NaturalHealthGuru.co.uk

Natural Health GuruDr Sarah Brewer

Sarah, experienced GP and Hospital Doctor, trained at Cambridge University. She has a special interest in nutritional health and the safe use of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements. As well as her medical qualifications (MA, MB, BChir) she is completing a masters degree in Nutritional Medicine. Sarah writes regular health columns for a variety of newspapers and magazines.

Key nutritional tips from Dr Sarah Brewer

Whether you’re following one of my Natural Health Guru programs or not, the following key nutritional changes will help bring down your blood pressureMore

Key exercise tips

Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes per day. Try to make activity part of your everyday routine.More

Charts to make things easier

Make out a chart and fill it in with ideas about how to fit exercise into your day, such as this one….More

Check your cholesterol levels

When you have high blood pressure, you need to keep an eye on other heart disease risk factors such as your cholesterol, triglyceride and homocysteine levels. Your doctor can arrange these blood tests, or you can have them done privately. Print out the following chart to record your key results now and in the future More

If your cholesterol, triglyceride and homocysteine levels are within the optimum range, you only need to have them checked annually. If they are raised above optimal, however (or below optimum in the case of ‘good’ HDL-cholesterol) you may wish to have the non-optimal values assessed every 3 to 6 months to ensure your diet and lifestyle maintenance program is helping them move in the desired direction

Monitoring your blood pressure

Hypertension is largely a symptomless condition so, without becoming obsessive, check your blood pressure at least monthly, at the same time of day, to see whether or not it is slowly increasing More

Recording your blood pressure

Print out this chart and use it to plot your systolic and diastolic blood pressure on a monthly basis as your work through your chosen Guru program More

What your BP reading means

This chart helps you understand how your blood pressure reading is interpreted More

 

Maintaining a healthy weight

This chart helps you work out the optimal healthy weight range for your height, for which you should aim More

Keeping on Track

Each weekend, look back over the last seven days and consider how well you have done. Have you generally kept to your eating, lifestyle and activity goals?More

Monitor your weight and blood pressure regularly – at least monthly.

Don’t let your weight increase by more than 1kg (2.2lb) without taking steps to reduce it, so you are back in the healthy weight range for your height. If your waistbands start to feel tight, do something immediately.

Don’t let your blood pressure creep up to above 130/80mmHg without doing something about it. If you creep up into the hypertensive range (140/90mmHg) seek medical advice from your doctor.

If your cholesterol, triglyceride and homocysteine levels are within the optimum range, you only need to have them checked annually. If they are raised above optimal, however (or below optimum in the case of ‘good’ HDL-cholesterol) you may wish to have the non-optimal values assessed every 3 to 6 months to ensure your diet and lifestyle maintenance program is helping them move in the desired direction.

Remember, your doctor and complementary healthcare professionals are there to help. You don’t have to struggle on your own – seek help if, despite your best efforts, your health profile is not improving as well as you would wish.