serious malnutrition.

Let’s understand that when we are talking about blood pressure, we are discussing your body’s ability to move your blood throughout your body to every aspect of your being to nourish the cells of your body and assist in removing cellular waste. When your body determines that it does not have the ability to move your blood in an optimal manner, your heart will pump harder to achieve this goal. Obviously, if this is determined by your body, it is a need.

Also understand that your blood pressure raises based on any fight or flee response that your body/mind can be currently responding to. Often we experience white coat syndrome, that is often the factually reaction to having your blood pressure taken in the doctor’s office. I would estimate that there are many individuals wrongly placed on meds for hypertension due to this white coat syndrome. I can remember in the past, showing up for a doctor’s appointment after being stuck in traffic and running late. When they took my blood pressure, it was off the charts. I explained what happened and they took it again at the end of my appointment and it was back to normal. What if I was put on meds because I did not open my mouth and share my experience that lead to the high readings?

There are other factors that may skew your blood pressure readings, such as consuming coffee or high sugar prior to having your blood pressure measured. Just drinking a simple cup of coffee can raise your blood pressure 10 points or more.

Another factor is smoking. Did you know that by lighting up and “enjoying?” your cigarette can increase your blood pressure by as much as 15-20 points?

We often hear that using salt raises blood pressure but I find this to be the case with the approximate 15% of the population that is salt sensitive or more of the case that conventional table salt is sodium and chloride and simply not the natural product as it is meant to be used. Since typical table salt is limited to only two minerals this often leads to an imbalance in sodium/potassium levels which leads to high blood pressure.

Kidney disease of liver stagnation can also lead to hypertension and need to be addressed if this is the issue. This is obviously best addressed by your doctor or natural health practitioner.

Atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis should not be overlooked either. This narrowing of the arterial system by deposits such as calcium, cholesterol or other blood constituents is commonly referred to as atherosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a thickening, stiffening and calcification of the artery walls, which can increase pressure because of a lessened diameter. These conditions are often due to an inflammatory challenge that causes a rupture of the inner lining of the artery wall and creates a perfect circumstance for the formation of plaque.

Let’s not forget that we mentioned nutritional deficiencies also and we will address this.

To address the stress factor, this could be as easy as practicing some deep belly breathing. This has a strong physical and emotionally relaxing effect on the body and should be used on a regular basis. I would also recommend consistent deep belly breathing when you know your blood pressure is going to be assessed. This will give you a higher chance of gaining a true reading for yourself. You could also use techniques such as ERT as used in my clinic.

Obviously the best way to address the smoking tie into hypertension is to stop smoking, but we can recognize that this is easier said than done for many. I recommend that quitting smoking be a part of a whole health program and to address this after you have shifted to positive health practices on the basic levels. I would suggest that you start by looking at your fundamentals of health and work from there.

Next we will discuss salt and nutrition together. From the nutritional perspective, I would suggest you search through our gluten intolerance page as well as nutritional ID. In regard to salt, it is best to use a high quality salt product such as the product we use in our home, Himalayan salt. This is not just a sodium/chloride product, but the full complement of some 80 or so naturally occurring minerals. This will not create the same stealing of other important minerals in the body, especially potassium.

Often when you look at minerals that are typically found to be depleted in hypertension individuals, this would include potassium, calcium and magnesium. Often by supplementing with these minerals there is a natural balance in blood pressure, especially when used in conjunction with the other tips in this article. When I am addressing this with my patients, I use liquid ionized forms of these individual minerals when available for the best possible absorption and assimilation.

If kidney disease is part of your problem, I would suggest eliminating all coffee, tea, alcohol and high sugar beverages. I would also never use tap water for drinking, showering or bathing. Drink approximately one quart of water for every fifty pounds of body weight daily and dry skin brush before your morning shower every day. Start with this and work with a qualified natural health practitioner to address balance within your kidneys.

If liver congestion is involved in your hypertension, I would also recommend working with a qualified natural health practitioner to assist in balancing your liver function.

As far as atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are concerned you may want to research oral or intravenous chelation as this has been reported to assist on this level. I would also address the underlying causes of these challenges since this is generally caused by free radical activity and oxidative stress created by poor life style choices. A highly absorbable product that can assist with this free radical activity and oxidative stress is the Isotonix OPC-3.

So recognize that high blood pressure is not a disease and address the underlying challenges tied into this challenge. Very often when you take care of these areas the body is able to bring you back to a state of balance. Feel free to post any comments or questions for me to address personally.

It's Cold and Flu Season

by Glen Depke

If you have been following Depke Wellness, you would probably guess that I am not a proponent of flu shots. While I am not going to use this platform to address the debate of receiving a flu shot, I want to assist you in maintaining a healthy immune system to stay healthy and strong throughout this year’s cold and flu season. These are the practices I use myself and recommend to my clients.

Let’s first look at the lifestyle aspect to improve your immune system function. Stress plays a significant role in challenging immune system dysfunction. I have seen stress over the years significantly lower white blood cell count and put countless individuals in a challenged state. One easy practice you can incorporate to improve your stress levels is to practice deep belly breathing. Take a deep breath through your nose while breathing down to the area of your belly button for a count of eight seconds. Hold that breath for four seconds and then forcefully release this breath while contracting your stomach muscles. This will allow for optimal oxygen supply to the cells in your body and understand that you cannot be stressed and take a deep breath at the same time. I would recommend 3-5 of these breaths each hour of your waking day.

Proper sleep cycles play such an important role in immune system function. Believe it or not this starts with good digestion and proper nutrition which includes the consumption of foods that contain the essential amino acid L-Tryptophan. This is then converted to Serotonin and eventually Melatonin, which is of utmost importance to initiate the high immune system response while you sleep. To learn more about sleep cycles visit our previous post here.

Another way to impact your immune system is to support your lymphatic system. In my opinion, the best way to do this is by using a rebounder. You know…one of those little trampolines. Jump on this for at least 5 minutes per day and if you feel any health challenges coming on, rebound a couple of times per day. This is healthy and fun. You can also dry skin brush to assist your lymphatic system. Get one of those long handled body brushes and every day before you shower, brush your skin from the extremities of your body toward your heart. This not only assists the lymph but also your skin and kidneys.

Staying hydrated is also very important and often for those in cooler climates water consumption is reduced quite a bit at this time. Be sure to be drinking approximately one quart for every 50 pounds of body weight daily.

Let’s look at a way to assist your immune system and address it at the core. About 80% of your immune system function originates in your gut, so be sure to create a healthy environment in your GI tract. One powerful way to address this is to take a quality probiotic daily. Personally, I take a probiotic produced in Germany called Ba-Co-Flor. I have seen much success with this product in my family as well as with my clients.

One of the most supportive supplements for your immune system is another product from Germany called Mycosurge. This is the only known product in the world that combines twelve medicinal mushrooms that are carefully selected in order to provide the most effective immune system boosting efficacy possible. The manufacturing of this product is done in such a way to deliver each mushroom’s full and complete natural ingredient in its natural ratio. Mycosurge is a liquid tonic to facilitate rapid absorption in the mouth and throat with quick delivery into the blood stream. Due to this revolutionary delivery system the GI is bypassed and there is a quick distribution via the heart. Unfortunately Ba-Co-Flor and Mycosurge cannot be sold over the internet so if you really want to support your GI and immune system, feel free to call our office today at 949.642.2094 or email me at Glen@DepkeWellness.com.

Another leading supplement to support the immune system function is the Isotinix OPC-3®. Isotonix OPC-3® is an isotonic-capable food supplement that is made from a combination of bilberry, grape seed, red wine and pine bark (pycnogenol) extracts, and citrus extract bioflavonoids, all found to be powerful antioxidants. Utilizing antioxidants has been shown to support a healthy immune system and the Isotonix form is the best delivery system available today. To order your OPC-3® today visit this link provided.

Understand that you do not have to fall victim to the cold and flu season and if you take care of your body and support your immune system properly, you will give yourself the best opportunity to enjoy the season; that is the holiday season.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to post below and I will personally address this.